One of the biggest irritations I find is when I go in to a place of business and hear workers complaining about it – the company, their boss, systems, etc. It happened just today: I went in to buy lunch at a fast food restaurant, which had two workers – one cooking, one waiting on customers. There was one customer waiting for her order; while I was getting checked out, the phone rang. The worker told the cook, who was going to answer, to let it ring, stating “That’s what they get for leaving me with one worker.”
Now, first off, I did not need to hear of her unhappiness with the schedule; I was thinking, however, that it wasn’t like they were busy or slammed with customers. I also thought how sad that she could not handle her job or appreciate her work – after all, she did apply for it. Another thought was that she did not thank me for coming in or buying their product – she was too busy complaining and being in her own ‘stuff.’
Jobs are not going to meet everyone’s needs and not all the time. However, others don’t need to hear the complaints or know that information. All it does is breed negative energy, which can spread like a virus. Others will either avoid you due to the negativity or join you, creating a very unhappy workplace that only they want to be in. It also puts customers off, who could make a complaint against you, or a coworker could as well. The result? Not good.
So, to those workers who are dissatisfied with their job, please keep those comments to yourself. Take some action on changing your outlook and perspective (only you control them) by focusing on an aspect you do like, whether that is ‘making the donuts’ or helping customers. Think of how your actions affect others. Bring your concerns to the one person who can do anything about them – your boss. If those don’t work – look for another job!
Struggling with Making a Big Decision?
As we are winding the last few days of August, we are now facing the last 4 months of the year. While this can be exciting to create new opportunities, this can also elicit feelings of fear out of making those dreams a reality. Some of this may involve some major life changes which comes with big decisions, all of which will greatly impact your life. If you find yourself struggling with making a big decision, here are some quick steps to think about:
- really understand the ‘why’ of making the change – this is the need to let go of something that has not been working and wanting to go after what will; if you’re not clear on this then you will be held back
- recognize what is actually holding you back – is it the fear of change or making the wrong decision; it is worry over money or involves other people; do you actually believe you can make the change – resolving these will help propel you forward
- do the research – knowing everything about the proposed decision will help you be more informed; you can do this by researching on the internet, talking to people who have experienced the same change, or seeking help from a coach who can help and support you in making the best informed decision
Only with enough self-awareness and knowledge can one make a decision that feels ‘right’ which leads to acting to get the desired result. Using the simple exercise of taking a piece of paper and writing down the pros/cons of all areas is helpful, as well as using the principles of the Six Thinking Hats, where you list out what the best result, the worst, result, what is known, what needs to be known and then using your creativity to uncover any ideas listed are helpful tools in decision-making, Another is having trust in yourself and and using the ‘voice’ inside (your intuition) as you guide.
Is a Career Mentor Right for You?
If you are in a career transtion, you may be looking to change your career path or, perhaps, to just expand in an area that you have a great passion for but little experience. If so, you may want to consider finding a career mentor to guide you and help lead you on that new path. A mentor is a more experienced person who has knowledge and resources to help in one’s career or life. Similar to a coach, a mentor will help you to set goals and then help you to achieve them, but the work and responsibility is on you. A mentor will meet with you at designated times to see if you have worked on your goals and provide you with wisdom and knowledge to move your forward. A mentor will also connect you with influential people and resources that are relevant to your goals. A mentor basically works with you to show you how they operate on the job and help you to get to their level.
A career mentor works the same way but in relation to your career transition. They will help you learn “the ropes” but for the position you want to break into. For example, say you have some experience in marketing but it is not enough to get you a marketing position. You know that you would be a great fit and have the talent to connect with people to get them to buy a company’s products or services. You have found several open positions but you don’t have the required experience to be considered. Finding a career mentor – in this case, a marketing mentor – would help you to learn more, perhaps with hands-on experience, and then get connected to the people they know who can further your skills and, hopefully, lead you to a job. A career mentor can expose you to a lot of possibilities because you will learn what they do and know. If you position your relationship just right, you can become a valued asset to your mentor so they will want to hire you, or lead to you to someone they know who will.
Find a career mentor can be a little challenging, just as in finding any mentor. You may want to start with family or friends to either see if they might mentor you or know someone who does. You can call previous employers or employers in your desired industry for mentoring possibilities. The best way is through associations in the industry you are interested in; they often have mentoring programs or can get you in contact with people who would be willing to help. I belong to the Orlando chapter of the American Society of Training & Development and served as their lead mentor last year and saw the enrollees reach their career goals and succeed. So, is a career mentor right for you? If you have engaged in a mentoring program, would love to hear your experiences.
Career Asssociations to Consider Joining
I am a huge joiner in groups and associations as I believe in the power of networking as well as for information and learning. Joining associations can also be a great networking tool, as you can network with people in the industry you want to be in; they offer opportunities to learn of job opportunities; and they offer a chance to show off your skills by volunteering to serve on committees as well as through mentorship. Here are three organizations that are career-related and that offer all of these opportunities. You may find a new career path for yourself in the making!
1. The Association of Career Professionals: www.acpinternational.org
2. The National Career Development Association: www.ncda.org
3. The Career and Adult Development Network: www.careernetwork.org
7 Qualities that Help you Get Ahead in the Business World
Ever wonder what it takes to move ahead in your career? A study that was done by Business Week found that there are seven qualities that employers look for when promoting or moving employees into leadership roles. Findings of the study indicated that women need to have more confidence and be more self-promoting in order to develop move up the ladder; there are not many differences between men and women in the other desired qualities.
For men, the qualites that were valued the most by employers are, in order of importance: self-confidence (66%) , integrity (59%), self-discipline (51%), talent (49%), aggressiveness (30%), political saavy (24%), and self-promotion (11%)
For women, the qualities that were valued most by employers, in order of importance, are: self-confidence (72%), integrity (58%), self-discipline (52%), talent (41%), aggressiveness (31%), political saavy (22%), and self-promotion (16%).
Any thoughts or feedback? Which do you value or need improvement in?
