Globalization, changes in technology, and short-term, shareholder focused mindset has made work-life balance nearly obsolete. As much as you say you want to use your PTO, I know you end up working most of your day off and then telling your administrative assistant not to charge you for the PTO. How do I know? I [...]
When Words Fail
How many times have you been in, what seems like, a never-ending discussion with a colleague or spouse? I’m sure you can think of a few examples, even from the last few days. How many times do you let the words that are being said become a distraction from the real purpose or goal of [...]
The Unhappy Employee – Creating Engagement
A recent global study by Accenture suggests that while many people are unhappy in their current jobs, the majority plan to stay in their current roles. More than half (57% of women and 59% of men) indicated they were unhappy, yet 69% indicated they were not planning to leave. Why? They cited flexible work arrangements [...]
The Job Seeker’s 30-Second Commercial
There are many places that a strong 30-second commercial, or elevator pitch, will help you land a job. A version of it could be included in a cover letter, certainly at networking events, when cold calling organizations, and when attending career fairs. A great 30-second commercial is typically delivered right after an introduction and is [...]
Be The Change You Wish To See
I spent much of last Saturday painting a Habitat for Humanity home in the northwest part of metro Phoenix. We’ve all donated our time, talent, and treasure at various times to one cause or another. Some give to their chosen religious institution, to get tax write-offs, and others for the sheer intrinsic joy of being [...]
Your Act of Valor
Relativity Media recently released a movie entitled Act of Valor, a motion picture starring active duty Navy Seals. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie because it told succinct and impactful stories about the lives of America’s servicemen and women. I won’t go into details, but do encourage you to watch it. A very defining moment for [...]
Professional Development Through Challenging Assignments
When it comes to professional development, there are multitudes of ways to enhance your skills. Learning from other people, enduring hardships, structured training, off-the-job experiences, and challenging assignments are five impactful ways to prepare you for what’s next. Of the five, working on challenging assignments will be the skill builder that will steepen your learning [...]
Being Inspired By America’s Youth
How many times have you said to yourself; “I wish I knew then what I know now”? A handful? Or, so many times that you have lost count? I certainly fall into the latter category. I have been blessed to have many wonderful experiences in my life. Many of them have taught me very valuable [...]
Fearing Mediocrity
I recently gave a talk to students from the Thunderbird School of Global Management about what my “typical” day as an entrepreneur in human resources looks like. Over lunch and during my presentation I told them how I sell my services, that I get to work on projects that I truly enjoy, that my schedule [...]
Supporting the Roller Coaster Boss
I can’t tell you how often I talk to acquaintances that have leaders who are inconsistent in the delivery of their message and their actions. I’m sure you are thinking of a few right now. How did they make you feel? Confused. Underappreciated. Upset. Frustrated. All of the above, plus many more? Probably. You can [...]
Entrepreneurship – A “Free Agent” Career
I’m going to be giving a talk this week at my alma mater, The Thunderbird School of Global Management, about why I quit my “safe” corporate job and chose entrepreneurship. As I was preparing my notes, I started to think about the changing labor dynamics in our society and how entrepreneurship may be the “safer” [...]
The Art of the Handwritten Note
I just received a text message from a good friend that recently completed a lengthy job interview process. Very simply, it said, “Got the job. I’m on cloud 9.” I was, of course, incredibly excited for her. I immediately started to think back to the conversations that she and I had about her process for [...]
Multimedia Resumes are a Marketing Tool
Over the last few years, it has become increasingly difficult to find meaningful employment. Job seekers are forced to find creative ways to make themselves stand apart from the crowd. A method becoming more popular is the multimedia resume. You may already have a LinkedIn profile, but other sites like visualcv.com, razume.com, emurse.com, and resumebucket.com [...]
Memorable Service Recovery
After spending four years in the hospitality industry, and recently reading The New Gold Standard by Joseph A. Michelli, I was reminded just how important service recovery can be. I was very fortunate to work for two years in the Four Seasons chain of resorts. I was amazed at what the employees were willing to [...]
How to Make a Great First Impression
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression” – Author Unknown As the old saying goes, first impressions are incredibly important. Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov conducted experiments that show that it only takes 1/10 of a second to form a judgment about someone else. That is an incredibly short [...]
Volunteer to Land Your Next Job
A quick look through the websites of your favorite charitable organizations will reveal numerous volunteer opportunities. For those of you who volunteer regularly, why do you do it? Is it because you enjoy helping the community, it makes you feel good intrinsically, you make new friends, you can add it to your resume, or because [...]
How to Write Cover Letters
You may say, “I’ve heard recruiters are so busy that they don’t have time to read cover letters.” For the initial screening of candidates, this statement may hold true. The true value of a cover letter becomes apparent when you have made it to the top of the candidate pile and the recruiter is doing [...]
Continual Learning
“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 What a powerful statement. With the advent of the World Wide Web, we have access to seemingly infinite amounts of information. You can learn how to read and write from [...]
Building Relationships Takes Time
Every relationship, personal or professional, requires significant investment. The investment includes our time, money, and talent. Those of you who are already great at building relationships know that the process doesn’t stop after you’ve collected the business card. In fact, the process never ends. It requires constant attention. For those of you who are still [...]
Becoming Great Through Humility
“Even if you be otherwise perfect, you fail without humility.” –The Talmud In Jim Collins’ best selling book, Good to Great, he wrote about how organizations move from being good to great. Besides focusing on hiring the right people, confronting brutal facts, and developing a culture of discipline, Collins describes how the organizations were led [...]
Personal Integrity
“In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.” – Warren Buffet So why did Buffet say that? I’m guessing you can think of numerous reasons why. MCI Worldcom. Tyco. Enron. Arthur Andersen. Firms on Wall [...]
Top 10 Things Older Workers Can Do To Land Jobs
“Aging is not “lost youth” but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” – Betty Friedan I have been very blessed to work with tremendous mentors over the last decade. Each has been over the age of 50 and each has shared a nugget of wisdom, opened my eyes to something new, and pushed me [...]
How to Write a Resume
Are you in career transition, have a job but are looking to change employers or on the verge of a promotion? Enhancing your resume can help you progress to the next stage in securing your dream career. Effective resumes provide recruiters and Human Resources professionals with a reason to invite you in for an interview. The [...]
Employee Turnover – What is it Costing You?
In MetLife’s 9th Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends, researchers found that 36% of employees hope to work for a different employer in the next 12 months. Snagajob.com recently conducted a survey and found that 44% of respondents quit their job in the past year did so because they believed they would find a better [...]
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