New Year: A Good Time for New Solutions

Telling the story a new way: Mother Goose in the workplace

Even the best of friends can drive each other to distraction. Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto, you get the drill. If friendship can’t transcend petty differences, what are co-workers, in recession rocked, pressure packed, deadline driven organizations to do?

If you don’t have the energy to read what business gurus have to say on the subject, and want something a little more soothing, check out some Mother Goose.

For example: Jack and Jill ran up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.

Sit back, take a few liberties when you read between the lines, and you might distill a management lesson or two. For starters, let’s look at these opposing attitudes and perspectives:

“Jack, what’s with this “fetch a pail of water” and “up the hill” stuff? We have plenty of water right here so why should we bother? Besides, I’m not thirsty.”

“Trust me, Jill. I’m a strategic kinda’ guy. My instincts tell me this is something we need to do.  Besides, the hike will do you good.”

“Get real, Jack. If you want to climb that hill for water, knock yourself out. It’s a waste of time, I have better things to do, and I’m not the one who needs to take a hike, thank you very much.”

Jack, the boss, persists. Jill, the subordinate, relents. They trudge up the hill, get a pail of water, Jack falls down, breaks his crown, and Jill still insists she didn’t smack him with a bucket.

What’s the real deal? Jack’s instincts tell him what he wants and he goes after it, even if he can’t explain what it is and why it’s important. He likes to work on bigger issues and to develop strategies that accomplish longer term goals. Regrettably, he doesn’t explain his motivations or involve his employees in problem solving. No wonder they get aggravated.

Jill sees herself as a no-nonsense pragmatist. She’ll do what’s requested if it makes sense to her. Jack’s “trust me” attitude leaves her cold. Jack can persist, but whatever cooperation he gets will be against her grain, and he may pay dearly if he insists on doing it his way.

What other business insights can we learn from Mother Goose’s musings? Check this out:

Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean. And between them both, they licked the platter clean.

Yes, Jack and his wife were quite a sight at dinner parties but all had to agree, Jack had developed a system that demonstrated how opposites could work well together. He and the Missus leveraged their opposing strengths by identifying and optimizing them.

Did M. Goose provide other examples? How about…

Hickory, Dickory, Doc. The mouse ran up the clock. The Clock struck twelve, the mouse ran down, Hickory, Dickory, Doc.

It’s just possible that Mother Goose was writing about the demanding medical practice of  Drs. Hickory, Dickory,  and Doc and the tribulations of their office manager, Ms. Mouse:

Ms. Mouse was emotionally and physically exhausted. Despite her many years as office manager she felt she had no future. She wanted more authority and less responsibility. Instead she got more of the latter and less of the former. Always obedient, she did whatever she was told yet never felt appreciated for her efforts. She had gone into office administration hoping to make a difference. She left, believing there was none she could make.

Doctors Hickory and Dickory were surprised to learn of Ms. Mouse’s dissatisfaction and subsequent resignation. They had always assumed she enjoyed a frenetic pace and no life, as did they. “Had she told us, we would have done something for her, like get her orthopedic shoes and support stockings.”

Only Dr. Doc appreciated the challenges that the staff faced and realized his intervention was essential to changing attitudes and behaviors. He held weekly meetings, asking for staff suggestions to streamline operations and improve patient care. He utilized their ideas, valued their input, and told them so. It may have been too late for Ms. Mouse, but office morale improved as did patient satisfaction.

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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: The Job Search

Thanks for sending me your questions about job search. Here’s just a sample of what you’re asking:

“I’m a career changer having a tough time finding a job in my new field of interest. Do you think that a headhunter will be willing to work with me?”

Headhunters (more politely known as recruiters) will not work with career changers. They will work with individuals who have a proven track record of success in a specific field or area of expertise who want to move up their career ladder. They know what they want, why they want it, and stand a pretty good chance of getting it. They’re articulate, appropriate, grounded, self -aware individuals who are open to opportunities that further their career. They’re realistic about salary, benefits, are willing to relocate, and are highly competitive in their field. Above all, they are persuasive in their ability to describe their feature-benefits to the recruiter, as well as to the company’s hiring authority.

Headhunters aren’t apt to benefit career changers or job hunters who need help in positioning themselves, describing their strengths and abilities, and identifying the appropriate direction for career satisfaction. That’s the work of career coaches and counselors.

“Are employers still checking references?”

Prior to September 11^th you’d be correct if you noticed that fewer employers were checking references. It took considerable time and money to get employment history from former employers who had gotten skittish about providing it. Since the events of September you can expect that background checks will be conducted like never before. Here’s what that means to the average job seeker: Tell the truth, whether it’s on an application, resume, or in an interview. Omission or fabrication, even if discovered after a hire, could result in termination.

“I’m responding to want ads on the ‘net. Should I attach a cover letter along with my resume?”

A cover letter enables you to sell yourself to a prospective employer. You can promote your strengths, skill sets and describe your enthusiasm for doing a specific job for a specific company; information that’s inappropriate if included in the resume. Should you attach it? Absolutely.

“How should I allocate my search time? I’m spending most of my time on the ‘net, checking out Monster and responding to ads. I’m not getting the responses that I want and need. What am I missing? Help!”

Most of your search time should be dedicated to networking. Here’s why: In good times and particularly in bad, the majority of available positions are found through the “hidden” market.

Here’s why: Key positions open when people with critical skills leave their companies without warning. Other positions open when, after a major layoff, more people leave than expected, creating a critical need that must immediately be filled. These employers would rather not advertise openings for reasons that are probably apparent. Instead, they ask key insiders to quickly and discretely find the right people to get the job done.

That’s where your networking strategy comes into play. The greater the number of people you contact, the greater the likelihood that someone you meet will know directly or indirectly of an opening that matches your skills and abilities.

You need to work smart. It takes a considerable investment in time and focus to be an effective net-worker. Meeting dozens of people at back slapping and card swapping gatherings may satisfy your extroverted needs but it won’t leave a lasting impression.

Here’s a method that works: List people you know and respect who know people who hire people. Meet briefly with each person to outline your search and establish your value as a candidate with a proven track record. Describe your strengths and skill sets in ways the listener can understand (no insider tech-talk, jargon, and acronyms) and ask for help in generating additional names of people to contact to further your search. You’re not asking for jobs or special favors. You are asking for assistance because you (honestly) value their insight and intelligence.

What goes around comes around. Please be there if a neighbor, friend, or a former colleague calls for your career advice. That’s just part of what it takes to be a “community.”

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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.

Loyalty on the Front Line

It wasn’t that long ago that business hired receptionists and clerical staff  to answer phones, set appointments, do some billing and, generally speaking, manage the public. They wanted these folks to be warm, friendly, helpful, and have a good work ethic. Now those jobs are called “front line” and they come with a warning: “be careful out there”.

Companies still want their employees to meet, greet, and serve the public in ways that are inviting and encouraging. It’s just that front line employees are having a hard time dealing with an impatient, frustrated, understandably irritable, sleep deprived public that is unnerved by the considerable unknowns of recession and terrorism. This new breed of customer (client, patient, patron) wants what they want when they want it and will not tolerate anything short of complete and immediate submission and compliance. Although understandable, it’s not possible nor advisable.

Call them support or samurai, this isn’t the job they thought they were getting (at minimum or near minimum wages), and they aren’t going to keep taking it unless they’re supported and encouraged by the team they’re hired to protect and defend. Employers, already burdened by high costs and low profits can’t afford to pay more yet know they need to do more.

Here’s what they can afford to do:

Include these staffers as part of your team. Keep them in the loop regarding business developments and growth opportunities. Offer them ways to enhance their education with workshops and seminars; upgrade their skills with tutorials and classes; help them increase their ability to make a difference to you, the company they serve. And let them know that you appreciate their efforts.

People want to make a difference where they work, no matter what their job or level of perceived importance. Companies that do an excellent job of retaining their workforce, treat everyone as a valued employee. If customer service is #1, they treat their employees as they would their customers. They grow their own talent, promoting from within whenever feasible, and hiring from outside when they cannot; making sure that new hires are respectful of a culture built on a foundation of mutual regard and respect, without exception.

They encourage employees to maximize their talent and minimize their weaknesses, not the reverse. They delegate authority along with responsibility so that employees who demonstrate an ability to make good decisions are given the opportunity to do just that.

They cross train because it’s good for the employee and it’s good for the business. Employees want to learn new skills. Yes, it makes them more marketable and if you’ve created a place where they like to work, you’ll reap the benefits of what you’ve taught, because they’ll stay.

That takes us to the subject of loyalty, a subject that companies and employees alike ruefully describe as a remnant of the past. Is it gone or have we forgotten what it represents?

Let’s remember: Loyalty is a shared experience. It begins with our understanding and agreeing with the other’s mindset or vision. It takes root when we see the role the other can play in moving that vision from ideology to outcome. It flourishes when all participants play their part, when the mutual effort is successful, and when all involved reap the benefits of that success. Individual loyalty survives setbacks when there is mutual trust, when we’re honest with each other and share our information frequently and  consistently. It survives misunderstandings by confronting problems and each other with candor, consideration, and objectivity.

If you assume that you buy loyalty with a paycheck or the acceptance of one, you will all be disappointed and grow increasingly cynical. Loyalty must be practiced, as you would practice any skill worth having. To take it for granted is to give it up.

Front line employees, from ground troops to mail carriers, medical receptionists to customer service reps, deserve our recognition that with or without title, designation, certification, or degree, they step up and do the job for each of us, everyday, because they believe it’s worth doing. It’s up to each of us to demonstrate our appreciation through simple acts of courtesy, consideration, and respect.

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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.

Be a Problem Solver — Not a Problem Maker

She’s intelligent, talented, and fired. This isn’t the first time and might not be the last unless she gets a handle on what’s not working and what is.

What’s working? Plenty. Claire (whose name is fictitious and behavior is real) is independent, self reliant, and self -starting. She thinks fast and talks faster. She’s analytic, organized and a wizard at remembering the details; all of which enable her to nail a problem at 500 paces. It’s what she does with the problem she’s nailed that’s her downfall:

“Who’s responsible? Who’s to blame? Somebody did it, own up!”

Suddenly she’s out of control, screaming, finger pointing, accusing every employee within earshot of conspiracy aimed at ruining her and the company. Once she’s satisfied the culprits have been blamed (if not found) she’s chasing another problem. By the time Claire gets home she’s exhausted. Here’s how she describes her day:

“I find problems and I want whatever’s broken to get fixed. It takes time and money to repeat the same errors, and we don’t have any to waste. What’s the matter with the people who work for this company? No matter how many times I point out the obvious, they either ignore the problem or what I’m telling them. I just don’t understand how they can care so little about their work or their workplace.”

You might wonder, what’s so bad? She’s doing her job, others aren’t, so why is that her problem and why is she getting fired? Ask her employees and they’ll tell you:

Claire’s a human wrecking ball. She thinks she’s great at finding problems? She creates more than she can ever hope to find. Just about everyone who’s left here, left because they’re no longer willing to take her insulting, in your face style. She’s one of those people who takes on too much then gets overwhelmed by the workload she asked for. She never wants help, never delegates anything, never asks for an opinion, and gets angry if you offer one. She’s a piece of work that no one wants to work for.

Claire’s in terminal trouble because she’s taken her strengths and turned them into liabilities. She assumes the worst and is determined to prove it. Her employees don’t respond to her attacks because they’re busy defending themselves. They have to because she doesn’t give them a chance to be part of the solution.

Claire’s an equal opportunity blamer. She treats her boss, peers, and subordinates the same way. She either greets them with a laundry list of what’s broken or bursts into their space with a snarling; “Did you know this was going on?” Whether she’s delivering a pronouncement or asking a question, it all sounds alike: “You idiot! You’ve done it again!”

Claire’s managing a business that’s battered by a wounded economy and a damaged national spirit. Employees need Claire to rally their support and loyalty. Claire’s boss needs her to be a problem solver, not a problem maker. As much as he doesn’t want to fire her, he needs someone who can mend, not tear the fabric of his organization.

Can she do it?

If she has to become someone else to achieve it, she can’t and won’t. Claire doesn’t want to maximize her weaknesses to minimize her strengths. She shouldn’t have to.

Claire needs to let employees be part of the solution. She may be great at finding what’s broken but she hasn’t demonstrated a talent for creating processes that don’t break. Her job is to access the ideas and suggestions of those who work with the system, rather than blame them when the system doesn’t work. They can either tell her how to fix it, or if she gives them the authority, they can fix it themselves.

Bottom line: Claire needs to level the playing field. There’s a trade-off between what she needs and doesn’t know and what other employees know and need. Blaming pushes them and their information away. Her goal may be to maximize company profits by minimizing waste but she’ll never get there if she’s the only one left in the game.

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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.

Dealing with Layoffs

Here are just a few of the emails we’ve received from folks  asking for help when dealing with layoffs:

I’ve just been laid off. What should I do?

Take a deep breath. Go home. Make a plan.

Take a deep breath so you don’t say something you’ll regret later. It’s a small world. The people you work with today can be the ones you’ll work with tomorrow, so be advised, speak with care. And, speak up: let people know that you’ve enjoyed working with them and that you’d welcome the opportunity to work with them again. Then, go home.

Talk to your family and friends. Describe the reality you face and the practical and pragmatic way you’ll work your way through it. Companies survive economic downturns by streamlining systems and paring payrolls. Many hard working people are asked to leave, not because they caused a problem, or failed to solve it. Endings and beginnings are as much a part of the employment cycle as they are the life cycle. We don’t have to like it. We do have to manage it. That requires having a good  exit strategy and an effective re-employment plan.

A plan is as effective as the person who works it. A re-employment plan includes the essentials for career search: An updated resume and a comprehensive list of names and phone numbers of networking contacts.

Your resume should be as succinct as it is accurate. Organize it in reverse chronological order; outline your responsibilities and bullet point your accomplishments.

Your networking list should include names and contact information for people you know and respect, who know people that hire people. You activate the list as soon as you provide your contact an accurate description of the work you want, why you want it, and how an organization can benefit from hiring you to do it.

What’s should I do if layoffs are on the way?

Resist your inclination to hide, duck, or walk around with a bag on your head. The more invisible you become the less valuable you are. Who needs to hang onto someone who’s never where you need him to be? Who needs someone who looks the other way when there’s work to be done? This is the time (it’s always the time) to step up. Everyone has more to do than they can possibly handle so pitch in and help. Want to increase your productivity? Look for ways to cross train. Stay away from naysayers and doomsdayers; they’ll take you and anyone within earshot from pragmatic optimism to the halls of ain’t-it-awful.

Should I tell my family I might get laid off? I don’t want to worry them.

They’re already worried. Anyone with a television or newspaper knows the economy is tipsy and layoffs abound. Confront family fears head on with a candid discussion of what’s real, what’s not, and how to tell the difference. Knowledge is power. The more they know, the better able they are to handle it what lies ahead. Share your job search strategy with them and keep them posted as to your progress. They want to know that you have a plan and you’re working it. There’s a role that every person in the family can play, so let them know how they can help.

Are there ways to safeguard my job when others are losing theirs?

When layoffs are wholesale the best thing you can do is to mobilize your job search plan. When companies are selective about those they keep, they hold onto the people who directly or indirectly make them money and let go of the ones who spend it; they keep the most productive of the lot and let the least productive go. If you want to make the cut, in good times and bad, be sure that you contribute to the bottom line. There are a variety of ways that you can do that. Save the company time and money by expediting and streamlining processes; solve problems; talk less and do more. Combine creative problem solving and efficiencies, manage tasks and lead people. Take charge of your job and your life.

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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.

All Talk + No Action = A Wake Up Call

An African American woman had a wake up call she’d like to forget but clearly remembers:

Helen was an attorney in the legal department of a Fortune 100 company. She valued her work, her relationships with colleagues and the professional conduct of her company.

A year or so ago, the company’s human resources department organized a minority recruitment task force; its purpose to attract people of color to the corporation. They invited Helen to join.

True to their word, the HR team appeared eager to launch the recruitment drive. The membership was openly enthusiastic about the company’s resolve. There were a few minority members who voiced concern about retention. They described instances of recruiting employees who were touted as high potential, yet once hired, were not promoted nor encouraged to post for positions that would advance their careers. Instead, they were told, off the record, that although they were doing excellent work in their current positions, they’d have to leave the company to advance.

Helen had heard these stories before; that the effort to hire was there but the encouragement to stay was sadly lacking. She didn’t know the details; the who, when and why of the stories. She left it alone.

Helen asked the group to redirect its focus to its stated purpose: recruitment. She said she’d do her part by contacting former classmates and professors from her undergraduate and law school years, endorsing the company as a good place to work. Several minority colleagues pushed back, frustrated by her apparent lack of interest or involvement in what they believed to be important and disturbing issues. Helen felt they were overreaching and should get on with the job at hand, and said so.

Several months passed. Helen continued attending the sessions yet sat on the sidelines of discussion. The committee met with only limited success. There was a clear division between those who thought the company was making a concerted effort to recruit, and those who held that the recruitment strategy was a transparent effort that lacked integrity and long term commitment. They believed the company was failing to fulfill a basic ethic that assumes qualified individuals will be allowed to compete for bona fide positions, and if their track record merits, will advance within the organization that hires them. A growing number of committee members voiced growing concern that the HR department wasn’t acting in good faith by failing to investigate reports that minority promotions were non existent.

In the weeks that followed, Helen learned that her boss, the director of legal services, was leaving the company. Helen was a senior staffer who had often run the department in his absence. She had graduated from a top ten law school, had established a strong reputation in her field, and considered herself a good bet as his replacement, particularly since the company prided itself on promoting from within. To be on the safe side, she talked to her boss and asked for his take on her chances. Helen was stunned by his response.

He told her that she was his choice and would do an excellent job, but she wouldn’t get it. He suggested she not pursue it and instead apply for a director’s position with another company.

Helen was dumbfounded. She asked for an explanation and he said he wasn’t in a position to give one. She posted for the position, and was not asked to interview. The job went to someone from outside the company, with less experience and a less than stellar track record.

She applied for a director level position with three organizations, interviewed and received offers from two. She’s now working for a multinational company, leading a team of 9 attorneys. With strong support from her CEO, she’s instituted a company wide mentoring program that provides performance feedback to all employees of color who seek career challenge and promotional opportunity. Its purpose is to improve retention. Her purpose is to combine cautious optimism with realistic vigilance. She still shakes her head at her earlier “anyone but me” experience and doesn’t want another wake up call.

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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.

Preparing for an Interview

What are three things you should know before heading out to an interview?

Know about the company.  Know why you want to interview them.  Know why they ought to interview you.

Let’s get down to basics. Do your homework before interviewing. If you’re short on time, check the prospective employer’s web site. If you have the luxury of more time and the company’s track record is good enough to merit space in business journals, go there. Read for information that describes their core business and business strategy; where they’re going and how they intend to get there. The company’s providing you the information you need to interview intelligently by asking good, relevant questions.

Why interview with them? Where’s the match? What can they offer you that reinforces your strengths and furthers your professional goals?

Why should they interview you? Find out what they need and why they need it. Make your case by linking your experience and expertise to the challenge they present and the direction they are taking. Organize your presentation around a proven track record of accomplishment.

What are three rules that every good resume writer should follow?

On average, a company representative takes about twenty seconds to review your resume. Therefore, keep it brief and on point, saying as much as you can in as few words as possible.

Outline the essentials without elaboration. Start with your current position and go back in time. If you did it before 1985, summarize it. Include three accomplishments for each key position you’ve held.

What are three common mistakes that interviewees make?

Talking too much, coming on too strong, saying too little.

Think through what you want to say, in advance of saying it. That’s called practice and verbose candidates aren’t apt to do it. Coming on strong typically results in over-promising and under-delivering. Saying too little leaves too much to the imagination, none of it helpful or productive.

What are three things the applicant wants to achieve by the interview’s close?

You want to have understood the challenges the company faces and how you can make a difference for them, going forward. You want to have made your case, presenting your track record of accomplishments as they relate to the position you seek. You want to have learned how working for the company can advance your career goals and objectives.

What are three things the interviewer wants to achieve?

You want to have conducted a fair interview; having given the applicant the same time, questions, and opportunity to present as you provided others. You want to have learned more about the applicant’s work history, track record, and potential to contribute than the application and resume combined would otherwise have told you. You want to have described your company, the position opening, and the challenges of both in a fair and balanced manner.

What are three mistakes that both interviewers and interviewees commonly make?

They don’t listen as much as they should, they don’t probe as much as they could, and they don’t create a safe environment that encourages a healthy exchange of information necessary to determine if there would appear to be a fit between the applicant and position being discussed.

Good interviewers are able to strike a balance between intimacy and formality. They know what to say, what to ask, and what combination is necessary to do the job right. They build in sufficient interview time to probe the unexpected response and respond to the unanticipated question. They realize that human beings are unique in presentation style even while sharing common skills and strengths. They value the differences by withholding premature judgment or award until they’ve had time to fully evaluate the individual relative to the competencies desired.

What are three reasons that applicants and organizations benefit from networking?

Each has opportunity to learn more about the other without jumping too quickly or rejecting an opportunity prematurely. Each begins with a level playing field, putting more emphasis on the job challenge and what it takes to meet it than looking for individual differences and exceptions. Each can present and respond with greater candor and less concern of rejection.

* * * *

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: How do I find a job after prison?

Q: “I’ve recently been released from prison and want to get back into my profession. I’ve been trying to re-hone my skills but given my felony record am I just spinning my wheels? What do I say when I’m asked about the lapse in my employment

A:You’re not spinning your wheels, you will find employment, and you will have some real challenges ahead. Let’s start with the first hurdles to overcome, and go from there:

Responsible employers will not want to put you, their employees, or the public the company serves, into situations that create the perception, real or imagined, of danger. Therefore, sit down with your parole officer and counselor before you interview. Identify work environments and interpersonal situations to avoid and those that are appropriate to approach. Candidly discuss the reasonable, practical, and emotional concerns that prospective employers and their employees might have, given your recent history. Prepare yourself to respond to those fears in ways that not only demonstrate self-awareness, but also describe the conscious changes you’ve made in your behavior and your ability to respond to others.

Address the lapses in your employment history in a truthful and straightforward way. You mentioned “re-honing your skills”. Describe how you’ve continued your education during and following the time you were imprisoned; and the preparations you have made for the career direction you are taking.  Describe your past accomplishments and your ability to contribute to the future success of the company you’d like to join.

Your challenge, and it’s a big one, is getting the interviewer to focus on what you’re saying and not on where you’ve been and what got you there.

To accomplish that, address what concerns them most. Ask prospective employers to ask you any and all work related questions or concerns they have relative to your history in or out of prison. Ask them to describe the challenges they believe you will confront at their place of business. Then answer those concerns in an honest and forthright manner.

Q: I’m concerned about the application form. How can I answer the question about felonies so that my job application won’t get tossed as soon as my response is read?

A: Answer that question and every question truthfully. Will your application be tossed? It’s likely that it will. What can you do about it?

There’s more to all of us than can be demonstrated on an application or resume. Talk to the people who know you best, stood by you, and are willing to take a chance on you. Those individuals, directly or indirectly, may know people who hire people.

You’re asking for a chance to tell an employer your story: your work history, why you were arrested, what you’ve learned as a result, and your efforts to now make good on the rest of your life.

Q: How can I regain my self-respect? My confidence is gone. I’m afraid to get out there and tell my story. What can I do to move forward?

A: I’ve never been in your shoes. I cannot begin to know what you feel. But others have been there. Ask your parole officer and your counselor for help in finding individuals who have been able to make a successful transition and who would be willing to talk with you and counsel you through a very tough time.

I do know this. A comeback takes time, patience and incremental steps. It takes the capacity to accept responsibility and accountability for the choices that you’ve made in the past and will make in the future. It requires asking forgiveness from those you have, by intention or omission, caused physical pain or emotional suffering. It takes reaching out to those who are strong when you’re weak and tender when you’re hurt. It takes all that, and enough people who are willing to say, “I’ll give you another chance.”

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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 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 conducted seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Hearing and Fearing in Today’s Workplace

If the following comments sound familiar, they may be representative of what many people hear or fear, in today’s workplace.

If you want a job here, you’ll do more with less.

You’ll demonstrate and communicate your worth to and for the organization every day you’re on our payroll.

You’ll retain and re-train qualified personnel at no cost to the company.

There are more reasons than space to describe why organizations pare their payrolls and tighten their belts. Bottom line, they want to stay in business and provide incomes for the owners, employees, vendors, and support services that depend on their continuing existence.

Reasons, no matter how prudent and sound, don’t stack up if you’re the one who gets the pink slip. The only good news about your bad news is that you know it’s over and if you want food, clothes, and shelter you’ll find another job.

What happens to layoff survivors? They’re the ones who sort through the aftermath and divide the workload that’s left. They go through the motions realizing that they’re commodities to be bought and sold; they’ll be asked to terminate others; told to do “more with less” and that work isn’t supposed to be fun.

For the past several years, employees were riding high because unemployment was at an all time low. Companies were jumping through all kinds of hoops to woo them, only to lose them to the competitor down the street.  Just showing up became reason for celebration. Suddenly, or so it seems, businesses find themselves back in the ‘80’s when everyone was more mean than lean, and the handwriting on the wall said “like it or leave it”.

In truth, employers don’t like it, they don’t expect that you will, and they don’t want you to leave. If you go, you’ll take knowledge, productivity, and reliability with you. If that isn’t bad enough, it will take time and money to replace you. All are in short supply.

Where does that leave the employer? Hopefully, learning from

experience. The last time the economy shuddered and businesses quaked, employers withdrew from their employees. They shut down communication with the people they needed most and created the workplace of  “what’s in it for me?” Without intending, they gave employees a reason to be cynical.

Employees are more street savvy now. They’re more independent, self reliant, and self-protective. They’ve learned to deal with change, get retrained, and negotiate their worth. They aren’t mad when they leave, they just leave.

You’re the boss. Level with them. Tell them what’s going on, where you want to take the company, the challenges to overcome, and the part you’d like them to play in making it happen. When employees are part of the solution, they’re not part of the problem. They need to hear that you need their intelligence, creativity, and flexibility to be successful.

If layoffs are in the cards, tell them. If you’re not sure, say so. You have an obligation to lead. If you turn around and no one’s following, that’s a strong indication that what you’re doing isn’t working.

If more of the same isn’t the answer, and you don’t know what to do differently, invest your money where there’s a high rate of return: enroll in quality leadership development programs and take your key players with you.

Read what leadership practitioners and gurus write on the subject. (John P. Kotter’s Leading Change; Morrell and Capparell’s Shackleton’s Way ; Buckingham and Coffman’s First Break All the Rules are examples of good reads.)

Create a team of diverse thinkers who can rally around a central vision and mission. Over communicate: say the same thing seven times in seven different ways. Celebrate victories, no matter the size.

Keep it simple, keep it honest, and lead by example.

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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 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 conducted seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

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