Feedback: Too Much, Too Little or Too Late

Feedback. Too much or too little? It depends on who you’re asking:

“Everybody tells me what to do; from my mother to my manager. You’d think I didn’t have a brain in my head. Why can’t people just keep their opinions to themselves and let me do my job?”

“The only time I get any feedback is at my annual review, which I get every eighteen months to two years, if I’m lucky. Even then, it’s sketchy, abstract, and I don’t know what to do with it. Next thing you know, I’m let go, and I didn’t see it coming.”

Feedback. If more people knew how, what, and why to give it and more people knew how to do something with it, everyone and the bottom line would benefit.

Whether you’ve been into feedback avoidance, or you’re known as Attila the Feedback Giver, this framework should help you to prepare for and deliver feedback more effectively:

Approach your feedback meeting with the assumption that you don’t know everything; therefore, you don’t have all the answers.

Allow time for give and take. You’re heading into a discussion with someone who will provide you perspectives that you don’t have.

Develop an outline:

• What’s your goal?

Why are you giving this feedback?
What do you want to achieve by giving it?

• What exactly is the problem?

Who is it about?
What is it about?
How does it relate to the person you are giving feedback to?

• Who solves the problem?

Whose responsibility is it?
How much authority has this person in solving the problem?

• What are the available options?

What are the pros and cons of each option?
Who will benefit and how and at what cost?

• What’s the action plan?

Who’s going to solve the problem or meet the challenge?
What do they need to get it done?
How will you measure their progress?
How will you know if and when the problem is solved?

Despite careful planning and candid acknowledgment that giving objective and timely feedback makes sense, many employers “choke” when it comes to providing it.

• They fear negative reactions and don’t want to deal with them.
• They think they don’t have time to do it right, so they wait until they do. They won’t and they don’t.
• They believe it’s faster to fix the problem themselves.
• They complain that people are unpredictable. They’d rather work with widgets.

The rubber abruptly meets the road when these same bosses get deep-sixed with the very feedback that they avoided giving. Because they got it too late, they may lose their jobs.

Vicious cycle, isn’t it.

Good supervisors, managers, leaders provide feedback to enable their employees to grow and develop in their positions, to take on increasing levels of responsibility and authority, to free their bosses to accomplish the goals for which they are accountable.

Feedback, when delivered appropriately, benefits everyone.

It must be provided on a consistent basis and in a climate that is safe and supportive.

It’s a two way street. Give it and get it. Model it by asking your employees two questions:

What do you want me to do more?

What would you like me to do less?

Listen to what you are being told. Probe for deeper understanding. Ask for examples that would help you see the point that is being made. Rather than appearing to defend your behavior, learn why doing it differently would benefit others.

Providing and receiving feedback can be habit forming. When compared to other addictions, this is one with positive side effects that builds, rather than tears down, human capital.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Question from a reader: Is my resume better than I am?

Q: I’m getting interviews. I’m not getting offers. Does this mean that my resume is better than I am?

A: It sounds as if your resume is doing a better job speaking for you than you are speaking for yourself. If that’s the case, you’ll want to know how you’re missing the mark. Those answers can come from a combination of soul-searching, self awareness and candid feedback from people who know you best. To jump start your thinking, here’s a sampling of comments from interviewers whose business it is to separate resumes that work from the people who don’t.

• The applicant’s resume was spot on for what we wanted. We were ready to make an offer before the interview began. Luckily, we waited. Instead of the self-confident person we envisioned, the applicant appeared uncomfortable, insecure, and unsure of how to answer any question we asked. In order to stop the pain, we stopped the meeting after 20 minutes. We may have missed out on a real star, but we needed a solid communicator, who, right out of the box, could interact easily across functions, and manage up as well as down.

• The applicant’s resume seemed too good to be true. And it was. We might not have checked had he been able to articulate what he had done as well as his resume said he had done it. So, out of curiosity, and because we don’t appreciate getting duped, we fact checked. He made up eighty percent of what he wrote and exaggerated the rest.

• The resume was well written, well organized, and contained the experience we wanted. We interviewed the job candidate and concluded that she was intelligent and capable, but less assertive than we needed in this position. We questioned her about her ability to push back when needed, and to ask for what she wanted. She demurred on both counts. She said that she preferred to work in an environment where that was not necessary and said that an aggressive workplace created too much stress for her, given her emotional makeup. We respected her position but passed on her candidacy.

• The resume was representative of exactly what we were looking for so we invited the applicant to an interview. Within the moments of our meeting we realized he was far more than what we wanted. He took over the room in ways that can work well at a sporting event or fraternity party, but he clearly was not a good match for our rather stuffy board room culture.

• The resume was a great match for what we advertised. The candidate arrived right on time, was well-spoken, well educated, well groomed, and culturally sensitive. He had a keen awareness of how he could add value to whatever company he joined. What became increasingly evident, as we discussed a variety of issues, was that this candidate was more interested in changing career direction than he was in staying the course. We did not make him an offer.

As always, it’s up to you as the applicant, to match how you describe yourself to how you present yourself. Try practicing an actual interview with a trusted friend or colleague and as them to tell you, truthfully, how you come across.  Be open to hearing what they have to say and use the information to improve how you interview.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Women and Retirement

We were taking our weekly Sunday walk when my friend mentioned a column that I had written a few weeks earlier.

“The retirement column you wrote was definitely about men. Women retire too. Why aren’t  you writing about us?”

I didn’t have an answer and realized that I was uncharacteristically without words, which is probably why I hadn’t written any. So I’ve done some asking, and thinking, and asking some more. Here’s some of  what I’ve discovered. I hope you’ll fill me in on the rest:

Pre and post retirement women tell me they are seldom asked, “how are you handling retirement?” because most assume that they are continuing with what they did before their careers joined hands with the rest of their lives. They’re still working.

Most women with or without children or parents or husbands or lovers aren’t asked what they will do when they retire because they don’t.

If women don’t really retire, when do they get to rest, travel, surf the net, and in general, play hooky?

If they want to take time off, they’ll have to give notice, especially to those who have counted on them most and longest:

This is your mother speaking. I  have retired. I no longer work for fee or free. I can still cook, clean, mend, and on occasion, baby sit. But now I do it when I want to and if it is convenient. That doesn’t mean I don’t love you, it means that I’m doing something for me.             

This is your daughter speaking. I have retired.  I may not be here when you call. That doesn’t mean that I won’t take you shopping or to the doctor, or wherever you like. It means that you’ll need an alternate plan for help when I’m not here to provide it for you.  That doesn’t mean I don’t love you, it means that I’m doing something for me.

This is your wife speaking. I have retired.  This is a wonderful and challenging time for me.  I’ve changed since we first met. So have you. I have more skills and strengths than I earlier realized . My expectations are different than they were then. I am more than I was and there is more that I want to be. I’m going to continue to grow. I’d like your encouragement and support along the way.

This is a single woman, with no kids, speaking. I have retired.  That means that at last I am free to do and be what I choose, everyday. I can go out and volunteer, slap paint on a wall or take the dog to the vet. I can walk in the park, compute in the dark, read a book or take a nap. And I can do it anytime I want to.

If  you are reasonably secure with a sense of emotional and physical well being you can do whatever you choose. So do something of value in your retirement.

Dare to dream. Challenge yourself to make it happen. Stretch, grow, take a chance. These are the years you’ve waited a lifetime to begin. They don’t come with a road map or a how-to manual.

You will need courage, imagination and initiative:

Courage to ask questions and go places you’ve not gone before.              

Imagination to create possibilities and options for how to obtain them. 

Initiative to go where you need without waiting for an invitation or asking for permission.

Expand your horizons by meeting people who do what you’d love to do. Attend workshops and seminars and exhibits and classes that teach what you’d love to learn.

Where to go, what to do?

Check for interesting programs at your library,  Volunteer Center,  Women’s Resource Center, Women’s Hospital,  Arts Center, YWCA, and your religious or spiritual center, just for starters.

Check for a comprehensive list of community clubs and organizations at your public library web site, or stop by and ask.

Check the newspaper for interesting speakers, performances,  and profiles of local folks you’d like to meet.

Check with community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and universities for courses designed for the life long learner.

It takes courage to create a retirement that spits in the eye of conventional wisdom. If anyone can make a beginning out of an ending, it’s you.

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 Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

 Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Jet Blue Column Generates Responses

The Jet Blue flight attendant event was the basis for my August 15, 2010 column in the Greenboro News & Record.  I receive a few emails about my suggestion that there were other things to try before emulating the actions of the frustrated Jet Blue flight attendant.

An except from my column:

Understanding the other person’s perspective and knowing their story enables you to frame the exchange and navigate the intersection differently than you otherwise might. That’s not to say that you can yield to every argument or make peace with folks who just aren’t interested. What you can do is lower the intensity.

And some reader comments:

 

 

Readers Respond to “No Excuses” Article

My August 8, 2010 career column in the Greensboro News & Record, entitled, “Excuses Get You Nowhere,” generated a few responses that I wanted to share with blog readers.  First, a few summary bullet points of the column if you don’t have time to click through to the News & Record:

• Excuses, no matter how valid, justified or prevalent, are your own worst enemy in finding a job.
• Take your excuses and find a way to respond to them.  The article gives a few ideas of how to do that.
• Take the time to know what you have to offer, come up with a positive and succinct way to present yourself to employers and then maintain a great attitude while doing it.

From a reader responding to the, “I can’t get a job because I am too old” excuse:

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to send this to me. I found it so interesting and really wanted to keep it because the time is coming soon that I will be out hitting the pavement looking for a job. I know I will voice these same excuses when I don’t get the job I want.

I just recently graduated Practical Nursing and am taking my boards soon and might even go back to school to finish a degree in Office Systems Technology, haven’t decided yet.

I am going to print this out to remind me that although I am fifty-seven years old, I am still the person for the job..

From a reader responding to the “I can’t get hired because I don’t have any experience” excuse:

I was given your article in the 8/8/2010 News and Record to read.  It is entitled “Excuses get you nowhere.”  I have a question regarding your recommendation of how to respond when applying for jobs, when one does not have job experience.  It seems as though many job listings state that experience is required.  Are you implying that one should apply and then address the issue of lack of experience?  If so, this could also be interpreted as the applicant not having the ability to follow directions.  Thanks in advance for your clarification of this point.

And my thoughts…

 

Thanks for writing and thanks in advance for being open to pursuing job opportunities in ways other than responding to on line postings… (the hardest way to get a job).

Consider this: the numbers of graduate and undergraduate contacts you’ve made through your academic progression.

The numbers of professors, instructors, and practitioners with whom you have worked and studied all these years.

Each of them likely know someone or several  who are in the field you are training to enter… who can not only refer you, but can be a reference for you… for a conversation, if not an interview.

This is the best way for you to find an opportunity that will provide you that essential ‘experience’.

No matter the business, industry, or area of specialization, people hire people. Relationships count.

Use them, in the best sense possible.

I appreciate all the emails and blog comments from readers — keep them coming!

 

 

Conventional Wisdom Won’t Keep Your Employees from Leaving

“How can I stop my employees from leaving when I can’t afford to compete with the salaries and benefits the other folks are offering?”

That’s the question many employers are asking. The problem is, they’re listening to Conventional Wisdom for the answers. CW suggests that people join companies and stay with them for salary and  benefits; that employees have no loyalty; if they can get better down the street, that’s where they’re going to go.

In years past, employers attracted employees with unspoken promises of security, competitive salaries and benefits. What they asked in return was uncompromising loyalty. They got it.

Companies grew and acquired other companies. Their mergers turned into downsizings and the silent promises they made were as bankable as smoke. If you were lucky, your hard work and loyalty got you a pass until the next layoff was announced.

Once burned twice savvy employees (and their soon to be employed children) learned that loyalty meant “take care of yourself because no one else is going to do it for you.” They changed the game by writing their own rules: Stay with a company that treats you right. Leave a company that doesn’t. They knew precisely what that meant even though they didn’t tell anyone and no one took the time to ask. Until recently.

First, Break All the Rules, What the World’s Greatest Managers do Differently,by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, is based upon the Gallup Organization’s comprehensive employee opinion survey and in-depth interviews of over 80,000 managers in over 400 companies. It is, according to Gallup, “the largest study of its kind ever undertaken.”

In essence, it says that despite the best efforts of pay, benefits, promotions and training, it’s the employee’s manager who most strongly influences whether employees stay or leave. How’s that? The more that managers become involved and invested in their employees’ development and career success, the greater the likelihood that employees are more productive, companies makes more money, customers are better served, and yes, employees stay where they are.

When highly respected polling organizations take the time to ask the right questions, in as comprehensive a manner as the Gallup Organization has, it pays to take notice of their findings.

Employees leave or stay because of their managers, not because pay or benefits are more or less than what the folks get next door. Employees stay with managers who match strengths to challenges;  delegate decision making authority, and demonstrate a real interest in individual development. They stay with managers who enable them to accomplish something worthwhile and affirm them when doing so.

So rant and rave all you want about the folks next door stealing your employees. If you treat them right, they’ll stay. If you don’t, they won’t.

“But what if your employees don’t want to be motivated? They don’t want to be challenged, they don’t want to be developed, they just want to get a paycheck. If you demand more than they’re willing to give, they’re out the door. What then?”

Look at your hiring practices. The most critical mistake any employer makes is to hire someone without clarifying expectations. Consult with a professional who can help assess your needs and your environment (which are often different than you might think), and design an interview process that is targeted to both.

Provide new employees the training and equipment they need to get the job done. Give them specific and timely feedback; when they are performing the job well and when they need to improve and how. Motivate them by reinforcing their strengths instead of emphasizing their weaknesses. Ask them for feedback and listen to what they say:  Do you have what you need? Give us your ideas about how to do this job better. What are some ways we can improve our processes?

Take an interest in employees as people. The more you bring out their best, the more likely they are to stay. Those are employees you want to keep.

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 Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

 Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

A Key to an Effective Job Search: Networking

Networking is key to an effective job search. If you want it to work so you can go to work, use it, don’t abuse it. Here are a few scenarios that describe networking, done badly:

I asked my friend if she would help me look for a job. She said, “Sure, what do you need?” And I said, “I just told you, I need you to help me look for a job.” And she said, “Are you kidding me? Like you want me to go online and look for a job for you? And I said, “yes.” I haven’t heard back from her since. Some friend.

I asked my Dad’s friend if he would be a reference for me. He owns a business and I thought his name would look good to some of the people who would be reviewing my resume. Instead of his agreeing to, he actually asked me to tell him what I’m looking for, and when I didn’t do a great job of it, he said that I didn’t sound very sure of myself and that I needed to practice more before I started looking. Can you imagine that? I told my Dad that he didn’t have a very good friend.

 I’ve been networking for a year now and it hasn’t done anything for me. I go to all kinds of social events and tell everyone within ear-shot that I’m looking for a job. Hello? It hasn’t gotten me anywhere. What’s with these people?

 Here are some examples of networking done well:

I told my friend that I was looking for a job and described what the right opportunity would look like. I asked her if she’d be willing to brainstorm with me for just a few minutes about where the possibilities might be and who might know about them. She jumped right on it. Because we have so much in common she was quick to mention which of our mutual friends might be helpful and a few friends of hers, whom I didn’t know, who could be helpful as well. She was a great help and motivator, and I told her so.

I asked my dad if he thought any of his business friends would be willing be serve as a reference for me. He mentioned two, both of whom I’ve known for years. I called each, asked for an appointment, both agreed to see me and both meetings followed the same course of action. I was asked to describe the kinds of jobs I was going for and why I thought I’d be a good candidate. I had practiced so I was ready: I described what I do well and enjoy doing, how that’s benefited my past employers and how I can add value to current and future employers. It not only worked, I got to use their names as references, and each of them gave me names and phone numbers of people they know, who might know of something for me. I really appreciated their time and their help, and told them so.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com)been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Dedicated to Teachers Everywhere

By the time we arrived at our old family home we were bone tired. It was good to get off the road and open the door to a safe place of summer reflection. It was the perfect occasion to reminisce…

I was entering elementary school and I still didn’t talk. I was born into a family that was extroverted, emotional, musical, and exhausting. There was so much commotion in our house I had no desire to contribute to it. So I didn’t.

My first grade teacher didn’t seem to think it was odd that I didn’t say anything. She assigned me a desk, made sure I got lunch, and went on with the day. The year ended as it began.

Our second grade teacher was magical. She looked like Snow White and children whistled while they worked. She was young, happy, and smart. Or seemed to be, despite the fact that she didn’t seem to understand that I had nothing to say.

She’d ask me a question about arithmetic or spelling, wait for an answer, and act as though I gave one. The children, exasperated at her effort or frustrated with her innocence, repeatedly groaned, “Joyce doesn’t talk.” If she noticed she didn’t show it. Instead, she’d nod her approval and call on the next child. The same would happen at recess, which I’d spend situated in the crook of big shade tree. She’d stop by to visit, listen to me think, nod, smile, and continue her rounds.

We were nearing the end of the school year when she announced we were going to turn our favorite story, Hansel and Gretel into a play and… before she could finish her sentence the children went wild, waving their arms, vying for starring roles. She ignored the outburst. “Jimmy will play Hansel,” she said, “Susan will play Gretel, and the Witch will be played by…” the room hushed as she named the last of three cast-members, the one all remaining second graders now aspired…

“Joyce,” she said. Well, that did it. The class revolted. “JOYCE DOESN’T TALK!!!!” She was not moved. Her decision was final. The play would begin right after lunch.

She perched a hat on Hansel, tied an apron on Gretel, and tucked me inside the shimmery folds of her beautiful, black silk coat. I was perfectly, absolutely invisible.

It was show time. Hansel and Gretel, lost in the woods, made their way to the witch’s house where I, concealed inside the teacher’s coat, awaited them. That’s when it happened.

The witch cackled. She cackled, I cackled! Out loud, in a very scary, very convincing witch’s voice… and no one, not Hansel or Gretel, responded. Wondering where they all went, I peered out from my hiding place just as they cried out, “Joyce can talk!” They jumped up and down, hugged each other and best of all, they hugged me.

At our old family home, sitting in the midst of childhood memories, I received a phone call from my teacher, who is now 81. She was going through a scrapbook, found a letter I had written a very long time ago, telling her what she had meant to me. She wanted me to know what that letter meant to her.

My teacher, Jean House, had talent, grace, curiosity, intuition, infinite patience, and she changed my life. She taught school that one year and I had the extraordinary good fortune to have been one of her students.

To you who teach, who tutor, coach or mentor, from those of us who have benefited from your care, concern, and wisdom… we want you to know how much you have touched our lives.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Questions from Readers

Q:   I’ve been unemployed for the past 18 months and have worked dozens of part time jobs during that time. If I list each job separately, I’ll look like a major job hopper. What do you suggest I do?

A:  State the obvious: that you’ve worked temporary positions since (give the date) that enable you to serve a wide range of client organizations in a variety of ways that add value.

Q:   I’ve been fired, laid off, canned, whatever you call it. Bottom line, I don’t have a job and don’t know how to explain what happened to the last one. I was told that the company had decided to go in a different direction. What does that mean and how can I translate that to a prospective employer?

A:  Sometimes it’s not what you say but how you say it. When asked why you left your last job, respond with a firm, “they decided to go in a different direction and I respect their decision.” No translation necessary.

Q:  I’m going to graduate college this spring and I don’t have any idea what I want to do with my expensive degree. My parents are understandably concerned but their constant pressure for me to “commit” to something scares me away from making a decision that could turn out to be the wrong one. What do you suggest I do?

A:  Clarify what’s important to you in a work setting and what you value in the people with whom you work. Figure out what you enjoy, what you’d like to do more, and get better at doing. Ask your professors, extended family and friends for contacts they know who share your interests and values. Follow up, follow through and take a leap of faith that whatever you choose first will be a learning opportunity that you can apply to whatever you decide to choose next.

Q:  I’m in my mid forties with nearly grown children and I’m just now completing a college degree I began years ago. The clock is ticking and I don’t have time to lose, so how can I improve my marketability while I’m still in school?

A:  Network. If you were an active stay at home parent raising those now nearly grown children you’ve met plenty of contacts along the way, in the neighborhood, carpooling, going to doctor’s and dentist’s offices, school, PTA, and community events. Make a list, make calls and set up meetings to get re-acquainted. Describe what you’re training to do professionally and that you would appreciate any suggestions they’d have for internships and referrals. In most cases you’ll get a positive response and willingness to refer you as someone they know as a dependable, hard working, team player.

Q:  I graduated from college with a BA in General Studies and the only job offers I’m getting are for administrative assistant positions. I’m disappointed. I deserve something better, not because I’m so special, but because I have a college degree. Should I take the job, keep looking, or get over myself?

A:  I vote for all three: Take the job, keep looking, and get over yourself. Take the job to put structure in your life and help you determine what you do well, and what you don’t. Ask for expanded responsibilities and continue to develop your competencies. Ask managers how you can capitalize on your strengths and add value to the company. Apply for advancement opportunities within the company and if need be, outside. Go easy on yourself. Finding a career is a process that requires time, self-awareness, self-development, constructive feedback, openness to learning, courage, and determination to succeed.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

The Three C’s of Effective Communication

Political pundits advise the President to have news conferences early and often. Why?

1. The public wants to know what’s happening and what the President’s doing about it. They want to know his command of the issues; how aware, involved, and decisive he is regarding critical events and breaking news.

2. The more often the President meets the press and the public, the more on top of issues he has to be.

Political advisors aside, that’s sound advice for anyone in charge of anything. It’s of particular importance to people who have information that impacts the lives of others.

Why is it important to inform others, consistently, concisely, yet comprehensively, of events and plans that affect them? The answer appears self-evident, yet those responsible for the telling (and who should know better) are too often missing in action.

What keeps leadership and management from stepping up? Let’s examine the more obvious reasons, and deal with them one at a time:

• They don’t know what’s going on.
• They don’t know what to do with what’s going on.
• There’s so much going on they don’t know where to begin.
• They don’t know how their employees will act if they tell them what’s going on.
• Their employees might have some strong opinions about what’s going on.

They don’t know what’s going on: Well meaning employers can over delegate what they are least interested in doing or knowing, entrusting others with more decision-making authority than they should have. When the buck stops it’s on the wrong desk. Employers need to understand what’s happening and anticipate the consequences that flow from the information they’re getting.

They don’t know what to do with what’s going on: When employers and their managers feel overwhelmed by the mass and speed of changing events, they get stuck between where they’ve been and where they need to go. If they prefer the tactical to the strategic, they’re putting out fires without identifying the cause of the blaze. Savvy leaders think and act strategically and analytically. They maintain vision and perspective as they unravel and simplify the complexities of cause and effect. They communicate that understanding to tactical managers and their employees, who fix what’s broken and get the new job done.

There’s so much going on they don’t know where to begin: Managers who procrastinate are avoiding what comes first in favor of what comes last. Effective managers dial into the issues and ignore the static. They focus their time and energy on what’s important, instead of what’s making the most noise.

They don’t know how their employees will act if they tell them what’s going on: When leaders and managers side step issues to avoid the prospect of conflict, they further complicate problems, erode trust and diminish loyalty. It takes courage, honesty, and integrity to manage employees and the information that affects them. Effective leaders and managers are knowledgeable about the choices they make and realistic about the consequences of their actions.

Employees might have strong and opposing opinions about what’s going on: If employers adapt the adage, “what they don’t know won’t hurt them,” they wrongly assume their employees live on the dark side of the moon. Today’s workers are savvy. They are highly aware of talk in the press, in the markets, and on the street. What they don’t know, they create, resulting in rumors that hurt everyone.

If employers avoid sharing information because they fear strong, negative reactions, they’re delaying the inevitable, multiplied. Whether the news is good or bad, employees want to know. They want to prepare themselves and plan, emotionally and intellectually, for what might happen. If it turns out fine, they’re relieved. If it doesn’t, they’re ready. Employees trust bosses who demonstrate consideration, compassion, and consistently tell the truth.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.

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