Now that year end is completed and bonuses distributed and unemployment reports are looking more optimistic, you are most likely thinking about what you want to achieve in 2010.

These have been tough times to be thinking about getting ahead. Many of you may be thankful you have a job….but are building up a mountain of resentment because you are working harder, with fewer resources, for less money, in flatter organizations, with no “promises” or promotions to keep you motivated, other than an ongoing paycheck and health benefits to sustain you.

Yet, you see others getting ahead, despite the economy. You watch co-workers being tapped for advancement, called by recruiters, or offered big assignments and interesting projects.

What are they doing that you could as well?   They are not waiting for someone to notice.

Working hard and waiting to be recognized and promoted leads to a lot of output with little forward momentum, and eventually bitterness and poor morale. Believing that their contributions go unappreciated is one of the three main reasons people lose their drive or seek other positions. While it would be great if all managers were focusing on their employee engagement and advancement, in reality, getting promoted is the ambitious employee’s responsibility, particularly when resources are low and demands are high.

Achieving great results is only part of the advancement equation. Being unable or unwilling to consciously connect and self-promote is a major career limitation.

If no one knows you are contributing, then your efforts will go either unacknowledged or others will take the “credit”. If you get frustrated and then demand advancement and are perceived as pushy or competitive, you will be moved aside. Self-promotion is a delicate and critical career management skill which requires observation of how others get recognition, patience, persistence and a strong belief in your self.

The key is to build awareness with stakeholders, connectors and decision makers. This effort extends beyond doing your job. Strategic self-promotion requires a focus on articulating your value with decision makers in ways that they find compelling; understanding and addressing the linchpin issues; and cultivating positive buzz about what you do through your manager’s peers, your colleagues and reports. And in today’s volatile economy, you will benefit from being known beyond your own organization, as well.

So, if you want to get ahead and believe you are being limited, do some of the following:

1. Look for a way to be a unique contributor based on an unmet business need.
2. On a regular basis, initiate a career discussion with your manager, mentor or sponsor in which you review what you have achieved, what you would like to do and how you can contribute going forward .
3. Don’t ask what the company will do for you, propose what you can contribute to the company/department.
4. Think in terms of what skills and relationships you want to develop and volunteer/request to be on some interesting project or part of a team that will expand others’ knowledge of what you can do.
5. Eliminate the complain, compare, criticize routine. Instead, plan, propose and position yourself in a collaborative and positive way.

These five steps would be terrific 2010 resolutions!

For more inspiration, read Staying Power: Executive Fit and Flex

William James said it succinctly over a hundred years ago:  motivation follows action.

How can you marshal your energies when you are overwhelmed with negative news, overworked, in transition or underemployed?  According to Shawn Achor, the answer may be in the pursuit of positive psychology research and tools.

I was fortunate to take an all day One Day U course with Dr. Achor last weekend and will share just a few of his ideas with you.  Try them and you may find it takes less energy for you to accomplish the career-related challenges and tasks you find yourself avoiding or procrastinating.

First, get thinking.  Shawn shared the concept of “emotional hijacking”, which is when you find yourself caught up in emotionality, negativity, fear or avoidance, based on the fear/flight response. He suggests that you move your brain waves from your emotional center to your intellectual center by creating a counterfactual internal dialogue.  The key is to put voice to your emotional reaction and to then use language to process your experience differently.

Try this:  today as you fight the traffic, avoid the crowds, go into a busy store or restaurant, note what is making you stressed, negative and unhappy.  Write down the words you say inside your head about the negative experiences on the left side of a piece of paper.  Note what you say made this experience unpleasant.  Then, on the right side, write down an opposite way of interpreting the events.  This exercise will neutralize your irritation.  In effect, you are moving your reaction from the emotional part of your brain to the cognitive part.

Now, apply this exercise to one work-related experience.  Feeling helpless and rejected because no one is returning your calls?  What are you saying inside your head?  What might you say that is positive, uplifting and motivating?

Second, get acting.  It is not just what you are feeling and thinking, it is how you are behaving that counts.  Studies of people that overcome adversity, manage difficult transitions and are resilient and productive show that they have three basic characteristics:

1. A belief that their behavior matters
2. Strong social support systems
3. Positive stress management habits

The irony is that when in a personal or career crisis, these three qualities suffer. And, it takes more energy to avoid a constructive and productive action than it does to just do it.

The good news is: it is within your control to re-instill positive experiences in your life.  Of course, you cannot control external forces like the economy, difficult co-workers, truncated career advancement options.  But, within the constraints of reality, you can manage your thoughts and actions to create a more positive situation around you.

Here is where the third element comes in:  the phenomena of “mirroring.”  You will notice that when you are positive, others reflect your mood and actions.  The resulting feedback loop spreads—or at least neutralizes negativity.

This, being the holiday season, is a good time to experiment.  You can overcome your inertia using one of these emotional hijacking techniques:

Action Steps:

• Start each day by writing down three things about which you are grateful.
• Do one random act of kindness
• Call a friend or relative and get together
• Have that “difficult” conversation that you have been delaying
• Clean up your desk
• Do one thing on your task list you have been avoiding.

For more ideas, go to Aspirant http://www.aspirantworld.com/resources/tips.cfm

Enjoy the holidays!

October Blog

The New Career Security

In his October 21st Op Ed column, Thomas Friedman challenged us to provide an education system that makes Americans so competitive in the global marketplace that we would become leaders again.  He noted that successful workers now and in the future “invent smarter ways to do old jobs, energy-saving ways to provide new services, new ways to attract old customers or new ways to combine existing technologies .”

His words started me thinking about how his observations could be applied to our thinking about career management.  Seeking compelling, valuable and interesting work to replace our standard focus on getting and keeping an “ideal” job would require a radical shift in perspective and action..

The problem with the current (pre-Recession) job model is that is depends on an historical rather than future focus.  Resumes and personnel files recap past work assignments, titles, functions and achievements without connecting the reader’s mind to the possibilities.  Applicants for positions get screened in or out based on whether they fit the requirements of a slot on an organizational chart before they ever get a chance to talk with a recruiter or manager about relevant  issues and what their skills could do to address them.  Interviews are conducted in  much the same way and the interviewee often feels like he is at an inquisition rather than a more preferred problem-solving dialogue.  Internal succession plans work in a similar way, adding in the element of sponsorship and politics to the mix.

The job shortages compel us to change our approach.  While they may not be adding to “head count”, organizations, large and small, still need expertise and hunger for innovation and new methodologies.  Many managers cannot get to all the things on their plate, much less be strategic and thoughtful. A thoroughly researched and prepared interview is the opportunity to offer your ideas, to make a pitch for how you will add worth.

Broaden your options and open up work opportunities that do not exist on a job board.  As you have meetings, informational interviews, professional discussions, and attend networking events here is a technique you might try that will expand your focus from “selling yourself”, asking about opportunities and circulating your resume:

• Focus on potential rather than problems.
• Inspire your listeners, engage their interest, find out what they need now and next.
• Start a discussion about what’s going on in your industry.
• Have a point of view based on your research and other conversations.
• Think beyond the job you want (your own needs) and your career history and expectations.
• Become an inquiring reporter, elevate your curiosity, find out what people and organizations are struggling with.
• Figure out ways you can save money, time, increase sales, uncover opportunities, make a difference based on both current challenges and future needs.

And if you are in transition, think beyond getting a job.  Look for work that you can do right now on an interim or project…or even volunteer basis…that expands your reputation, exposes you to the possibilities, puts you back in the game.  While there, figure out how you can make yourself indispensable to your organization or clients by putting their agenda, their needs, their success first in your mind. and deeds. That is the new career security.

“All my life I’ve wanted to be someone; I guess I should have been more specific”
– Lily Tomlin

Are you waiting for your “passionate calling” to call to you?

Does the structure and stability of the status quo you sought now restrict your future?

Are you exhausted by a protracted job search and thinking about “Reinventing Yourself” but not ready to jump into the breach?

Are you looking for a new way to work and to live while having to maintain your ideal life/style?

Have you re-defined success but are not sure how to re-direct your work to reflect it?

You may be considering “Reinvention”.

Redirecting your career to doing what you love can be a ticket off of the treadmill. And, if you have been “liberated” from your job either through a reorganization, retirement or business shift, this may seem like the right time to do “something else”. A complete career/life conversion, particularly if your current work is dissatisfying, derailed or just plain dull is a very compelling.

But, you may not be ready or able to “pull the chord” on your lifestyle or career just yet.

Don’t let that stop you! Reinvention does not have to be a radical step. You can begin to integrate your “new self” is small steps.

If you are in a dead end career or unproductive job search, sometimes a full fledged change of direction is necessary and possible. Alternatively, such a radical move might be out of reach or inadvisable.

You can experiment with new direction without going the whole way. Try devoting a few hours to your desired pursuits and activities in small bites. Gradual is less risky and can lead to additional relationships and directions.

Here are some examples of what some of my clients are doing to re-energize:

• Getting on a not for profit board
• Studying for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• Taking trumpet lessons
• Joining AmericaCorps (Vista)
• Helping an entrepreneur whose business has expanded
• Singing Cabaret
• Studying Fashion Design
• Starting a Web Site
• Joining Toast Masters to learn how to be a motivational speaker
• Writing that novel
• Interviewing experts publishing an opinion piece or white paper
• Starting a book group
• Working on a political campaign

You may find, as others have, that when you choose to do something fun, interesting and new, you feel that you can take control of your destiny. Exploring avocations re-instills curiosity and purpose. A mutual focus naturally builds and enhances relationships. People are drawn toward others who are enthusiastic and interesting, not those who are needy and at an impasse.

Passion and curiosity are magnetic.

The Dog Days of August do not have to keep you in the Career Doghouse!

Usually, the end of summer is a time to hang back, take a break or enjoy the last few weeks before the Post-Labor Day energy of September.

Whether you are just getting started in a new position, seeking advancement or in transition, this August, career management challenges may seem more daunting than in the past.

So, here are some ideas that will keep you cool despite the career stifling job market predictions.

Seven Tips to Refresh Your Career energy:

1. Expand your perspective beyond seeking job security and focus on building work continuity. Look beyond the limits of role, responsibilities and position for ways that you can do work that is challenging, enjoyable and needed. Others’ problems are magnets for your expertise.  Read opportunistically, speak with contacts about their most pressing issues to identify unrealized situations before they become openings.
2. Reframe career currency. Keep track of your valuable career assets that include contributions, ideas, results, and leadership acumen valued by your key stakeholders, current and potential clients and employers.
3. Don’t wait to be advanced or recruited. Promote yourself through relevance, relationships and reciprocity.
4. Balance hard work, pressures and fewer resources. Do the opposite of your instinct to keep your head down and churn the work out. Instead, increase interaction, keep your boss or board informed, hold casual conversations with colleagues, and constantly be thinking about what you can offer that will make a difference.
5. Maximize time with contacts. When you meet, chat, phone, check in, focus on them and be generous and interested in response to their concerns. Actively maintain your professional voice and visibility through social networking, follow up, idea generation, personal and professional events, writing, publishing, and contributing in your field.
6. Keep a cool head in the heat of intense work, demanding meetings, interviews, deadlines and periods of inactivity. Maintain your personal life, take short breaks during the day, exercise, relax, enjoy nature, spend time with your family, call a friend, see a movie, enjoy an avocation, learn a new skill.
7. Do it now! Waiting for the market to rebound, employment statistics to improve, or to be recruited is a recipe for career derailment.

Three Tools for Action:

1. Keep track of expertise, experience and exposure. Email me at info@sherylspanier.com for a complimentary Quarterly Career Tracker.
2. Are You Maximizing Social Networking?
   This month’s blog is all about ways you can use Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter to define and distribute your on-line image for greater visibility and ongoing impact. Check it out at sherylspanier.com/blog.
3. A great way to help yourself, your friends and contacts who can use a career boost is to own a career guide which can stimulate thought and constructive action.

Find the right one at notime4theories.com.

Sheryl Spanier

Yesterday I was fortunate to participate in an ACPI professionals telephone and web-based meeting on the subject of maximizing your on-line presence through social networking sites. The topic and speaker were organized by Jack Chapman, a very well respected expert in the field of salary negotiation, who invited Shama Hyder, the author of a book called The Zen of Social Media Marketing, which you can find on her web site.

Program participants included active Twitter-ers, avid Facebook “Friends” and highly Linkedin, as well as those who were interested, but hesitant novices. Our expert guide helped us sort through the differences between each of three major social networking vehicles. In the dynamic hour conversation we explored the efficacy and etiquette of on-line identities. And, we shared views on uses, advantages and concerns. As professionals who advise our clients on career issues, we were particularly focused on privacy verses public sharing, and the how to merge commercial and social connections appropriately.

Here are some of Shama’s tips:

Understand the distinctions between and best use of each vehicle.

Facebook is like a coffeehouse where you meet, seek out, connect with, and enjoy your fans, friends and acquaintances. In this context personal stories, requests for advice, congratulations, updates, family pictures and life events and updates are appreciated and expected;

LinkedIn is more of a global business search engine, where participants converse about professional issues, inquire about business solutions and share ideas and trends, join special interest professional groups, get and give business and work leads, provide recommendations, promote your expertise and elicit introductions to other professionals;

Twitter as a global human search engine providing access to immediate information about those you follow. In addition, it has become a resource for real-time news, publicity and even political events. And it is becoming the go-to place for the media to learn real time what is happening around the world.

We had a lively dialogue about what and how much to share on these sites. While everyone has a different sense of what a “friend” is and a varied interest in sharing and reading about daily activities, we all agreed that professional and personal are increasingly intertwined: who you are as a person is important to business associates. While we used to keep these two sides of ourselves totally separate, we now find that family, interests, travel, and avocations add texture to one’s professional impression….and create the differentiation, ongoing real time visibility, engagement and impact critical to business success. Being able to update and inform business associates and personal connections provides efficient and current top of mind awareness and opportunities to interact.

Shama has a wonderful acronym (BOD) to guide us in how we decide whom to connect with, what, how much to share, and the content of our profiles, pictures, notes, comments and twitters.

B-is for brand which should be summed up in a short phrase that is supported and reinforced in each of your communications
O-is for outcome or the value you represent
D- is for differentiation or how you stand out

Bottom line: Social Networking is becoming increasingly important in our personal and professional lives. Be thoughtful and intentional about what you say, pictures you place on your wall, updates you place, comments you make. Don’t put anything on-line you would not want a stranger to know. You want to be consistent with your professional ethics and cautious about attracting attention that might compromise your reputation, image or attract  spam….or even criminal behavior.

Remember, the personal on the internet is public and permanent.

Liking Linking!

All of today, I have been occupied with LinkedIn, FaceBook, texting and emailing to be in touch. I did not have one voice to voice or face to face conversation outside of my interactions with my husband. This is very unusual for me as my work, friends, family and avocations generally bring me in active contact with others. I think about my clients who are finding themselves inter-personally isolated because they work virtually or are in career transition.

Virtual communication gives the satisfaction of immediacy in getting and giving information. You could spend many hours on-line believing that you are nurturing your connections and creating opportunities.

Social and business networks are useful transactions for informing and expanding your “presence”. However, I think that relationships still require commitment, chemistry and context to develop. Online communication…email, twitter, social networks, blogs, while great for sharing information can fool active participants into thinking they are connecting/networking/branding/getting “out there”/getting noticed. Virtual communication, however, is not a substitute for the value of in-person or live voice-to-voice intimacy.

On-line has the advantage of immediacy and the disadvantage of lacking nuance and context. Because it is written, sent and read quickly, it can result in abrupt judgments and replies.

Misunderstandings and misinterpretations cause a great deal of time spent resolving conflict. Just think of the tension that can be avoided by a conversation that requires listening, give and take and clarification. So, I recommend emails, texting, and social networking be used for factual, not emotional or nuanced, messages. When you really need to “talk”, make a date to meet in person, Skype, stop by someone’s office, or pick up the phone.

A really great way to capitalize on any virtual communication is to use it as a supplement rather than a substitute for live human contact. It is great to stay in touch and it is not a replacement for high touch.

Whether in the process of advancing or transitioning, even the “old boy’s network” is networking challenged according to a recent Forbes on line post.  Check out stories and clips of several CEO’s techniques for keeping abreast and in touch through mutual interests, technology, and board and organizational memberships.

Those of you who are in transition and trying to break through to top level leaders are most likely finding that getting a meeting is no longer as simple as grabbing a meal or even a quick cup of coffee.  Time-challenges, information overload and leaders’ immediate demands require some brilliant and creative guerrilla tactics, as mentioned in the April 13th issue of Fortune Magazine,  “How to Find a Job”.

Is face to face networking still viable and necessary or even possible, you may ask.  It is clear that social networking and business on line listings and linking are part of most of our daily interaction.  And, we all know the importance of a strong support system and how critical it is to network before we “need” to.  Many of my clients have defaulted to email, instant messaging, and even twittering to inform or stay in touch.  But these modes do not create the dialogue, context and texture of voice and visual cues so critical for bonding and nuance. The trend toward job seekers’ participation in  self-help groups that replace job fairs or supplement outplacement programs supports the evidence that we all still seek physical contact and face-to-face conversing.
A recent story in the NY Times, “Where Gifts and Stories Are Crucial to Survival,”, truly depicts the magic of personal connections.  The !Kung people, a very primitive culture in Southern Africa, have survived hard times through a structured tradition of caring about each other.  Especially when they are separated for years and great distances, members of this culture demonstrate that they keep others in their hearts by constructing stories and giving gifts….and then personally visiting to make sure the other is aware of the care and concern.
Think about the healing effect of being held in such high esteem that someone else, living at the edge of survival, takes the time to  remember you, seeks you out and reminds you how important you are to them through a shared history or an artifact created in your honor. The gesture of reaching out,  offering something to sooth, inform or support is quite compelling; it can be life saving.

Sometimes, in our modern world we overlook ways that connections of history, community and caring also keep us alive.  We are often so focused on getting things done and what we need from others that we forget about the power of simply showing someone else true consideration. A  simple example  would be to focus on what mutually matters to you and your connections.  Or, think first about their problems, elicit their concerns and then respond with how you might offer to help. These are the elements that bond people together, creating lasting allies and friends.

Recently, I have had the honor of speaking with professional and industry groups about career advancement and transition techniques in this very much changed workplace. In the Q+A, invariably participants express concern about in person networking as an imposition or as appearing to be “begging” for favors.  In response to this reticence, I offer a shift in thinking.  Be like the !Kungs who stay connected through offering something to others in a way that honors them in meaningful and mutual ways with an abiding generosity.
For example, you can be:

Gracious: Always have a specific reason to reach out that will consider their needs  as well as yours.  Act as a thoughtful host, invite your contacts’ opinions, elicit their interests, engage them in interesting dialogue.

Grateful: Demonstrate your appreciation.  When people have taken time to speak with you, and particularly when they have met with you, go beyond the perfunctory thank you note to mention specifically what they did or said that will be helpful. Reminding others of how they helped, will create a desire in them to help you more.

Giving: Think of something that will be helpful to your contacts.  When reading an article, meeting someone, learning of a new tool or idea  that would help your contact personally or professionally, let them know.  Do this without an agenda. Do it just to be thoughtful. Provide value with every encounter.

Generative: Introduce your contacts to each other.  Tell them about other interesting people. Get people who have no time to initiate networking meetings together. Be a relationship magnet.  Have a party and invite people of like interests or industries to share with each other. Brainstorm about professional or industry challenges.  You might solve some…or you might think of a new career direction…or even start a business together!

You can read more about ways to transition, advance and stay effective in recently published Executive Career Guides at:   www.notime4theories.com

I look forward to your feedback on how this works for you.

If you are losing or leaving your job, think carefully before hitting send on that clever, critical or complaining email blast.

Words written hastily can have an unintended and long term impact on your future career moves.
Consider this:  the last thing you do or say is the first thing your contacts and colleagues will remember about you.

Recently, I had the honor of being interviewed on NPR’s morning show “The Takeaway” on the topic of how to write a proper goodbye email when leaving a position. Three different email samples were presented: one edgy and humorous, one trashing the former boss, and one gracious thank you to all former colleagues. You can hear the program on the link above.
While it is tempting to vent and dump in a parting shot, remember that what you wrote can go viral and put  your career into the dumpster!  Emails can remain in the system and follow you many months later after you are over your loss and ready to move on.  A cute comment about wanting to enter a monastery or a negative comment about your former boss can be found and forwarded to a potential employer at the most inopportune moment of your re-entry.
Clearly, elegance is the way to go!

Here are some tips for an elegant exit message:

Open your communication with gratitude for the work you have achieved and years you have had the honor to serve the employer. This is a good place to mention briefly a few of your achievements while there.

Give the basic facts of your departure.  Create a simple business-based (not personal) reason for leaving statement consistent with your former organization’s statement (cut backs, restructuring, redirection, merger, etc).

Provide information about how you can be reached.  Offer to be in touch so you will not unduly burden your former colleagues.

If you don’t know what you will be doing next, resist the impulse to say something that may be misconstrued as lacking professional commitment.  Indicate you are putting some thoughts together about your next career step.

Thank your co-workers.  Remember, they are suffering from a  loss as well.

Above all, keep negative comments and emotion out of your communications.

Before you send your exit email, save it in draft and go back later to review it with the eyes of your most important readers. If in doubt use this measure:  Would you want your content to appear on the front page of The Wall Street Journal?

These steps will enable you to behave in exiting the way you want to be known and remembered:  with dignity and self-worth.

Reinvention seems to be all the rage lately.

Not surprising! So many people in transition begin to look at unmet career desires, career disillusion or poor fit. Job loss often leads to an awareness of what you don’t want, and a belief that some other career/life will offer it.  And for many, the idea of pursuing something very different appears to be more appealing than networking, interviewing and “selling” themselves.
If you are in transition or anticipating one, this may seem a perfect time to consider these questions:

“I wonder what else is out there?”

“Shouldn’t I do something I am passionate about?”

“Is this a good time to go into the not for profit arena and do meaningful work?”

“What other alternatives to my current occupation might I consider?”

Many of my clients over the years have considered reinventing themselves. They spend countless months researching, information interviewing and considering alternatives only to boomerang back to their original occupation. The challenge for them was, never having considered what else they wanted to do, they did not have experience, expertise and exposure needed to move into fields of interest. They found that forging a search with few connections and having to create a compelling “story” was much more challenging and time consuming than they dreamed.

However, the self assessment and exploration was not wasted.  Once having gotten the desire to explore out of their system, some felt more free to re-commit to their original career, refresh their enthusiasm, or redesign their roles or functions more in line with rediscovered interests or needs.  And over time, having taken a position that built on their contacts and capabilities, many of have later been  successful in evolving into their dream occupations without being pressured by needing to re-establish themselves before their severance or savings ran out.  If you are considering reinventing yourself, here are 10 additional questions to consider:

1. If circumstances hadn’t changed in your career, would you be considering reinventing yourself?

2. What are you passionate about, beside your current career?

3. Do you know anyone who has a career you would kill for?

4. What do they do and how did they get there?

5. What did you want to be/do when you were a child? A teen? In college?

6. What caused you to go a different route?

7. What areas of expertise can you leverage in your reinvented life?

8. What can you offer and who needs it?
9. What do you need to learn or develop?

10. How long do you want to spend in exploring, evaluating and emerging reinvented?

Then, when you begin to explore alternatives, be realistic about what trade offs you are willing to make.

Successful re-inventors I have worked with realize that they need to have support systems, financial protection, a strong vision and desire and a courageous commitment to jump into the breach.  They are willing to make sacrifices or embrace a new community, new career identity, new way of living.  They build a platform to change by building connections, filling in the experience gaps, garnering financial support or making necessary adjustments.  Others have been fortunate in getting a retirement package that enabled them to fully assess and explore, develop relationships and visibility through volunteering or interning.  They have the luxury to pursue their dreams, passions or unfinished career business  while maintaining their life styles.

Reinvention is not an alternative to the rigors of job search.  It is an exciting and arduous path. The most secure way to reinvent is to plan and build toward it.