Make More of Your Job

One Skill at a Time

When I think about the process of career advancement, I often remember what one of my mentors in life told me: every journey begins with a single step.

Most of us have at least a general idea about where we’d like to go in our lives and our careers. Take a look around at your friends and co-workers and you’ll find that they can be separated into two distinct groups: those who are constantly working to improve themselves, and those that continually stay the same.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess which group tends to have more upward mobility in the office.

But when we start thinking about all of the work it will take for us to get where we want in our careers, we get bogged down.  Becoming someone that can push past that mental traffic jam and work towards self-betterment is a vital process if you want to fast track your career.

Understanding that constant curiosity and self-development is the key to career advancement is half of the battle. Putting a plan into action, however, is the only way to shift your career into high gear.  Many of us don’t have the capacity to juggle multiple self-development goals at once in our already-full lives, but everyone has the ability to accomplish single, isolated tasks.  The key to continuous self-improvement is taking things one step at a time. By choosing just one of skill to focus on, you will dramatically increase your chances for success.

But which skill should you choose first?  The beauty of self-development is that it doesn’t matter what you choose to work on first.  You could choose public speaking, communication skills, or even accounting mathematics.  Pick up a book, register for a class. Just commit yourself to improving a little each day in one area of your choice. The magic comes simply from picking something, anything, to focus on improving.  Before long, you’ll have more to offer in your job, more to talk about with co-workers and superiors, and a growing sense of self-worth that will lead to greater confidence.

Once you’ve mastered about 80% of the skill you’re working on, it’s time to pick a new one.  This process should be easy, because chances are the learning process you’ve begun will naturally lead you another area to focus on.  If it doesn’t, though, don’t worry.  Just pick any other skill that you’ll need down the road, because it doesn’t matter what you’re working on improving. It only matters that you are.

Clear Communication Takes Practice

There is an awful lot of advice out there that prescribes “better communication” as a cure for all that ails you.  It goes without saying that people with the ability to communicate effectively with others tend to have an easier time moving up the corporate ladder.  On the flip side, frequent failure to communicate with superiors and coworkers effectively can be a surefire way to take your career off the fast track.

We’ve all heard horror stories of those “career-limiting moves” (such as this one) that someone we know at work has pulled. Too often, miscommunication in the heat of the moment costs someone a raise, promotion, or even a job.  The only way to ensure that you wont suffer a career setback due to miscommunication is to practice, practice, practice.

Your communication skills will be put to the test when you discuss highly sensitive topics.  When the stakes are high, it’s vital to have your voice heard without upsetting anyone else involved.  The next time you’re treading in dangerous waters, take the following steps to practice your communication skills and ensure that the outcome is a positive one.

• Communicate in person – Written language comes without any of the context physical communication gives us, such as tone of voice or body language.  If the topic is highly sensitive, have the discussion live whenever possible.
• Write down your thoughts – One great way to ensure you don’t mis-speak is to script out your thoughts.  Write down what you want to communicate and then reread your thoughts to ensure that they come through clear, respectfully and concise.  Make edits until you’re sure that no one could misinterpret your meaning.
• When in doubt, role play – If you’re unsure how to get your point across, find someone close to you to help you role play the situation a few different ways.  Explain your thoughts and then ask them to repeat your meaning back to you, in different words, until you believe that you’re both saying exactly the same thing.  Sometimes another person's point of view is just what you need to find the hidden weaknesses in your communication skills.

If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll notice that these tips are not unlike some of the tips I give here are not unlike the tips I've given on interviewing skills. Though interviews may not be as emotionally charged as some work conflicts, it is important to remember that both of these situations call for you to be at your best when you are trying to express yourself clearly and respectfully.

How to Spread Career Passion

Passion is contagious. We’ve all seen this phenomenon, whether at a sporting event or a charity function.  When people are passionate, other people catch it. And when that phenomenon exists in the workplace, your company can’t be stopped.

Unfortunately, negativity and pessimism are contagious as well. In today’s corporate world they are often more readily available than passion. If your workplace isn’t as passionate and exciting as you’d like it to be, there is an easy solution. Start rewarding passion.

Wait a minute, you might be saying, I’m not in charge, so I’m not in a position to reward anything. But while you may not be in charge, there are simple things that any one of us can do to ensure that passion gets rewarded in the workplace.  The following are fast, simple tips that will ignite the passion in your office.

• Ask for a passion prize – Go to your boss (or company president) and ask that they create a passion prize.  Each month, suggest that they give a prize to the person who best exemplified passion on the job.  It doesn’t have to be anything huge, even a Starbucks giftcard could do the trick. They could say no, but most won't. Besides, you’ll never know unless you ask.
• Thank passionate coworkers – Jot a quick thank-you note to co-workers you witness displaying passion.  You’d be surprised at the effect a few quick sentences have, but it’s always worth the time.  The note doesn’t have to be complex; it could be as simple as “I noticed how passionate you were about ____, it’s really nice to work with someone who feels so strongly about our company.” Trust me, it will make a difference. Reminding passionate people that they are valued will guarantee that their passion will rise another notch. 
• Don’t be embarrassed about your passion – Sometimes people don’t display passion because they are afraid they will be judged.  You can be the trailblazer for passionistas in your company.  Start talking about how you're passionate at work. Say things like “I’m really passionate about this” or “that would be huge for the company and would make me proud." It wont be long before others feel free to follow suit.

Speak for Yourself

If you’re trying to drive your career to the next level, it’s vital that you are always improving your skill set. But beware: not all skills are created equal.  If there is one skill that virtually guarantees that you rise through your organization like a rocket, it's public speaking.

It’s no coincidence that this valuable skill is also the one that abjectly terrifies most of us.  Developing your public speaking skills is not easy to learn and can be a frightening process for some.  When it comes down to it, however, there’s no more valuable skill that you could master.

Think about your company for a moment. I’m sure you can call to mind someone in your organization that is dedicated, brilliant and a team player, but is a horrible public speaker.  In almost every case, this person will be employed at a level that is well beneath the true value of their cumulative skills. Why? Whether at a company retreat, a small group meeting or even a one-on-one with a boss, a poor public speaker never does himself justice when it comes to the impression that is left behind.

True, some jobs don’t require public speaking, but yet all jobs require us to interface with at least a few peers and superiors.  Public speaking is about a lot more than giving speeches in a lecture hall. Public speaking is also about being comfortable and confident communicating your point of view, whether it’s to one person or one thousand.  Good organizations are always short on great communicators, and if you can prove that you are one, your future is bright.

Now for the scary part. Improving your public speaking skills isn’t a process you can do with a book or a video. It can’t be done without consistent practice and exercise and must be done in public.  If you’re committed to improving your public communication, try out a few of these tips to get started:

• Contribute: At the next meeting you attend, choose at least one issue to weigh in on with the group.  As time passes, increase the frequency of your contribution.
• Propose a Toast: The next time you’re out with friends or family, try giving a short toast at the beginning of the meal.  These people are a “safe” audience and there’s no downside to doing a less-than-perfect job.  Over time, you’ll see your skills develop.
• Join a Club: Public speaking clubs are available in every major city and are often very cheap.  Speaking publicly in front of a group of people who are also trying to polish their skills guarantees you a supportive and constructive audience.

The Big Interview, Part 4: The Thank-You Note

Last week, we discussed several key phases in the interview process. At this point, you have made it through the process and you can breathe easy. All that’s left is waiting to hear if you’ve been given the position, right? Wrong. There’s still quite a bit that you can do to aid your chances of being chosen.

The best way to increase your chances after the interview is to send your interviewer a personal thank-you note showing your appreciation for their time. It may seem like a simple concept, but you’d be shocked how few people actually bother to take this step. If possible, the thank-you note should be hand-written and, at the very least, personally signed. Never send a thank you note for any occasion via email. It feels impersonal and rushed.

Writing your interviewer a personal note also gives you the chance to fill in any gaps that may have been left open during the interview itself. Before writing your thank-you note, do a post-mortem on the interview experience and figure out how you think it went. The point of this exercise isn’t to beat yourself up or to praise yourself for doing well. The point is to find additional opportunities for action. Go over the interview from start to finish in your mind and ask yourself the following questions:

• Did I forget to mention anything about my qualifications?
• Would I change the way in which I answered any of my questions?
• Were any of my answers less than clear? Could I benefit from expounding on them?
• Were there any questions I couldn't answer that I "owe" the interview a response for?

From that list of questions, you should compile a list of opportunities and begin to formulate a response. Make sure you open the note with a sincere "thank you" and then move onto any points or clarifications that you want to make.

A post-interview note should always close with a request for the position. As we discussed in the previous post, when done appropriately, this shows that you are unafraid to go after what you want. This is a quality all managers look for in the right candidate.

The sooner you can get your note into the hands of your interviewer, the better. The fact that you reflected on your experience and took the time to personalize a response in this way will show how interested you are and go a long way to separate you from your competition.

Earlier: The Big Interview, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

The Big Interview, Part 1: Before You Walk in the Door

Much of the information on this blog is designed to help you make the most of your job and start getting noticed by your superiors, but we haven’t spent much time talking about what to do when an opportunity finally comes your way.  Over the next few posts, we’ll talk about ways to ensure that once you’ve finally got the big interview that you do everything in your power to get that raise or promotion.

I won't cover it at length again, but the first step to securing your next career move is making sure you have as professional an appearance as possible.  I’ve written before about my personal pet peeves when it comes to people showing up for interviews unshaven or in casual dress. Of course, everyone has differing opinions on how to look your best for an interview, but there is little debate on how to dress for an interview.

The next step before you walk in for the interview? Do your research. When handing out raises or promotions, managers look for someone who can be self-sufficient and trusted in their role.  Taking the time to learn all about the role you’re applying for shows that you are independently motivated and don’t need to be told when to seek out new information.

Some of the worst interviews I’ve ever sat through as a manager have been when the applicant came in and asked me to describe the job to them.  The interview is your time to sell yourself by showing how much you already know and expounding on what you would do once the role is yours.  Someone who comes off as unsure of exactly what they are even interviewing for will be checked off of the list within the first two minutes.

Answering the following questions before you interview will help you make sure that you’ve done your homework and are walking into the interview with the right information:

• What are the job requirements of the role? -  If the job is open because the previous person in the role is moving on or has been promoted, ask that person for a few minutes to educate you on what the job is all about.  If the job is newly created or the person in the role has left the company, speak with the people that you would work with/for in the new job and ask them what they envision for the position.

• What has/hasn’t worked in the past? – Talk to the people that interact with this position and find out about what they want to ensure continues and what they’d love to change.  Understanding where improvements could be made will go a long way towards selling you in the interview.

• What can I learn about similar jobs elsewhere in the industry? -  Look through similar job postings both in other departments and other companies.  These can contain great information about what the daily job is about.  Seek out people in similar positions (social networking sites are great for this) and get some insider info from outside the box.  Knowing not only what your company expects, but also what others are doing will prove valuable during the interview process.

• What skills would I need to learn or improve in this new role? – When someone walks into an interview, knows their own weaknesses and already has a plan for how to fix them it can remove a huge question mark for the manager.  It is always a good idea to enroll in a class or be reading a book that pertains to the next job you want. That way, you’ll be more prepared when your interview opportunity arises.

These questions should put you on the right path to gathering the data for your big interview.  Next time we’ll talk about what you should bring with you to the meeting.

Turn it off!

A few posts back I talked about the importance that reading plays on elevating your professional abilities. Many people I have talked to tell me they just don’t have any extra hours in the day to take up reading, but the truth is that almost all of us have some time we could very easily use for better purposes.

 

Did you know that the average American watches over 4 hours of television per day? That’s more than 28 hours per week! That’s nearly the amount of productive working hours that the average American packs in per week at their job.

 

Now, I’m not anti-television at all. It’s important that we all take some down time to “veg out” or recharge, but I’m definitely not convinced that we need to do it for four hours a day. If you’re having trouble finding time to read, just make the commitment to give up 20% of the time you usually spend watching TV. You’ll be amazed at how much information (and enjoyment) you will absorb with just that 45minutes of reading or so each day.

 

Another great suggestion, if you are a die-hard television lover, is to try and make at least 1 out of every 3 television programs you watch informational, not just entertainment. Try turning on the Travel Channel, or the Discovery Channel, something that will build your stable of usable data and help you exercise your brain.

 

As you become less dependent on television, try using those rescued hours for more productive tasks like exercise, spending time with your family (and actually talking!), or pursuing a lost hobby you thought you were too busy for. No one needs to give up TV completely, but cutting out the programs you’re not head over heels in love with will give you back an astonishing amount of your time.

 

If you want to take an even bigger step to reallocating your TV-watching time, check out the folks over at TV Turnoff. Their website is packed with interesting information about our television habits. Try their suggestion about going one week without the tube and you may be absolutely stunned by how much more you get done.

I Don't Have Time

For those of us looking to make the most of our jobs, time management may be the toughest skill to learn. We’ve discussed before that just because you are at work too many hours doesn’t mean that you’re working enough! The goal should always be to find a way to get more done in fewer hours. 

Finding a way to add impact to your working hours usually starts with cutting out the fat. Our modern world slams us with all sorts of distractions that interrupt us in the middle of tasks, or prevent us from focusing on work at all. 

To get a picture of how much time you really burn through at work that you could be using productively, try the tips below. After a few days of implementing these ideas you will find that you get a lot more done without sacrificing any quality of life. 

• Check your email a set number of times in the day. You’d be shocked how much time is wasted stopping tasks in the middle to check that email that just came in. Try checking it just 3 or 4 times a day, and answering all of your new inbox messages at once. In between these “checking times” turn your email interface off so you’re not tempted by those “new mail” sound effects or pop-up messages.
• While you’re working on a task, try unplugging the internet. The simple act of pulling out the      network cable can sometimes save you from the tendency to flip open to your favorite game or webpage when the work piles up. You’ll find that when you push through the stress or frustration, you’ll get a second wind, helping you solve the problem sooner and finish the task quicker. You don’t need to check the weather for the weekend again!
• Forward your calls. Or, better yet, turn off your phone completely. Most of the individual tasks that we have to work on are less than a couple of hours per project. Resisting the urge to pick up that call as a break from what you’re working on will help you stay focused and productive. Give your family/friends a co-worker’s a number to call you on if there’s ever a true emergency. Cutting out the annoying calls will really crank up your results.
• Create a prioritized “to-do” list each day. Once you’ve got your list, don’t do anything that’s not on it until the list is completed. This will keep you from switching to busy-work tasks when other more important items need finishing. Also when someone sends you a web video, or stops by your desk to chat, just having the list will help you politely excuse yourself and get back to work.

Kickstart Your New Year

Since a lot of us have committed to making the most of our jobs in 2007, it's a great idea to get the year rolling by jump starting our organization skills.

 

Here’s a great article that gives some simple tips on how to cut down the clutter and get your workspace more closely aligned with your on-the-job goals.

Shortcut - Passion is Contagious

Q: Why are sporting events and concerts more exciting live than on television?

A:  Because energy and passion are contagious.  

When you are around of a stadium full of like-minded people, you can’t help but get caught up in the feeling. However, have you ever been in a long-winded meeting full of bored co-workers where you found yourself trying in vain to pay attention or stay awake? If you have then you’ve probably learned the hard way that the lack of passion and energy is also contagious. 

So what on earth does this have to do with making more of your job? It’s simple actually. For the past few posts, we’ve been discussing ways to find your passion at work. It is a task that is easier said than done. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could take a shortcut to finding that passion? Instead of building your passion from the ground up, why not just catch it? 

Take a look around you and identify the peers in your office that always seem excited and enthusiastic about their job. Once you’ve identified who’s passionate, simply invite them out to lunch! Talking to others about what gets them excited about your company will have an immediate effect on your attitude and will help you generate more passion than you could on your own. Additionally, you may end up creating a better network at your place of employment, which can only present you with additional opportunities over time. 

If you feel awkward about inviting a peer you don’t know well out to lunch, or you’re unsure of how to start the conversation here are a few pointers: 

• Let them know that the reason you’re inviting them. You’ve always been impressed by their attitude and want to hear more about their take on the company. It’s incredibly unusual that someone receiving that kind of compliment would decline your invitation or be unwilling to help.
• Make a mental note of questions that you’d like to have answered at the lunch. I don’t recommend bringing a list with you, as it might look odd and amateurish, but you should definitely have a set list of ideas before you go. Do your homework.
• When speaking with your peer, ask them who at the office inspires them and why. Not only will it help keep the conversation flowing about passion, but it may also widen your network or give you additional ideas.
• Make sure to write the person a thank you note for their time. It is the little things in life that get you noticed. Not only is this a nice gesture, but it will contribute to improving your reputation as an engaged and thoughtful employee.

Don’t stop at just one of these meetings. Once you’ve mastered them at work, expand your requests beyond the reach of your office. You’ll find that surrounding yourself in life with people who are excited and energized about what they do will go a long way. The more your network grows, the more energy and experience you will have to leverage. Being surrounded with and inspired by great people will be a huge advantage when it comes to accomplishing your goals!