Do You Feel “Boxed In” In Your Job?

Posted February 12th, 2012 in Career Advice, Career Brand, Career Planning | No Comments »

Do you see your present job: as a rigid box with no give and take and you’re not happy about it?

Even though there’s a position description, most professional jobs have a certain amount of flexibility.So before changing jobs or companies, first look at changing aspects of your present position.

Here are three things to focus on in job redesign – shaping your job to fit you better.

1. Task content:

This involves improving the way that things are done using skills that you already have; or using your knowledge to change working methods so that you can generate better results. Michael suggested to his boss that they change the intake procedure so that there would be less errors and duplication.

So what changes in your job can you suggest to your boss that will benefit the department and also give you greater job satisfaction?

2. Relationships:

Here, you look for ways to connect with others during the course of your work. For example, Joe volunteers to teach all new hires throughout the company on the internal reporting system. This does two things: He interacts with people from different departments and he gets known as the IT person to go to.

So how can you modify your job to allow for more interactions with others inside and outside the department and the company?

3. Purpose:

You can also redefine your job to reflect what you see as being the real impact of what you do. For example: Mary, a receptionist for a marketing firm, sees her job as an ambassador for the company. She greets visitors with an enormous smile, offers refreshments and engages them in conversation. She is not “just” a receptionist; she IS the company when people come in.

So how do you see your job? Can you identify how what you do makes an impact for your boss, your department, the company? Everyone should know and let others know their contribution.

Career Success Tip:

Job redesign gives you the chance to turn a dissatisfying situation around. The changes you make must not only bring you greater job satisfaction but must also have positive outcomes for your team or department and of course your boss. Also see Job Satisfaction: Have You Lost That Loving Feeling?

Build, jump start or advance your career with the Free E-Book: Career Power!

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We Can’t Turn Back the Clock!

Posted February 8th, 2012 in Change Management, High Performance, Leader Brand, Leadership Advice | No Comments »

It’s not about politics. It’s not about whether or not Planned Parenthood is under investigation. It’s not even about stopping funding for an organization.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation found itself in a public relations nightmare because it didn’t think through the consequences of the decisions they made and the actions they took. They were totally taken by surprise by the uproar.

This post is not focusing on the moral, ethical, religious or political “rights or wrongs” of the decisions made; rather, I’ll be looking at it from a leadership perspective.

The Law of Unintended Consequences

We live and lead in a complex world with a “mess” of relationships and interactions. This means everything interacts with everything else. The Law of Unintended Consequences holds that almost all human actions have at least one unintended consequence. In other words, each decision or action we take can have more than one effect including unforeseen or undesirable effects. A solution to one problem can create another or what looks like honey can quickly turn into vinegar.

 You Can’t Turn the Clock Back
So how do you as a leader, avoid or at least mitigate, unanticipated and possible negative outcomes?

 1. Get out of your ivory tower.
Make sure the people on your team have a diversity of perspectives and backgrounds who them can point out situations, opinions and key stakeholders that are not on your radar screen.

 2. Don’t dismiss devil advocates.
They are not all pains. By  being critical or taking an unpopular stance around certain issues, they may be identifying dangers you haven’t thought through.

 3. Play out every scenario.
Anticipate who will be affected and what their possible reactions might be – from total delight to grudging acceptance to quiet sabotage to a social media uproar. Remember, what may seem rational to you can be considered totally unreasonable to others.

4. Take a break.
Don’t be rushed into a decision because someone or something is pushing you. Stop, go for a walk, have a meal or a fun activity. Consider bringing in an outsider to help your and your team identify and understand the many facets of the situation before making a decision.

 5. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
Develop a plan to make sure information about the decision moves quickly up, down and across the organization. Also be alert to outside key forces whether the media, industry analyst other companies, etc. We live in a totally connected world that communicates instantly and often.

As leaders, we can’t fully control the world around us but we can control how we solve problems, make decisions and take actions. Where do you need to improve?

Smart Moves Tip:

Invite bad news and don’t sweep it under the carpet. Face up to problems immediately which can occur as part of a decision or action, despite your best endeavors. Solutions to one problem may create other new problems. Expect it – that’s just the way it is and you’d be kidding yourself if you thought otherwise. Be a great people leader who gets results with the Free E-book Quick Wins!

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Fun At Work is An Effective Business Strategy

Posted February 7th, 2012 in Business Advice, Business Brand, Leadership Advice, Leadership Skills, Talent Management | No Comments »

fun at work is an effective business strategyRubber chickens and chattering teeth are some of the gag gifts handed out by David C. Novak, chairman and CEO of Yum Brands, a fast-food franchiser and author of The Education of an Accidental CEO: My Journey from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office

He presents wind up teeth with feet to employees, managers, and franchisees that ‘walk the talk’. He’s passed out hundreds – each with a personal message scrawled in pen and a check for $300.

In his office, Novak also displays novelties and silly hats from team leaders, who are encouraged to create their own awards. A larger-than-life cardboard cutout of a rubber chicken was a gift from KFC employees.

“Our business is about people. We’ve found that if we build teams where people feel valued, we end up with less turnover, more satisfied customers and more profitability. I want to reward people, but I want to do it in a spontaneous way. What I’m saying with these awards is what they do really matters. It’s a great way to create positive energy, develop pride and drive performance.”

Here’s another example.

No other airline is as productive and profitable as Southwest Airlines. When you fly them, you can see the People of Southwest are enjoying their jobs. Captains and flight attendants joke with passengers and home office personnel take weeks to prepare for the annual Halloween party. Colleen Barrett, the former president, also sees having fun as a way to motivate and get to the hearts of employees.

“We enjoy parties. One of my favorite is our Heroes of the Heart program where we recognize a group of unsung heroes, people that are just not in the limelight. We’ve turned this into an annual event and hold it on Valentine’s Day because we are the love airline.”

Smart Moves Tip:

Having fun at work is an effective business strategy. It helps foster an environment that attract workers to the organization and makes them want to stay. It can also alleviate, in these difficult economic times, feelings of stress and anxiety. People who have fun together can work better together. As a leader, how well do you encourage a fun atmosphere?

Also see How Great Leaders Motivate. Grow your business, practice or start-up with the Free E-Book Smart Growth.

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