“Statistics are like bikinis.  What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.”

 

Aaron Levenstein

Another addition of leadership and talent management “facts” from all over the world. Some are very intuitive and some are not….what do you think?

1. A recent 2009 survey of 372 human resources professionals by industry publication Workforce Management were asked about their experiences in conducting layoffs.  Over 50% reported they have suffered from sleeplessness, 35% have considered changing their careers and 23% have occasionally used a “substance” to cope.  Only 9% reported using their own employee assistance program (EAP) services to deal with their own work and life stress.

2. A 2009 telephone survey of 1,000 senior executives conducted on behalf of staffing firm Accountemps revealed that just one typo in a resume can cost you a job.  40% reported they wouldn’t hire a candidate who had a typo at all. I’m glad I’m not out actively looking for a new job…..

3. A 2009 poll of 2,261 U.S. adults by Harris Interactive on behalf of employer information website Glassdoor.com found that unemployed husbands and wifes reported more stress than single job seekers (81% to 51%, respectively).  Two thirds of the respondents said that the stress affected other areas of their jobs and 40% said it hindered personal relationships with friends and family.

4. A recent 2009 Executive Quiz results released today by The Korn/Ferry Institute reveal that nearly half (47 percent) of employed executives are either somewhat or very dissatisfied with their current position.

5. In the same Kron Ferry International Executive Quiz a surprising 31 percent of executives stated they do not trust their boss. Despite this, however, three-quarters gave them favorable performance ratings: excellent (19

percent), above average (35 percent) or average (22 percent). Even worse, 36 percent of executives reported they do not trust their CEO. In fact, when asked if their current CEO is the best person for the job, only 38 percent said “absolutely,” while 34 percent responded “somewhat” and 28 percent said “not at all.”

6. Women control almost $12 trillion in consumer spending, 65% of the global total. By 2028, they will control 72% of worldwide consumer spending. But contrary to stereotype, a BCG survey of over 12,000 women in 22 countries found that only 5% of women say shopping makes them extremely happy, compared to pets (42%), sex (27%), and food (19%).

7. People who suffer from insomnia take sick days twice as often as those who do not, according to a report by The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. The study found that over a six-month period, the condition cost employers an average of 4.4 days of wages for each untreated sufferer, plus indirect costs due to lower productivity and mistakes made because of lack of sleep.  Better get your zzzzzz tonight!

8. Both men and women put on weight in response to work-related stress and difficulty paying bills, according to a longitudinal study published this month in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Men also gained weight because they felt they lacked decision authority or skill discretion (the ability to learn new skills and to choose to do new or different tasks) at work. For women, weight gain was also likely to be associated with a feeling of constraint in their lives in general and having difficulty with family relationships. During the 9.2 years of the study, men added an average of 1.37 kg/m2 to their body mass indices, while women added an average of 1.57 kg/m2 (Note: kg = 2.204623 lb).

9. A 2009 survey by the Trust for America’s Health found that The rate of physical inactivity among adults increased in 9 percent in U.S. states last year. (Physical inactivity is defined as engaging in no exercise other than their regular jobs for 30 days.) Except for New Jersey, the states with the highest rates of physical inactivity also rank among the top 15 in obesity. The least inactive states included Minnesota (16.3% adults are inactive) and Oregon (17.6%) and the most inactive states included Mississippi (31.8% are inactive) and Kentucky (30.4%).

10. Workers who use the web for entertainment while at work — whether they’re tweeting, watching YouTube videos, shopping, or catching up with the news — are 9% more productive than those who don’t, according to a recent study by Professor Brent Coker at the University of Melbourne. (As long as they don’t spend more than 20% of their time in the office doing what Dr. Coker calls “workplace internet leisure browsing”.) Why? People need quick breaks in order to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the day.

11. In a 2009 survey by CareerBuilder, laid-off workers are finding ways to make the best of a difficult time, according to a recent CareerBuilder survey of 1,800 unemployed American adults. In addition to looking for work, 22% are spending more time with family and friends, 15% are fixing up their homes, 14% are exercising more, 11% are finally taking time to relax, 8% are volunteering, and 7% are going back to school.

12. Women are under-represented not only in the C-suite, but also in the high-potential leadership development programs that would help them get there, according to an analysis of 12,000 leaders in 76 countries by Development Dimensions International. Researchers found 28% more men than women in early-career high-potential programs and 50% more men in executive-level high-potential programs.

Back to research some new talent development facts….Be well….

Technorati Tags: talent management, succession planning, leadership development, succession planning, micromanage, performance review, performance appraisal, overweight, obesity, wellness, coaching, executive coaching, executive development, surveys, kenneth nowack, Envisia, Envisia Learning, leadership development, ken nowack, Nowack

“In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.”   Yogi Berra

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER

Title: Managing Your New Year’s Resolution

Competencies: self-development; self-control

Who benefits: you

Consultant Usage: background material for coaches and trainers

What’s it about?  I am ending January by writing my final entry about possible New Year’s Resolutions.  In theory, there are any number of possible resolutions.  In practice, most of them have been written about ad nauseam.  What can I possibly contribute?

Then I read that the US government has jumped into the resolutions business.  I thought to self (that’s what I call Me), hey maybe the government is on to something (and just not “on something”).  So I linked over to their website, and lo and hark, there it is … 10 new year’s resolutions (actually 12 resolutions adjusted for inflation) just waiting for adoption.

Nothing new about them, but there are tips for success related to each one.  So I thought I would end the month by adding some other tip sites for some of the most common of the resolutions.

No smoking!  My mother was the queen of how to stop smoking.   She gave up that filthy habit over 1,000 times.  Each time so pleased with herself.   If you need this resolution, maybe you can stop with less “do-overs” than mom with some assistance from down under.  Try some of the 10 tips Auzzie style on myDr.

Manage debt! Hmmm, there may be some good ideas here for me.  I really like this article for its maturity and depth: 10 bad habits that lead to debt disaster.

Reduce stress at work!  My solution to this one was to stop working.  If that isn’t a viable alternative for you, try this simple but comprehensive article: Managing Job Stress: 10 Strategies for Coping and Thriving at Work.

Volunteer to help others!  Hey I spend a lot of time doing this.  It’s a great feeling!  There are places everywhere to lend a hand.  The choices seem endless, but if you would like to add this resolution to your list, you can find some great ideas in your local area (USA) at VolunteerMatch or if you are more adventurous but still want to limit yourself to this planet, try the “granddaddy” of international volunteer programs Global Volunteers International.

Finally, consider this from David Chernoff:  “A New Year’s Resolution is a temporary commitment to alter something that we should have fixed long ago but were too lazy or complacent, to which we will give up on once we realize that change is hard.”  He has a wonderfully provocative article called “Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions of 2010 – That May Leave You Disappointed and Depressed” which certainly puts a different light on resolution making.

So maybe new year’s resolutions aren’t for everyone.  Whether you made any this year or not and whether you are keeping them or not, have a very happy and healthy 2010.

Catch you later.

Technorati Tags: new year’s resolutions, stop smoking, quit smoking, manage debt, stress, stress at work, manage stress, volunteer, volunteer locally, volunteer internationally, david chernoff, bill bradley, william bradley, bradley

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn” 

Alvin Toffler

Being a volunteer puppy raiser for a guide dog has really been helpful for me to think about how to teach, train, and coach others.  I’m often wondering just what the active ingredients are for successful behavior change in executives that I coach.

DO PEOPLE REALLY CHANGE?

Countless coaching books and articles are being published on the topic despite a lack of extensive systematic research or evaluation behind them.  An often cited  article on the topic of coaching reveals a paucity of published studies demonstrating the overall effectiveness of coaching (Kampa-Kokesch, S & Anderson, 2001). 

For example, Smither et al., (2003) studied 1,361 senior managers who received 360-degree feedback with 404 of these managers working exclusively with an executive coach to review their feedback and set individual goals. Managers who worked with an executive coach were significantly more likely than the other managers to set specific rather than vague goals, to solicit ideas for improvement from their supervisors and demonstrated greater improvement than other managers based on direct report and supervisor ratings. 

In a one-year follow-up study in a large communications conglomerate we have found that significant behavior change was observed by supervisors of those being coached utilizing a comprehensive intervention using individual assessment (360-feedback, personality and career), developmental planning and follow-up meetings with program participants¹.

Overall, the question still remains, “Do people really change?”  While, we have only preliminary evidence that coaching can impact behavior change, we do know some of the necessary conditions and factors required to ensure learning and lasting behavior change. Three key conditions for driving sustainable behavior change include enlightenment, encouragement and enablement. Each are necessary, but not sufficient, to ensure a successful coaching intervention with any client. 

ENLIGHTEN

Most people don’t wake up one morning and spontaneously change or try new behaviors at work (e.g., attempt to listen more effectively, become less autocratic or try to be more participative and involvement oriented).  Coaches must try to get clients to adopt new behaviors and styles that are at best, awkward and uncomfortable.  People only change for a good reason and becoming enlightened is a key and critical condition required to leverage any behavior change effort.  Without increased awareness, behavior change is typically random in that sometimes it will meet the needs of others and sometimes it won’t.  All of us have to know what it is about our behavior that is experienced by others as difficult, challenging or frustrating before we will consider even trying to do something about it.

To increase enlightenment as a condition for successful behavior change, coaches should try one or more of the following techniques and strategies:

• Utilize 360 Feedback. Comparing self-perceptions to those of others is a critical first step to increasing awareness and understanding
• Provide Behavioral Feedback.  Motivation to change can be enhanced when clients are given feedback in a manner that minimizes defensiveness and denial. Individuals are most likely to change when they believe feedback is constructive and accurate and when they are helped to identify specific steps they can take to grow and develop
• Match Feedback to an Individual’s Self-Insight.  Some individuals have an accurate appraisal of his/her strengths and development areas.  Others lack true insight about how he/she is perceived by others.  Tailor your feedback to increase motivation by matching your client’s self-insight to your approach to delivering strengths and development opportunities
• Use Motivational Interviewing.  Motivational interviewing (MI) is a useful approach for coaches in working with behavior change engagements to assist clients to reflect and target specific performance goals to work on.  It is a style that values and emphasizes the client’s values, interests and motives and utilizes reflective listening and probing to help the client make lasting behavior changes

ENCOURAGE

There is an old joke that asks how many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?  The answer is only one—but the light bulb has to really want to change!  Similarly, in coaching assignments, our clients have to be motivated to change or any interventions will not result in lasting performance improvements.  To maximize “readiness” and encouragement the following suggestions are offered:

• Assess Readiness Level.  Identify and determine how “ready” your client is willing to initiate new behavior change².
• Provide a Change Model. Introduce one or more of the popular individual, team or organizational change models in the human resources, OD or mental health profession to the client to help them better understand the typical stages, emotional reactions and feelings that accompany individual, team and organizational change. 
• Use Analogies and Tell Stories.  Effective coaches are able to “connect” with others in a manner that motivates and inspires behavior change.  One simple tool and approach that works well to establish rapport and teach others is to tell relevant stories.
• Find the “What’s In It for the Client”. Integrate the behavior change efforts with the client’s own career and professional goals.  In other words, link your coaching goals closely to your client’s career and professional growth plans.

 
ENABLE

Not all enlightened and truly encouraged clients are successful at changing their style or specific behaviors that may clearly contribute to future “derailment.”  In order for behavior change to be sustained, clients must know what to change and be committed to sustain it over time.  The key to successful long-term behavior change is the consistent application of a complex set of skills over an extended period of time.  Some strategies and techniques to facilitate enablement required for successful behavior change include:

Maximize Individual Choice.  People are much more likely to grow and develop in areas they decide which competencies or skills to focus on and when they are capable of setting their own goals. To stretch clients, it is particularly important to maximize choice, whether it is behavioral goals to focus on or the type of learning to engage in (e.g., experiential).

• Break Down Learning into Manageable Steps.  When a client achieves success on specific developmental goals it paves the way for setting of new, more challenging goals.  It is important to “stretch” individuals by structuring goals into small, attainable and manageable steps.  Learning and developing competence is maximized when goals are challenging but realistic and attainable. 
• Use Experiential Techniques.  Reading books, listening to tapes and attending seminars may be useful, but current research suggests that successful behavior change can be facilitate much more rapidly and deeply by using more active, group and experiential approaches such as work sample simulations, case studies and on-the-job activities (e.g., special projects, stretch assignments, etc.).  
• Build Social Support.  It is well known that we develop best in a social environment where mentors, friends, coworkers and even family members going through the same change process can help facilitate a person’s confidence, hope and motivation.
• Provide Relapse Prevention Training.  “Lapses” and “slips” are part of the inevitable journey of personal behavior change.  Understanding what leads to these “lapses” and how to effectively cope with periods of personal stress will enable individuals to continue to grow and learn over time without totally relapsing back to old entrenched behaviors and styles. 
• Become a Professional “Nag” by Using Reminders. There is something about people that we all need someone to “remind” us about what is important and not just urgent. Many of our clients have rows of workshop materials filled with materials and assessments from previous training programs, but still have not altered their behavior.

To maximize coaching success, you really have to use and understand the three key drivers of sustained behavior change enlightenment, encouragement and enablement.

Coaches who attempt to maximize all three conditions will have a much higher probability of seeing a payoff in their clients than if any one condition exists alone.…..Be well….

Technorati Tags: coaching, training and development, job security, learning accounts, kenneth nowack, envisia, ken nowack, envisia learning

1. Nowack, K. (2005). Longitudinal evaluation of a 360 degree feedback program: Implications for best practices. Paper presented at the 20th Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Los Angeles. [↩]
2. Prochaska, J., DiClemente, C., & Norcross, J.  In search of how people change behavior: Applications to addictive behaviors.  American Psychologist, 47, 1102-1114 [↩]

“Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average. Which means you’ve met your New Year’s resolution.”  Jay Leno

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER

Title: Managing Your New Year’s Resolution

Competencies: self-development; self-control

Who benefits: you

Consultant Usage: background material for coaches and trainers

What’s it about?  I am continuing to write this month about possible New Year’s Resolutions.  On a very personal level, you may be setting a goal about controlling your weight.

Latest estimates by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests at least two out of every three (adults) of us are overweight.  Notice I used the word “us”!  So Jay Leno (see above) is correct.

Why? Why? Why?  There is so much information available, who with the ability to read or watch TV doesn’t know there is a problem and how to fix it?  So why even write a posting about what everyone already knows?  I will answer my own question.  Maybe this time of year a few of us will commit to a new set of tactics and actually do something about our weight.  Nothing ventured, nothing lost.

So begin at the beginning.  Take a look at a really good article from the Mayo Clinic “Weight Loss Basics”.  (Anyone else see the irony of a weight loss article from “Mayo”?)  Lots of options inside this link.

If you need a fitness motivator to assist in weight control, take a look at the American Heart Association’s “Start! Daily Walking Guide”.  It’s “kinda kute” and just might work.

And if nothing else, please read the new, short article “Public health takes aim at sugar and salt “ from Harvard Public Health Review.  Yikes it is scary.

Okay, as many of you know, I can resist almost anything but temptation.  I conclude this posting with one of three possible interpretations: Humor, sarcasm, or cynicism.  We all know what is good for us but we don’t heed the warnings so here is an appropriate list of books for us: Dieting For Dummies (The American Dietetic Association listed as co-author); Nutrition For Dummies; Fitness For Dummies; and, of course, for a grand finale, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Weight Loss.
 
Catch you later.

Technorati Tags: weight loss, weight problems, obesity, nutrition, diets, fitness, mayo clinic, american heart association, american dietetic association, new year’s resolutions, bill bradley, william bradley, bradley

“Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.”

John Wooden

The last few Blogs have introduced a powerful performance coaching model that can be used to engage and develop talent at all levels. 

I’ve provided this case study and reflective questions in the spirit of seeing how well you have applied the model and coaching strategies associated with: 1) Performance Improvement Coaching; 2) Performance Acceleration Coaching; 3) Performance Management Coaching; and 4) Performance Enhancement Coaching. 

Performance Coaching Case and Questions

Sam, the Senior Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing was referred to you by the Human Resources department who highly recommended you as an executive coach having done previous work with you elsewhere in the organization.  The Senior Executive Vice President contacted you about working with one of the senior managers of the department named Chris who was recently promoted as International Vice President of Sales and Marketing about 6 months ago.  Chris, has worked for the company for 4 years and has been a strong producer overall.  Chris had previously managed the domestic sales and marketing team but was recently promoted to coordinate both domestic and international operations.  Sam was interested in having you work with Chris in a coaching capacity to “fix” some critical personality and interpersonal “flaws” that had always existed but were largely tolerated until now. 

Sam described a number of customers and staff members who perceived Chris as very intimating, aloof, overly confident, moody, insensitive, confrontational and a poor listener.  At least one or more groups of employees had written human resources complaining of Chris’s “toxic” leadership and interpersonal style last year.  Chris has had tremendous “bottom line” results over a number of years—senior management respects Chris’s technical knowledge, experience and ability to increase profitability for the company.  Chris has been regarded as a “high potential” employee with tremendous skills and ability to achieve “bottom line” results.

Sam wants to have you work with Chris who has expressed some hesitation about working with “a shrink.”  Sam wants to have you share your impressions about Chris with human resources when you are done “just in case Chris doesn’t work out here.”  Sam also wants to know whether you think Chris can change leadership behavior and communication style to reflect the collaborative and team oriented culture of the company.  Sam mentions that if things don’t work out that perhaps you could assist Chris with outplacement and career counseling as well.  Sam is familiar with a number of assessment instruments that might “help Chris really see the light” but will let you decide which ones might be appropriate, if any.  Chris has 12 direct reports—all regional managers—who can be interviewed if you want to speak to them.

Sam also shared with you information about a recent sexual harassment complaint that is currently being investigated by two female managers reporting to Chris.  Sam thinks there probably isn’t much merit to the complaints but wanted you to be aware of the situation.  Overall, Sam would really like to assist Chris become successful in the new senior management role.  Sam is committed to offering coaching to Chris and is optimistic that with effective coaching that Sam will become more aware of specific behaviors that are currently creating a performance problem.  Sam just completed the annual performance appraisal for Chris and mentioned that coaching was something that is necessary for ongoing professional development.  Chris expressed only mild interest but announced that if it would make Sam happy they would be willing to participate.

COACHING CASE STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Who is the client? 
2. What potential ethical/professional issues exist with this coaching situation?
3. What approach to coaching makes the most sense given the facts of this case?
4. What types of assessments, if any, might be used?
5. What “best practices” should be used to ensure that the coaching will be a success?
6. What are the potential barriers or “road blocks” to success?
7. What are the coaching issues: skill deficit, differences in expectations, knowledge deficiencies and/or overall performance?

I’d be interested in your thoughts, reactions and answers!  Be well…..

Technorati Tags: guide dogs, seeing eye dogs, Guide Dogs of America, leadership, executive coaching, performance, layoff, social support, mastery, expertise, kenneth nowack, ken nowack, nowack, Envisia Learning, deliberate practice

“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?”  Henry David Thoreau

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER

Title: Managing Your Time

Competencies: self development; self control

Who benefits: you

Consultant Usage: background material for coaches and trainers

What’s it about? Ha!  According to blogger Peter Bregman, no person in the business world has ever said “I have too much time on my hands.”  Most of us search desperately for more time.

Today I am going to continue my January pattern of addressing common commitments made early in a new year, aka New Year’s Resolutions.  Today I am taking time to write about “time” … that elusive resource that is the one and only finite resource.  When it’s gone, its gone.

So is being a better manager of time on your new year’s to-do list?  If so, start with the aforementioned Peter Bregman’s posting “An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day”.

Want more?  Move over to blogger Bronwyn Fryer posting “Manage Your Time Like Jim Collins”.  Jim Collins, as you may recall, is the author of Built to Last, Good to Great, and most recently How the Mighty Fall.  He is a self-described time disciplinarian and the post makes for mighty interesting reading, even if not everything applies to you and I.

Finally, maybe it is your energy you need to manage more than your time.  I have twice suggested The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal and do so again if it helps you with your resolutions.  (By the way, this book is a prototypical self-help book and may not be to everyone’s liking.)

One good way to manage time is to write less, say more.  With that in mind, I won’t take up any more of your time.

Catch you later.

Technorati Tags: managing time, managing energy, time management, jim Collins, peter bregman, bill bradley, william bradley, bradley

“A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.”
Jim Rohn

Each week the Guide Dog trainers work with the volunteer puppy raisers to focus on one specific skill or behavior that the dog really needs to work on.  With Ajax we have been working hard to get him to remain calm when greeting people or when a new dog approaches him.  This type of “coaching” is often referred to as Performance Management coaching and surely is one of the more common skills that leaders learn to develop. 

Being able to diagnose what skills, knowledge or experience is needed to improve performance in talent and then to design a way for them to acquire them is something that great leaders do naturally.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT COACHING (Low Performance/High Interpersonal Competence)

Talent demonstrating generally one or more deficiencies in specific competency areas (e.g., planning, oral presentation, writing, delegation, time management) but seen as basically collaborative and likable can best be developed further by utilizing a Performance Management model of coaching.  These clients are highly responsive to coaching specifically geared to facilitate key competencies and skill areas that might be preventing high performance.

In this model, the focus of improvement is developing specific techniques, skills and abilities.  Coaches might utilize more interactive approaches to model behavior, video tape clients in action and use employee simulations to help facilitate learning (e.g., Inbasket simulation, role plays).  

Most coaching assignments will be task focused and shorter in duration based on demonstration of skill acquisition by the client and to key stakeholders within the organization.  Such clients will typically have high emotional intelligence and respond to specific instruction and more pragmatic techniques and tools.

Performance Management Coaching Strategies

• Skill based training programs (internal or external)
• Utilize strategic developmental experiences to enhance specific competencies related to performance
• Model desired behavior, provide instruction, support skills practice and reinforce desired behaviors
• Consider short-term skill based coaching

Evaluating Performance Coaching Interventions

It is important to think about metrics and approaches to evaluating coaching at the beginning of the intervention.  Each of the four performance coaching models should be evaluated based upon the specific agreed upon goals of the intervention.  Some of the following should be considered as part of your performance coaching evaluation scorecard:

• If you are using a 360 degree feedback assessment as part of your performance coaching, analyze change scores in pre-post scores (10 to 18 months following the first administration)
• Analyze the progress made on the client’s professional development plan to come out of the coaching intervention
• Analyze post-then change scores from the client on self-perceived changes in knowledge, skills and behavior (”post-then” is a particular approach to evaluation that measures self-perceived skills at the end of the coaching intervention  which is the “post” and how the client sees themselves before the coaching began which is the “then”)
• Analyze post-coaching progress viewed by key stakeholders within the client system (e.g., the client’s manager, human resources)

Well, I  have to get Ajax out to practice a particular “come” command where he sits in front of me and then returns, sitting down, at my side….I’ve got some good pointers from the Guide Dogs of America trainers on how to do this with him so its off to practice, practice and practice….Be well….

Technorati Tags: guide dogs, seeing eye dogs, Guide Dogs of America, leadership, executive coaching, performance, layoff, social support, mastery, expertise, kenneth nowack, ken nowack, nowack, Envisia Learning, deliberate practice

“A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”  Author Unknown

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER

Title: New Year’s Resolutions

Competency: self development

Who benefits: you

Consultant Usage: background material for career coaching

What’s it about? It’s the first week of a new year.  If you are like about 40% to 45% of American adults, you are in the first week of a New Year’s resolution.  And if you are one of those who made a resolution or six, please note that 25%-30% of all resolutions are broken in the first week.  The good news is that nearly 50% of you who made resolutions will still be keeping at least one after 6 months!

I thought I would dedicate my January postings to helping you keep your resolution(s), if you made any.  Today I would like to start with the gorilla of all resolutions, the job change.  Did you resolve to look for a new one?

Well if you are in the mood to look around, please consider the following:

1. Before you do anything rash, first consider “How to Survive in an Unhappy Workplace”.

2. A companion article that will at least act as a brain stimulus is “Why You Should Fire Yourself“.  While at first blush the article appears to be written for high level mucky-mucks, I truly believe that even those of us who are only mid-level mucks can benefit from thinking about what the author is saying.

3. Now if you are still determined to go look, there is a fascinating article about “How to Get a Job Without Experience”.  The author’s point is best made with those who are not currently employed or are working part time.  However, with a little creativity, even the fully employed can employ this tactic.

I am a big believer in getting a job without the “desired” experience.  My first job in the private sector was with a Fortune 25 company.  At the time the unit I interviewed with was top heavy with Ph.Ds (not that there is anything wrong with that).  I was one of eight finalists.  The other seven were Ph.Ds and had private sector experience.  I was an MA with only public sector experience.  I didn’t try to compete with them.  That would be futile.  I played against “type”.  I sold myself as practical with new and different ideas from my “different” experiences.  I was blunt: “You don’t need more of the same, you need difference.”  And, ta-da, I got the job. 

Moral of the article and my story: Don’t let lack of experience deter you.  Use it to your advantage.

4. Which brings me to this important concluding article “Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change“.  Like the AMX card, don’t leave home without (reading) it.

Well, if you resolve to make a job change, I hope these resources prove useful. 

Catch you later.

Technorati Tags: new year’s resolutions, careers, jobs, career development, bill bradley, william bradley, bradley

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

John Quincy Adams

Each week when we attend our guide dog puppy training with Ajax it’s pretty easy to pick out the “winners” from the “losers” (OK, we have been wrong many times before).  The “winners” seem incredibly mature, well-behaved, attentive and seem to have all the “right stuff” to on to become an outstanding guide dog. 

I’m not sure how much impact the puppy raisers really have but they seem to be the “best in class” (but it ain’t a “show” with guide dogs) and demonstrate both technical competence and a loving quality that make them attractive and successful. These are the puppies that are termed “high potentials” and are the ones the trainers want to make sure that the volunteer puppy raisers do the right things to ensure their long term success.

Like guide dog puppies, organizations have their “high potentials” that we can’t afford to lose today in our globally competitive marketplace.  In fact, most organizations look for developmental opportunities, “stretch assignments” and other ways to help “accelerate” their growth and future potential. 

Coaching these high potential individuals requires a bit of a different model and techniques to “sharpen” key competencies and facilitate specific skills and experiences.  This type of coaching is referred to as Performance Acceleration coaching.

PERFORMANCE ACCELERATION COACHING (High Performance/High Interpersonal Competence)

Talent demonstrating a high level of performance and demonstrating interpersonal competence can further developed by utilizing a Performance Acceleration model of coaching.  These “high potential” clients are the “lovable stars” that organizations want to retain over time. 

In this model, the focus is on leveraging the strengths of these clients and enhancing their “star” potential.  Generally, coaches will utilize diverse approaches to assessment including targeted interviews with critical stakeholders, personality/style tools and skill based multi-rater feedback instruments. 

Most coaching assignments will be maximized with a moderate engagement of 4 months or more with an emphasis on ongoing readings, case discussions and situation analyses.  Such clients are expected to be fairly responsive, open and eager to learn making the coaching engagement typically easier.  Such clients will be looking for greater specificity in feedback and targeted resources to facilitate his/her development.  Such clients will tend to keep coaches challenged because they are motivated and interested in learning as much as possible to leverage what they do well and become even better.

Performance Acceleration Coaching Strategies

• Engineer “stretch assignments” and developmental activities
• Consider using an executive coach to enhance “signature strengths”
• Look for more opportunities to provide more specific feedback
• Encourage work-life balance
• Champion their future career potential with other senior managers

 These individuals will tend to grown and develop independently as they appear to have the right personality and “signature strengths” to become even more successful.  However, with the right kind of coaching and mentoring, these individuals can accelerate their potential development.

I think we have a “high potential” in Ajax….I just hope in my role as a volunteer puppy raiser that I don’t mess it up….Be well…..

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