New Outlook Coaching

Should I keep searching for a job during the holiday season?

2008-12-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a job, you may find December to be a slow month. Even though companies are often slow to hire this time of year, many still do hire. Don’t stop looking for the perfect job. If your job search is already underway, you have good momentum. One of my clients was going to stop her job search during the holidays because she thought the likelihood of getting a job would be low. I advised her to continue her search since she already had momentum. I am pleased to say, she is happily starting her great new job the week before Christmas! There are still jobs out there and you may be the perfect candidate for the one that is posted.

Be an Advisor and Build Your Credibility

2008-10-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

When working with someone, it can be challenging to build trust. If
you are trying to sell something to someone, it is critical that you
approach the conversation with concern. After doing this, listen to what they have
to say and to make sure that you fully understand what they are
wanting. To make sure you understand, you may ask them questions and
you may paraphrase back what you think they are wanting for
confirmation from them. After you have clarification that you
understand what the individual wants, you can explain to the person
what might work. As you are doing this, if what they are asking for
is challenging, try to figure out a way you can give them what they
are wanting or needing.

This past summer, we hired a painter. He was referred to us by someone so we
had a bit of trust since he had done great work for her. I knew
what I wanted, but I am not an expert, so I needed his expertise. I
told him I wanted the building pressure washed to remove any paint
that may not be well adhered and that I wanted the building to be
scraped and then painted. I wanted it done right away. The painter
explained to me that he could start the pressure washing and scraping
right away. He said unfortunately, he would have to wait to paint until the temperature was above 50 degrees. If he did not wait for warmer temperatures, the paint may not adhere as it should. He was telling me he
could do what I wanted done, but also offering me his expertise and
explaining why he may not be able to paint immediately. I respected
his suggestions. He is the professional. When he shared with me that
he could not paint immediately and why (the temperature), he actually
built more trust with me.

Quality Work Beats 60 Hour Work Weeks Every Time!

2008-10-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

In these crazy economic times, it is crucial that you set yourself apart. If you want to do well in your job, start concentrating on the quality of the work you do. If you choose between quality and quantity, choose quality. A company can always hire more people, but quality can be hard to find. Set yourself apart and work to be GREAT at what you do. If you work smart and choose to do great work in your niche area, you will WOW others! As you are doing your work, decide what part of it you love to do. Become a “Subject Matter Expert” in that area. If you do this, everyone will come to you for advice. You will become their advisor, expert and consultant. If you spend your time constantly concentrating on quantity of work, you will always be chasing your work and people will continue to dump more on you. If you determine what you want to excel in and concentrate on really learning it, you will be able to make great contributions to your company and you will become indispensable to your organization.

Promote Yourself!

2008-09-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest ways to get promoted is to create a job for yourself in your organization that needs to be done. It needs to be one you would love to do and feel passionate about doing. To do this, you need to do a bit of brainstorming. Get your pen and paper and write down anything that comes to mind. Don’t think about what is possible and what is not, If something comes to mind, write it!

If you did this job, what problem would you solve for your company? What pain would you fix? A software company, that will we refer to as XYZ, has an employee by the name of Kevin. He has been a Project Manager on a Software Development Team. His company has their own email system and it is a bit clunky. Kevin recently realized that if they developed a software tool, the e-mail would run smoothly. This is the problem Kevin wants to solve for his company.

Once you have figured out what problem is that you would solve, you need to determine what the job would look like. Can you visualize the job in your mind? What would the job responsibilities be? If you did the job, what would you do? What would the title of the job be? Kevin of XYZ Company determined

A software company, that will we refer to as XYZ, has an employee by the name of Kevin. He has been a Project Manager on a Software Development Team. His company has their own email system and it is a bit clunky. Kevin recently realized that if they developed a software tool, the e-mail would run smoothly. This is the problem Kevin wants to solve for his company.

Take a minute and think, what would this job look like. company look like? If you did the job, what would you achieve for your company? Envision it in your mind. What would the job entail? How would it be done? Write this all down. Is there any training you would need to be able to do the work? As you look at this "new job" are there pieces of the work that you can start doing in your current
job? Once you have determined what the job will look like, it is time to create a proposal to take to management. There is more coming on writing the proposal. Stay tuned…

"So, How About That Slacker"

2008-09-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been frustrated that there was a “slacker” on the team you worked on? Often on a team, there is a slacker! Everyone on the team usually knows who they are. A manager I was coaching mentioned that one of her employees told her that she needed to be harder on someone on the team who was not “pulling their weight.” The manager was caught off guard when her employee brought this up and was not sure how to respond. She did say though that she was constantly working with “the slacker” behind closed doors. She did not like to discipline in public. Great managers praise in public and discipline in private. If you have a great manager, you won’t know even know the “slacker” is being disciplined. It will all occur behind closed doors. Next time you think your manager is being unfair and allowing the slacker to get away with a lot, take a moment and remind yourself that perhaps you have a great manager that helps people make corrections and changes behind closed doors! In addition, stop thinking about others and concentrate on your own career. If you are concentrating on what they are doing, you are not moving yourself up! What steps can you take to better yourself?

Curiosity is Key to Building Strong Relationships

2008-06-03T23:26:00.001-07:00

Curiosity is key to listening, learning and communicating

Has someone ever discussed something with you at work that you did not agree with? Maybe they had an idea of how the project you were working on should be done and you had a completely different idea of the direction it should go. Instead of being frustrated with the conversation, try changing your attitude to being completely curious! Think to yourself, “What could I learn about this subject or this person’s point of view?” As the person is talking, ask them lots of questions. Ask why they feel this is the best direction for the project? What are the positives and negatives of approaching the project the way they are suggesting?” Often, there are things we have not contemplated. Perhaps there are reasons to do the project the way they are suggesting it be done. There was a bank that had a website that had been up and running for a long time. They were planning to make some changes to it. The Software Engineer, Samantha, had done the original programming. She had created the site in a specific way. Jamie, who was on her team, wanted to make the site faster. He had ideas of how to do this. He went to her and explained what he wanted to do. Samantha asked him many question to learn what he planned to do and how he planned to do it. Samantha was concerned that by making the site fast, they may sacrifice security of the website. As you can imagine, this would be very detrimental to a bank! During the conversation, security came up. After listening carefully and intently to Jamie, Samantha brought up her concerns of website security and how she thought the changes would impact the site. Jamie was soon convinced that changes he wanted to make, were not worth the risk. Had Samantha immediately told Jamie his idea would never work, her relationship with him would likely suffer. Instead, she listened closely with an open mind and asked Jamie a lot of questions. She genuinely hoped he had an idea that would work.

As you are working with others, think to yourself, What can I learn?” “Why does this person think we should approach the project this way.” Ask questions of the other person. Ask them to explain their ideas and why they think you should do the project as they are proposing it. Maybe there is good reason for trying their method. You may or may not be convinced, but if you do not listen actively and use your curiosity to truly understand them, you will not understand what drives their preferences and ideas. By listening intently and keeping an open mind, you will have invested in building the relationship in a positive way. Having positive relationships, as you know, helps you to keep your career headed in the right direction!

Find Something In Common With Everyone You Meet

2008-05-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

Find Something In Common With Everyone You Meet

To build trusting relationships, it helps to look for the things we have in common with others rather than the differences. There was a guy on a project, Jason. He seemed to really have a lot of ego. He was kind of loud and seemed obnoxious to Jessica. She tended to always think of him as the obnoxious guy on the project. She knew nothing about him other than the perception she had. She did not realize they had both grown up in the same city and lived in the same neighborhood. They had very similar backgrounds and they even liked to do many of the same things. The longer the two worked together, the more they both realized they had a lot in common. As they found commonalities, there was less tension in their relationship. When you meet someone new on a project you are working on, try to find out what you have in common. If you ask enough questions, you will find something in common with them. We each have something in common with everyone. When you find you have things in common with another person, you will find it is easier to like them and to enjoy their company. We can find things in common with every person we meet whether it is something work related or we learn we have both traveled recently to Italy. Having strong relationships will help you to get promoted in your career and it always helps to forget great relationships to help make this happen!

Be Present With Your Project Team

2008-05-08T23:49:00.000-07:00

Being Present with Your Project Team

One of the most challenging parts of communicating with others is truly being present. When we are present, we are listening to everything the other person is saying with our ears and our eyes. This means not only do we listen, but we watch how they communicate. We observe their eyes, their gestures and their body language. We listen for how the person states what they are saying. Do they sound confident? Do they have energy in their voice? Do they sound tired? Do they sound excited? Do they sound bored? What are you picking up in the conversation you are having with your team mate? In order to listen for all these things, we must concentrate on the person we are communicating with instead of on ourselves. We need to avoid thinking about our next comment or if we will sand stop thinking about whether we will sound smart in the conversation. We need to just focus on listening. After hearing and seeing what has been said, we can respond and ask questions for clarification. To truly listen, we must focus on the other person and trust that when we speak, the appropriate comment will come from our mouth. Very few people have great listening skills. If you can develop these skills (and a few others), you will go far in your career and you will get yourself promoted!

Communicating with Your Project Team

2008-05-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

Communicating with your Project Team

When we talk to others it is important that we communicate with them at their level. This means if you are talking to someone who is highly technical, use technical terms. However, if you are talking to someone who is less technical, leave out the technical jargon. Explain things in terms that will make sense to your audience. People are often successful when talking to people with less expertise than themselves by using analogies too explain things. By talking to people and using words they are familiar with, we make them feel more comfortable. When they are more comfortable, they will like you and want to work with you. When you are on a project team, keep in mind, there are usually a variety of people on it and they all come with different backgrounds and have different expertise. Do not assume that everyone knows the acronyms you know. Even if two people who are talking are both IT people, each may be subject matter experts with different expertise. For example, a software engineer and a systems architect may be working on a project together, but each of them may need some explanation. Assume the others are as brilliant as you are, but they don’t know exactly what you know. Always think about the other person and try to make them comfortable. This will you to build strong, lasting relationships and will ultimately, help you to get promoted!

Giving Advice to Others

2008-05-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

Advising your Project Team

If you are an expert in an area, people like to hear your ideas and opinions, but they often still like to make the ultimate decision of how to move forward on their project. Jennifer was a software engineer with a specialized area of expertise. She was called in to help Randy and Sue who were programming for the web. Jennifer immediately explained how they needed to do their project. The method for doing it was obvious to Jennifer. There were actually several ways the project could have been done. Randy and Sue had not worked with Jennifer before so she did not have a lot of credibility with them. They were both feeling hesitant to follow her lead.

When you are working on a project and you are the “Subject Matter Expert,” it is tempting to tell the rest of the group how something should be done as Jennifer tried to do. However, you may have better success if you “consult” with the group rather than telling them what to do. When you consult, you share all of the options of how to do a task. You tell team-mates the advantages and disadvantages of each option. You explain all the risks for each option. After you have explained all the options and risks you may choose to tell them which option you would recommend and why. Ultimately, you allow the group to make the overall decision. This gives everyone the opportunity to feel a part of the process. If they choose an option that was not your first choice, you accept the choice and help your team to implement it. If things do not go well, the whole team lives with the consequences and deals with them. It the project goes well, everyone can celebrate!

Happy Relationship Building!

Margo Wei

Building Strong Working Relationships

2008-04-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

Five Steps to Building Trust

Building positive and strong relationships with people on the projects you support and work on is critical. The most important part of building a relationship is to have trust between both parties in a relationship. Trust is built over time. Below there is a list of five steps to help you build positive relationships with your co-workers and clients on the projects you work on.

Trust is earned from another by displaying that you are trustworthy. Individuals need to see over time that you are a person of integrity. You do this by demonstrating to them you are trustworthy. It is done by following through on your promises, meeting deadlines and being honest with them. It does not work to ask for their trust or to say, “trust me on this, I know the answer” if you have no history. Instead you must demonstrate you are trustworthy by the actions you take. This will help you to build the strong working relationships you want to build.

Trust can be created by showing your client (project team) that you are knowledgeable in the area of expertise they are wanting your help with. It is beneficial to share information and knowledge you have with them without having an expectation of what you want in return. Instead of telling them what they should do, offer them options. Tell them the positives and negatives of each option and let them decide how to move forward.

Show a genuine interest in your client. People can tell when you are genuinely interested in them. We can show genuine interest by really listening to others. This means actively listening. To listen actively, one must focus intently on the person they are listening to. Use eye contact with the individual. Ask them questions throughout the conversation to make sure you fully understand what they are saying. Avoid forming opinions while the person is talking. Just listen. Another method of showing genuine interest, is learning about “who the person is.” What do they enjoy doing when they are not at work? Do they coach “Little League?” Are they a history buff? Do they travel every spare moment? This information can make a relationship enjoyable. It connects you on a level other than just the work. Perhaps you have something in common in addition to the project you are working on. The more you can find that you have in common with others, the more you will likely enjoy them and genuinely want to be around them.

By always being honest about your knowledge and capabilities, you will maintain integrity with others. If you do not have knowledge in an area needed for a project, but have transferable skills, be honest. Let it be known that although you do not have the exact experience, the work should still be pretty easy for you to do. It is highly likely you will still get to do the work and you will maintain your credibility with the individuals you are working with on the project.

Follow through on any and all promises you make. If you say you will do something, follow through and do it. If you say you will finish something by a certain date, you need to finish it by that date. By doing so, people will say to themselves, she/he gets things done on time. If you are concerned about how quickly you can get something done, pad the date. If you deliver it early, the receiver will be ecstatic. If you don’t know the answer to a question your client has, tell them you do not know. Tell them you will find the answer. The individual would much rather hear the correct answer than a made up one. Everyone respects honesty.

Networking for the Informational Interview

2007-09-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Networking For Informational Interviews

In my recent article I wrote about doing Informational Interviews. Before you conduct them, you need people to conduct them with. So, where do you find them? Start by writing down the four or so companies of interest. Brainstorm and try to think if there is anyone you can think of in any department who works for these companies. If you can think of someone, call them up and tell them you are interested in learning more about the company they work for and the department you are interested in possibly working in. Let them know you are in the initial phase of your job search and that at this point you are merely gathering information and determining if this is a company you would like to target. Ask the person if there is someone they would be willing to connect you with in the department you are interested in. From there, thank them and call the person in the department.

If you do not know anyone in the company, it is time to get creative! This is not for the faint of heart, but then, you are determined to find a great job that you will love! Go out on the internet and look for contacts within the company that you could call. You may find contacts in a variety of places. Try some of the options listed below.

Job boards – Look for the company you are interested in and see if they have any contacts listed with their information.
Association websites – Look for the association of your profession in your geographic area and search for any contacts associated with the company. If this does not work, try looking in other geographic areas and see if you can find contacts who can help you connect with someone in your area.
cold calling in to the company for a contact name in a department
Using Linked-In or another on-line networking tool – contact people in your list to see if they know anyone they would be willing to connect you with.
Send out letters to friends and let them know you are in the initial phase of your job search and you are specifically interested in meeting some people from Company X, Company Y and Company Z. Ask if they know anyone they would offer to connect you with.
Google the company and also list the word resume. See if someone comes up who works in the company and try calling them.

Remember to send a thank you to anyone who helps you and offers you a contact. Thank you’s are a great method of making a great impression with others.

Finding The Perfect Job

2007-09-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Targeted Job Search – Networking is key

The majority of job seekers look at job boards, read classifieds and apply to open jobs. This works for some, but often they do not find their ideal job. Finding a great job that you love, takes personal insight into what you really want in a job. It is important to assess all the things you want in your next job and then go “shopping for it.” If you want a sports car, you don’t let the salesman talk you into buying an SUV. You would not settle for just any car and you shouldn’t settle for just any job either!

The first step in a good job search is determining what you really want. Some questions to ask yourself are listed below.

What kind of work hours do I prefer?
What size company do I want to work for?
Do I prefer to work independently or with a team?
Do I need a lot of communication from my manager?
Do I prefer to communicate in-person, by phone or by e-mail with my co-workers?
Do I like to work in a fast paced environment or a steady paced environment?
Do I want advancement opportunities soon or do I want to stay in one position for a long period of time? If I am looking to advance soon, what is soon to me?
Do I want a lot of responsibility, moderate responsibility or little responsibility?
Do I like a lot of structure with more policies and procedures to follow or do I prefer little structure in a more fly by the seat of my pants environment?
Do I like humor in the workplace or do I prefer it to be more serious?
Do I want authority in my job to make decisions and get things done?
I am looking for long term employment? If so, what does that look like for me?
What is the maximum distance from home that I am willing to commute?
What benefits are important to me?

Medical, dental and vision
401(k) with matching
Stock options
Vacation time (___ weeks)
Sick time
Tuition reimbursement
Option for telecommuting

After determining what is important to you in your next job, it is time to search for companies that may fit your needs. Start by brainstorming companies in your area and writing them down. From there, go to the internet and research the companies. Which ones seem to fit the majority of the needs that you have outlined? Pick your top four companies that you would like to target for a position. You can go to their site to see if they have an opening and apply, but isn’t there a better way to get the job… Ah, yes, networking! Who do you know who works for the four companies you wish to target? If you know someone, call them and ask if you can do an informational interview to learn more about their company. If you don’t know anyone, it is time to network to find someone you can do an informational interview with. You may want to do three or four information interviews if it is a very large corporation so you can learn as much as possible about how the company works. The more people you connect with in the company, the more possibilities that someone will know of an upcoming job that may fit your skill set.

After you have determined that you are indeed interested in working for the company you have targeted, review their openings on a daily basis and apply for the ones that match your skills well. You will want to let your “in-house” contact know that you have applied. They may receive a referral bonus if you are hired or they may have clout in helping you to get an interview. Many companies like to hire employee referrals with the idea that capable people socialize with other capable people! If someone helps you in your search, make sure you always thank them. You can do this by e-mail, but it is nice to follow-up with a handwritten thank you. Few people get hand written thank you cards these days so it may make a great impression!

Additional information is coming about “Informational Interviewing.”