Career in a Rut? Partner Up and Push. | A “Business Fitness” BOGO

Careers are personal. They’re about what we want from our work life and what we’ll risk to get it.                

Navigating our career path can be lonely. What it takes to be successful isn’t always clear. The messages we get may be vague or conflicting. Our coworkers may have agendas that don’t include us. 

Going it alone is how many manage their careers. That makes about as much sense as trying to lose weight, quit smoking, or master tennis without a support system. We all need someone in our corner to keep us going; they need us too. 

A rescue offer 

I wrote Business Fitness: The Power to Succeed—Your Way to make managing your career easier and to get beyond the fluff. 

If you’re ready to get serious about your career planning, I’d like to make it easy for you get (re)started: 

For all of January 2012, I’m offering buy one get one (BOGO) free, signed copies of my book.  

Just go to my website “book” tab and add one (1) copy to your cart for $19.95. (I’ll know to send two by your date of purchase.) Shipping is free in the continental U.S. 

A great career development strategy is a powerful thing. Here’s how you can us the book to build yours.

The power of partnering 

When building your career, there’s real value in partnering with someone you trust and respect, someone to hold you accountable for setting goals and staying the course for success. 

There reasons galore why we benefit from the support of a partner: 

• It’s difficult for us to see ourselves objectively. We need a filter. 
• It’s difficult to stay motivated when things go awry, when we’ve been disappointed, and when we lose our optimism. 
• It’s difficult to stay up when our self-confidence wanes, self-doubt haunts us, and opportunities have been missed. 

Whether careers are exotic or mundane, they often progress in mysterious and unpredictable ways. The only aspects we control are the choices we make, the capabilities we develop, the chances we take, and the relationships we form. 

Along the way, we need to  build momentum around our efforts until the pieces take shape and a picture of our career emerges. A “business fitness” partner can keep us on track.

 Keep pushing 

Finding career success isn’t easy. It means always pressing forward. Funny, how we continually need to push and be pushed. So give this approach a try: 

• Select a single partner or small group (no more than 5)
• Agree to meet at a set day and time (at least twice monthly)
• Use your first meeting to establish ground rules, particularly confidentiality around information shared. Then share what kind of success each of you wants right now.
• Assign one chapter from Business Fitness to be read and discussed at each meeting. Agree to share answers to the inventories at each chapter end.
• After all the chapters have been discussed, go back and (re)write your career goals and share. Hold each other accountable for specific statements.
• Use each subsequent meeting to review progress on goals, provide insights and support, and identify ways to help each other move forward. 
• Make the meetings and the process fun!

This process is part book club, mastermind group, and individual mentoring/coaching. As you progress, you’ll come up with endless next steps that will build your capabilities, strengthen your self-confidence, and deepen relationships. 

Career building takes discipline. There are no shortcuts that are sustainable. When we’re at our best, we feel business fit. To get there, we need each other.

How Careers Build from a “Small Bang” | Vital Pivotal Moments

Business is focused on ends—results, outcomes, the bottom line, and competitive advantage. We are too. 

For us, salary, raises, perks, and promotions are standard measures of how our careers are going. 

Ends always follow beginnings somewhere back in time. Today’s results can be the product of multiple starting-point events that affected us and others. 

The “small bang”   

Pivotal moments create the small bang. Without our knowing it, we will come face-to-face with choices that represent turning points. The right choices mean smooth sailing. The wrong ones make for a rough ride or dead ends. 

Pivotal moments are often sudden and somewhat mysterious. They may come from: 

• Something you hear that sticks with you
• Someone you meet who opens a path
• An act you complete with surprising results, approval, or insight
• An event that unfolds around you, giving you a sense of cause 

Each moment feels like a small bang in your awareness, a sudden awakening that gets your attention. They are starting points that ultimately lead you to the ends, hopefully, that you want. 

Periscopes up! 

Pivotal moments are missed unless you’re watching for them. The more distracted you are by the noise and activity around you, the more likely you are to let those small bangs to fade into the ether. 

Pivotal moments pop up in all situations: 

Libya: The first rebel action (pivotal moment) in Libya ultimately led to liberation (result) from 42 years of tyranny under Col. Qaddafi. His recent death (pivotal moment) committed the Libyans to now “work hard on democracy so their kids can take it for granted?” (result).  (This quote is from CBS Sunday Morning, October 23, 2011.) 

Tim Tebow: A standout college quarterback, the much-hyped Tebow, now a rookie, pro quarterback for the Denver Broncos, is considered by many as having questionable capabilities. On October 23, after a come-from-behind fourth quarter and then overtime (pivotal moments), Tebow got a win (result.) If his career takes off, this game will likely be considered a major turning point.

Business Owner’s Widow: After years of back-office work in her husband’s water drilling business, Patricia became a widow and heir to the company. Instead of selling, as most expected, she took the reins (pivotal moment), dealt tough personnel issues, weathered the recession, made hard business decisions, and kept the business profitable (result).

Struggling Manager: Paul took over a dysfunctional department. Lacking the necessary management skills, he found himself in a quagmire. His boss threatened to fire him if things didn’t turn around. He decided to get some coaching help (pivotal moment) from me that enabled him to resolve the issue, putting him back in management’s good graces (result). 

I’ve had my share of pivotal moments too, many of which have led to unexpected career opportunities: 

A phone call: After weeks of vet visits for my ailing dog, I got a call from my veterinarian frantically asking me if I could help him with a staff problem since he knew I was a corporate manager. I said I would (pivotal moment) and it led to the start of my consulting practice (result).

A chance outing:  While at an expo for horse enthusiast’s, a friend and I met a vendor selling equine art. We asked each other about doing the same and the answer was “yes” (pivotal moment). It led to a business venture that lasted for a decade (result).

A presentation: As a fledging project leader, I was required to deliver a ground-breaking proposal to executive management (pivotal moment). The success of the presentation and the project boosted my professional credibility, becoming the foundation for my career growth (result). 

Take stock. 

Your pivotal moments are the stepping-stones on your Yellow Brick Road. They are the markers, the clues, and the turning-point moments that propel you forward or, unfortunately, sometimes backward. 

We all need to pay attention to the “small bangs” that come our way that signal opportunity, change, and/or insights. It’s often the little things that create the momentum that propels our careers. Keep your antennae up, okay? 

Photo from Katri Niemi via Flickr

Take the Plunge With a Little Help From New Friends! | Building Comfort Outside the Zone

Surprise: A new look—because it was time! Here’s why. 

Twelve months ago I faced up to the fact that I was missing the boat. Every day it seemed I was somehow falling behind. I wasn’t exactly sure why: I just felt out of it! 

Commentary about social media was everywhere and, even though I’d been on LinkedIn, I’d never moved forward. 

So I took the plunge. Feeling brave, I set up Facebook and Twitter accounts back to back. It was pathetic: I had no idea what I was doing.

What continues to amaze me is the generosity and welcoming nature of people I meet this way. I’m especially grateful to these patient supporters and mentors who reached out early on. 

Talent to lean on 

It’s one thing to have expertise and another to be willing to share it:  Enter Cindy Ratzlaff (@BrandYou), author of Queen of Your Own Life, social media expert and new friend. Cindy taught me social media do’s and don’ts and how things actually worked. 

After meeting with Cindy, I lured my then social media neophyte friend, Cherry Woodburn (@CherryWoodburn), at Borderless Thinking to come along for the ride. We burned up our phone lines trying to figure out how to set up pages and settings, gleefully sharing “aha” moments. 

When people started to follow me, I was both nervous and amazed. I wasn’t sure where any of this was heading and didn’t want to offend anyone. (Gosh, a gaff on Twitter could go viral, I worried, until I realized I needed to be really famous for that!) 

One day I got a lovely, welcoming tweet from Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter (@ValueIntoWords) at Career Trends that began a relationship of mutual support and genuine caring. Jacqui invited me into her circle and the wonderful folks in it. 

Then there was Joe Lavelle (@ActAsIfSite) consultant and author of Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail, who faithfully tweeted my blog posts for weeks because he liked them. Soon we became owners and proponents of each other’s books.

In time,  my Facebook and Twitter followers gave me the courage to take my next plunge: My quest to find comfort in a new zone! 

Blogging, here I come! 

Getting started as a blogger was really scary for me. Even though I’d written a published book, the fact that a blog opened me up to immediate feedback was pretty unnerving. I’m actually very private by nature, so “being out there” was (and still is) a struggle for me. 

That said, writing this blog has been an amazing experience, thanks to you. I wrote my first post in December 2009: This is my 90^th. In that first month, there were 189 readers; this month there will be over 1,400—more than 8,000 hits in 11 months. It both humbles and motivates me. 

I keep finding new and wonderful bloggers to follow. (I have a hard time keeping my blogroll current!) Each one helps me get better.

It was a special moment to be invited to guest post for Jennifer Gresham (@JenGresham) at Everyday Bright. Her coaching helped me deliver a post that attracted over 100 readers. How kind was that! 

This month I was invited to set up a blog at Toolbox for HR (@ToolboxHR) where human resource professionals share ideas, experiences, and best practices. More great people to meet! 

Staying outside the comfort zone 

I’ve made a career of reinventing myself, so hopefully this blog will evolve too. “Business fitness,” a metaphor I use to build awareness of the importance of coupling business savvy with what we’re passionate about, drives my thinking. It’s time for me to write some blogs on what “business fitness” is and how you can become more business fit yourself. I hope they will be helpful. 

I love writing for you and hearing your voice through your comments. So please participate. There’s nothing better for me than a little help from new (and old) friends! 

What it is that you like best about other blogs that you read? What suggestions can you give me to make mine better? Many thanks!

Who’s Got Your Back? You Need to Know!| The Essential Internal Network

You’ve got a decent job, a reasonable boss, and nice co-workers. You do good work, get good performance evaluations, and don’t make waves. All’s well, right? Well, maybe not.

Businesses are volatile places. The good times and the bad times don’t last forever, but a lot can happen during those transitions. No job is guaranteed to last, so getting comfy in your daily work routine isn’t a good strategy.

It’s not about “who you know” but “who knows you.” 

Relationships are the underpinning of successful careers.

Businesses are transactional. When there’s a nod in your favor, it means that your work benefits both the nodder (your manager) and the business. More often than not, the first thing noticed about you is your work style, attitude, and ability to collaborate. The work you produce comes next. When both are good, you attract the attention you want.

If, however, your visibility is minimal, your chance for growth is stymied. (Unfortunately, there are some supervisors who like to keep talented employees under the radar for their own selfish purposes.) So it’s important to become known outside of your work group.

Relationships are your lifeline. 

Productive relationships move your forward and draining ones slow you down. So it’s important to find people who share your work values and commitments. Then form a proper business relationship and become mutually supportive.

Nothing beats having well-regarded people in other departments talking about their positive experiences with you. Nothing beats advanced notice or insights into upcoming changes courtesy of your connections. Nothing beats someone tipping you off that there’s a problem afoot that involves you.

Why would your connections want to do that for you? Because they value what you bring to the company and to them.

People have your back because they recognize that you are committed, caring, smart, helpful, dependable, ethical, and reliable. They want and need you in their midst because people like you keep the business going.  

A strong internal network is your success ticket.

Internal networking is not about making a list of people to meet and then checking their names off when you’ve met them. It’s about connecting with other people who can expand your understanding of the business. Ultimately, what you offer each other is broader insight into “what’s really going on” around you.

You need to be strategic about the way you build your internal network:

• Start by looking at the work you’re accountable for and ask yourself, “What insights am I lacking? Who can help me fill in the blanks?”
• Then write down the questions or discussion items that you’d like to talk about with specific people outside your work group.
• Arrange for a time to talk to each person.
• Commit to how you will follow up and keep the dialogue going. 

Here’s what can result from those conversations over time:

• Deeper insights into how the business operates and its challenges
• Understanding of the pressures and problems stirring in other departments
• The inside track about changes, new initiatives, and competitive opportunities
• A wholistic perspective on issues facing the company
• The possibility of attracting a mentor for yourself 

Where does this get you? 

Internal networking demonstrates that you care about the company as a whole, not just the interests of your work group. Your efforts to get a handle on the big picture, your appreciation for work done in other areas, and your desire to use your talents to make the right things happen will make you a standout.

Business fitness means staying connected (a private move) and attracting a following (a public move). Internal networking gets you both and a great group of people who will now know you in the best way. It’s a thing of beauty!

Have you tried internal networking? How has it worked for you? Any tips to share?

Are You Worth the Risk? | Your Life Is Your Business

Any idea about who has a stake in you? I mean a real money stake based on your risk-reward value. Seem like a weird question? 

When you’re the investment, you’re expected to deliver a return. 

That’s right. Every time we borrow or accept money from an outside source, we are their investment. So we have an obligation to reward the investor. 

Here’s how this works. Let’s say, you’re a college student. Your parents pay part of your tuition and a lending institution pays the rest. Both are investors. You work to satisfy the terms of their investment. 

Parent-investors expect you to: 

• Select a course of study that leads to a career that will support you
• Complete all courses with passing or better grades
• Meet all graduation requirements
• Adhere to the rules and standards of the institution
• Take advantage of placement opportunities
• Successfully complete relevant internships
• Graduate with an employment offer 

The return on investment for your parents is the knowledge that they have positioned you to be a productive, self-reliant citizen. It also brings to closure their expenses for your schooling. 

Lending institutions expect you to: 

• Pay back their loan with interest according to the payment schedule

That’s all they care about. It doesn’t matter to them if you went to class, took courses that added up to anything, or got a job. They simply want their investment back with interest. How you do that is your business. Institutional investor’s aren’t fussy. They just want their return. 

Investing is about growth. Growth is about your future. 

Most of us have investors throughout our lives. The bank gives us a mortgage, a credit card, a car or home equity loan. They have a stake in us, want their money back with interest, and aren’t concerned if what we borrowed their money for is a good idea or not. 

We are the most important investors in ourselves because we have the biggest stake. 

I mean that. We’ve got to be smart with the money that we make or take. We need to use it in ways that position us for growth, increase our options, and provide us with the quality of life that makes sense for us. 

If we aren’t smart about the way we use the money others invest in us, then we are missing the boat. Each time we want to cry about our financial woes, we need to take a hard look at how we’ve used the money we’ve earned and the money we’ve borrowed. Our life is our business, right? 

I’m not talking about a time when the employment rug got pulled out from under you, although it is a reminder about having enough money saved to pay the bills for six months. I’m talking about the failure to have a real budget and financial strategy for your life. 

Robert T. Kiyosaki’s book, Rich Dad Poor Dad, is a must-read for everyone, no matter where you are in life. It’s a readable, straight-forward, and practical explanation of the right way to look at and handle your money. 

When I was eight, my parents bought me five shares of Sperry Rand Corporation. They thought I should understand about investing in the stock market. 

My dad told me that Sperry had invented a computer (Univac) that could do mathematical calculations faster than any human being. I had no idea why that mattered. 

“That machine is going to have a big impact on the future,” he predicted. 

“You betcha, Pop!” Thanks for showing me what it felt like to be an investor with just a small stake in what may lie ahead.

Like it or not, we are all the chief financial officers of our own lives.  

No business thrives if it isn’t fiscally sound. That includes the business of our own lives. Stay focused on the expectations of your investors, engage them strategically, meet your obligations to them, and enjoy being business fit as you move your life forward. 

What has been your experience dealing with those invested in you? Any advice to share?