Career Success!

How to Love Your Job! "Love It, Don't Leave It!" - 26 Things YOU Can Do

I recently read Beverly Kaye's and Sharon Jordan-Evan's excellent book, "Love It Don't Leave It - 26 Ways to Get What You Want at Work."  Beverly and Sharon share 26 great ideas for how to find what is RIGHT about your job and how to make the most of your work environment.

This book is particularly timely in today's job market, but is equally relevant regardless of the unemployment rate and state of the economy.

"Love It Don't Leave It" is definitely a MUST READ for anyone who wants to TAKE CONTROL of their performance and their careers.  All of the ideas are highly practical and IMMEDIATELY implementable.

Too many people leave their jobs because something is wrong or something is missing.  They either leave physically -- by walking out the door; or, they leave "mentally" by withdrawing their energy and commitment but stay put -- later regretting their departure (either way).

But....there ARE other options.  It is possible to achieve and regain love and passion for your work -- It is possible for YOU to create all of the following where you are now.

• A job you look forward to each day
• A that energizes you and manifests enthusiasm
• A job that truly uses your creativity and greatest strengths
• A job where you feel appreciated

NOW is the time to take control; pick up the book and take action -- the ideas are presented in a manner that facilitates implementation -- the processes are clearly presented.

Join us next week, Tuesday, November 3rd, at 4pm EST on Exceptional Wisdom Radio, when we interview Sharon on her book and she talks about some of the 26 ways to "fix" you current work situation.

8 Tips for Maximizing Your VALUE as a Business Professional

Zig Ziglar, one of my all time favorite motivational speakers and a great source of inspiration, was one of the first people I remember who used the term "Sharpening the Saw" to refer to keeping your COMPETITIVE EDGE sharp and mastering the process of LIFELONG LEARNING and professional development.

Today, more than ever, it is critical that we continue to "Sharpen the Saw" -- to improve upon our strengths, shore up our weaknesses and stay current in the latest thinking in our field of knowledge. With budgets tight, many companies are temporarily suspending traditional learning and training initiatives. It is therefore up to each of us to take the initiative in “sharpening the saw” – improving and enhancing our ability to add the highest value possible.

Those who make learning and professional development a priority will create significant competitive advantage for themselves, which in the current job market and economic times, has never been more important.

Consider the following ways to continue to “Sharpen Your Saw":

Read More. Commit to reading a minimum of at least one book a month focused on professional development, personal development or some other aspect of your work life. Keep a book at your desk, in your car, next to your favorite chair at home. Find time to read daily. Listen to audio books during your morning commute. Reading is the absolute BEST way to consistently sharpen your saw.

Become Certified. Obtain a key business license, certification or other professional designation. Enhance your credentials and professional standing in your field. Many certification programs are now offered online. The certification and licensure process offers an excellent learning opportunity AND awards you with a highly marketable designation in the end – a double bonus.

Join Toastmasters. Improve you public speaking skills. The “art” of public speaking is, and always will be, a highly marketable skill set. Toastmasters offers a structured and disciplined program for improving your ability to speak comfortably and effectively to small and large groups. It is also an excellent business networking opportunity.

Enroll in a Class. Seek out classroom learning opportunities at your local college or university. Consider an advanced degree or simply deepen your knowledge base in a chosen field of study. Many local colleges and universities offer excellent after-hours and weekend study programs.

Focus on Your Strengths. Dive deeper into one or more of your areas of strength. Actively seek out opportunities to spend more time in the areas where you add the highest value and which align best with those things that strengthen you.

Identify Your Weaknesses. Determine if any of your weaknesses are "career blockers" – areas that may hold you back from advancement. Make a commitment in 2009 to shore up any areas of weaknesses that you determine to be career blockers.

Teach Something. Offer your expertise to others through a teaching or training opportunity. Teaching is a great way to deepen your learning.

Publish Something. Begin writing a book; write an article for a professional publication; launch a “blog” focused on your area of expertise. Share your wisdom and knowledge with others. Writing will, by default, create opportunities for learning. Writing is also an excellent means for enhancing and building your personal brand.

Shift Your Career and Brand Into High Gear With This Tip

Whether you work for a global corporation, a small business, or for yourself, it is absolutely essential that you THINK and ACT like an "owner" -- "own" your job, own your role as a leader or manager, own your roles and responsibilities -- put yourself in the shoes of a business owner, and think and behave as any owner would do.  This is not new advice; many of us have heard this before, and many of us have probably given this advice to others.  But what does it actually MEAN to "think and act like a business owner?"  Standing in the shoes of a business owner is a mind-set shift and in my opinion includes fully embracing the following as part of HOW you DO your job and how you THINK about your job:

• Show Passion and Enthusiasm.  Both your head and your heart need to be "in the game."  Your clients and customers need to see and "feel" your enthusiasm for what you do.  Your colleagues, team mates and direct reports need to sense your passion for what you do.  Passion and enthusiasm are the fuel for the energy that flows into your job.  Others are drawn to you and inspired by you in direct correlation to level of sincere passion and enthusiasm you exhibit.  Think about it, can any business survive, long-term, if the owner is NOT truly passionate and enthusiastic about what he or she does?

• Treat Your Customers and Clients Like Gold.  Customers are the lifeblood of ANY business.  Your customers make be external individuals or businesses or your "customers" may be those at your company that you serve with respect to what you do.  Customer satisfaction and enthusiasm will drive the success of your job and your business.  Treat your customers like gold; create "raving fans" -- make customer and client enthusiasm a number one priority.

• Take Care of Your People.  As a business owner, your number one asset is your people -- your colleagues and team members.  Lead them, serve them, inspire them, appreciate them, recognize them, develop them .... show them -- every day -- that you care for them.  Surround yourself with exceptional talent and nurture and develop that talent as best as you can.  Get to know your work associates on a personal level; understand their personal and their professional goals.  Embrace your team and treat them like your family .... YOUR success depends on THEM.

• Deliver More Than Expected.  A key to building trust and building a positive and memorable reputation is to deliver more than expected.  Under-promise and over deliver.  Go the extra mile, take the extra step, drop the 13th donut into the box.  You've got to give first and give more to get more.  Make this your personal mantra.

• "Roll Up Your Sleeves" Whenever Necessary.  A business owner is always willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Delegate when possible and avoid "stepping on the toes" of your colleagues, but when something needs to get done, and there's no one to do it -- no task is too small for the business owner.  Just get it done, and do it with a smile.  Lead by example when it comes to being resourceful and getting things done in a timely manner.  Coffee need making? Do it.  Photocopies need to be made right now? Do it.

• Get Better and Better -- Continuously Improve.  A growing, thriving business MUST continue to improve and get better -- upping the ante, staying ahead of the competition, proactively responding to an evolving market, improving processes, reducing costs and improving performance.  YOU, as an employee, must maintain the same mindset.  Read, learn new things, set self-improvement and professional development goals.  Being the best you can be requires getting better and constantly looking for ways to improve yourself.

• "Systematize" Things.  Running a business involves replicating a variety of tasks and processes; the same holds true for your job.  Great business owners look for ways to add structure, consistency and quality to what they do by developing standard WAYS of doing things.  Stay alert for developing tools to help you work "ON" the job you do -- separate from the things you do to work "IN" your job.  Working "ON" your job means looking for ways to standardize and systematize the things you do -- developing processes, flowcharts, checklists, reference material, etc.  Systems and structure improve your productivity and the quality of the work you do.  THINK systems and processes.

• Stay Focused on Cash Flow and Spend Like It's YOUR Money.  Cost-consciousness and "bottom line" focus are always on the mind of a business owner.  Put yourself into the shoes of a business owner and look for ways to do things cheaper without compromising quality.  Look for new revenue opportunities.  Carefully evaluate capital expenditures; compare prices; look for "deals." Maintain a bottom line focus in the conduct of your work.

• Think Ahead; See the "Big Picture."  Great business owners stay one, two, three or more moves ahead of their best competitors.  Owners anticipate and think about the bigger picture.  Move outside your "box" and think about the interrelationship between what you do and everything else in your organization.  Step forward and then look back to see how to get there.  Know your own personal vision and mission and orchestrate your activities consistent with both.

LinkedIn - How to Effectively Use LinkedIn's Group Feature to Grow Your Network

The "Groups" feature of LinkedIn has continued to grow in popularity and utility.  Groups are a powerful tool for expanding the depth and breadth of your LinkedIn network.  Many Groups treat members similar to FIRST DEGREE connections -- allowing you to make direct contact with a Group member without a referral or "Inmail".

I am currently an active member in over 30 Groups (LinkedIn allows you to join up to a maximum of 50 Groups).  I highly recommend finding AT LEAST 10 Groups to join -- AND becoming ACTIVE in.  Activity is key; simply joining gives you some benefits but being active in Group news and discussions is where the real value and leverage is.

Some of the things you can do as a Group member, all of which help you to GIVE VALUE TO YOUR NETWORK and expand your network reach and network quality include:

• Share great content and information as "News Items" in Group forums -- blog articles that you find online that would be of interest to Group members and other useful content online - news, events, book referrals, etc.

• Cross-post YOUR own blog articles -- ones that YOU write -- to as many relevant Groups as possible. I will very often cross-post my blog articles to five to ten relevant Groups -- significantly increasing exposure of the article and maximizing the number of people who could benefit in some way from the advice and information contained in the article.

• Participate -- in a meaningful way -- in Group forum discussions.  Make insightful positive-minded comments; add value to conversations; give advice when asked; answer questions.

• Utilize the "Jobs" feature of Groups.  Search for jobs or post job openings.  Groups are an excellent source of "niche" jobs and should be used by anyone actively engaged in a job search.

• Connect directly with other Group members.  Search for people to connect with -- someone who shares a common interest, a common employer experience, a common educational experience.  Groups are an excellent source for expanding your network of direct connections in LinkedIn.

• Start your own Group! Create your own "community" and serve as the moderator of Group activity.  Moderating and Group "ownership" gives you great exposure and strengthens your "brand" or area(s) of expertise.

Give consideration to the following ideas when searching for Groups to join:

• Industry-specific Groups - Examples include Retail Industry Group, Health Care-oriented Groups, Travel Industry Groups, etc.
• Trade and Professional Organization Groups -- There are Groups for scores of trade and professional organizations.  Join those relevant to you.
• Employer Alumni Groups.  Many of the Fortune 100+ companies have alumni Groups for their former employers.  This is a great way to reconnect with former colleagues.
• College/University Groups.  Most major colleges and universities of Alumni Organization Groups on LinkedIn.  Another excellent means for reconnecting with "long lost" contacts and friends.
• Job/Career-Related Groups.  There are hundreds of Groups in the job, career development, career management areas.  If you're in a job search, you'll definitely want to check these out.
• Social Media Groups.  There are Groups for Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn where you'll find forums for discussion of tips, techniques and very useful advice relevant to most major social media tools.
• Peer-level Executive Groups.  Check the various CEO, COO, CIO, CFO, etc. specific groups.  A great way to connect with peer-level professionals and sharing useful information.
• Functional/Technical Specialty Groups.  There are scores and scores of these.  Find a Group or Groups relevant to your ares of functional or technical specialty (sales, marketing, accounting, IT, supply chain, etc., etc.)
• Personal Interest Groups.  An avid cyclist? ...there are Groups.  A devoted football team fan? ...there are Groups.  A great way to share with people of like-minded interests.
• New Business.  Find Groups to join where there are members who are highly likely to be a source of business for you -- potential customers, clients, buyers and "influencers."  Look for ways to add value to these Groups through discussion and sharing of information.

Begin expanding your Group involvement and participation today.  Another GREAT way to tap the power of LinkedIn!

_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Posted via email from Andy Robinson's Career Success! Career Tip of the Day

Elevate Your Level of Professionalism - Convey Personal Excellence at All Times

Quality and Personal Excellence are two key elements of your Personal Brand. The degree to which you fully embrace the importance of these elements is communicated to others on a continuous basis and is incorporated into others' vision of who you are -- i.e., the Personal Brand that you broadcast . Those who are fully aware of this fact can definitely undertake action to broadcast a Personal Brand that elevates their professionalism through conscious focus on Quality and Personal Excellence.

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Quality and Personal Excellence are broadcast by you through all of the following activities:

• Every email message you send to someone else.

• Every voice mail message you leave for someone.

• The voice mail message that others hear when they try to reach you.

• Your email "signature."

• Any and all social media profiles you have on networking sites online: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

• Every written deliverable you submit to anyone else -- report, analysis, memo, white paper, article, newsletter, letter, brochure.

• Any presentation you make in front of anyone else.

• Every business card you hand out to someone else.

• The manner in which you greet a stranger or anyone else you meet for the first time.

• The manner in which you present yourself physically - your style of dress and grooming.

• Every conversation you have with another person.

• The quality of the people you "hang around with."

• The role you play in community and professional organizations.

• The degree of kindness and compassion you communicate to others in every interaction you have.

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Each of the above activities represent an opportunity to communicate a high level of quality and personal excellence. Missing the beat on any one of these activities represents a chink in your chain of successfully offering a consistent message of your commitment to quality and personal excellence.

Take an inventory of how well you are broadcasting your personal brand elements of quality, excellence and professionalism through all of the above activities. Commit today to a personal program of continuous improvement.

In today's market, there is no question that the personal brand elements of quality and personal excellence are more important than ever. The value you add to your employer, your clients, your professional network and your personal network will be significantly enhanced through relentless attention to these elements.

10 Common Situations Where an Experienced Career Coach Can Help Leap-Frog You Forward in a BIG Way!

As I look back over my last fifteen years as an executive coach and career coach and consider the REASONS I have been engaged by hundreds of coaching clients, a number of common themes definitely emerge -- common career situations that business people find themselves in where an outside expert can provide clarity of direction, "navigational" assistance, "process" expertise, objective and meaningful advice and contribution to effective decision-making. 

Some of those more Common Career Situations (the Top 10) include:

1. New Boss - Developing a winning relationship with a new boss or new leader - Establishing trust and helping to create a "cheerleader" and advocate for you
   
2. New Job / New Position - Making a noticeable and sustainable impact in the first 90 days of a new job or new position - Hitting the ground running
   
3. Stagnated Career - Getting "unstuck" from a stagnated career situation and re-establishing passion and career enthusiasm - The top 5%'ers cannot allow their careers to stagnate
4. Industry or Functional Transition - Transitioning effectively across industry sectors and/or into a new area of technical/functional expertise
5. Job Loss - Dealing effectively with job loss and executing a highly effective job search campaign - Taking control and moving on to bigger and BETTER things as quickly as possible
6. Protracted Job Search - Involved in a seemingly "endless" job search - dealing with frustration, disappointment and loss of momentum; then, re-establishing direction and quickly achieving goals, objectives and desired outcomes
   
7. Impending Promotion - Preparing and planning for an upcoming or near-term promotion.  Staying on top of the "short list" in your organization's leadership talent pool
8. Re-entering the Workforce after an extended leave - Getting your career back on track and feeling great about what you do next
   
9. "Going solo" or Launching a New Business - Effectively transitioning from "corporate" career success to entrepreneurial career success
10. Planning/Preparing for Retirement - Getting ready for substantive scale-back in career/work life investment

In addition to the above career situations, I have been asked by coaching clients to help them realize breakthrough results in achievement of LASTING career success by fully mastering one or more of the the following Key Career Success Philosophies, Strategies and/or Skills -- all of which have been proven essential to achieving LASTING career success:

• "Living" the THREE key Career Success Philosophies:
  
  • Proactive Career Management - The Core Philosophy - Taking control of your career and driving the process of achieving lasting career success.  LESS THAN 5% of business professionals and leaders adopt this philosophy.  That same 5% achieves INCREDIBLE career success.
    
  • Achieving and Sustaining Optimum Work/Life Balance.  Getting this right -- keeping your life in balance -- provides a wonderful foundation for allowing BIG IMPACT at work and on the job.
    
  • Actively Embracing Lifelong Learning - Taking it upon YOURSELF to keep current in the latest thinking in your areas of expertise.
    

• Mastery of the Six Key Career Success Strategies:
  
  • Leveraging Key Strengths
  • Building and Maintaining Powerful Connections
  • Building and Maintaining a Powerful Personal Brand
    
  • Surrounding Yourself with an All-Star Team
  • Mastering Change and Adaptability
  • Becoming a "Value Animal" - ALWAYS Exhibiting a Value-Added Mindset - In everything you do
    

• Mastery of the Six Key Career Success Skills:
• Leading and Following - In order to lead effectively, it is inherent that you "think" like a follower
• Coaching and Mentoring Others - Bringing the absolute BEST out in others
• Communicating Effectively - Speaking, presenting, writing and listening
• Time Management, Planning and Organization - Focusing on the important and minimizing the urgent
• Decision-Making - Developing confidence in the decisions you make ... and trust on the part of others in the decisions you make
  
• Problem-Solving, Selling and Negotiating - Three highly interrelated skills that MUST be mastered

What is YOUR current career situation?  How well have YOU mastered the Career Success Philosophies, Strategies and Skills?

There is a wealth of career coaching resources available.  Choose a coach that has an established track record, a portfolio of highly satisfied coaching clients, and someone with whom you "connect" with from a personal and "chemistry" standpoint.  Interview three or four, check references and choose the one that "feels right" for you.

All the best to your career success!

Copyrighted:
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve incredible career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Posted via email from Andy Robinson's Career Success! Career Tip of the Day

What Would YOU Do With an Extra 15 Hours This Month?

What would you do if you were "given" 15 extra hours each month?  We're talking about more than four weeks of extra PERSONAL time each year!  What would be the highest and best use of that time?

Consider the following as your gift:  Set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier beginning TOMORROW morning and for every morning going forward -- that's it WAKE UP EARLIER -- When the Rooster Crows!

This extra 30 minutes a day could literally TRANSFORM your life - your work-life, your personal life, and your family life.  This is truly a powerful gift - you are both the giver and the receiver of the gift.  The value you receive from the gift, however, absolutely dwarfs the cost of the gift (30 minutes less sleep).  You can even adjust the cost of the gift by going to bed a little earlier each night.  You may even find that you sleep better as you experience the transformative impact of the gift on your life.  You can literally drive the "cost" of the gift down to zero if you take full advantage of it.

The KEY to life transformation and to experiencing the full potential value of the gift is to absolutely avoid any tendency or temptation to simply "squander" this gift of time.   You're better off sleeping the extra 30 minutes if you don't plan to fully utilize this valuable asset.

The following represent examples of ideas of how you can spend your "gift" of extra time.  The cumulative impact of implementing these types of ideas over a period of time is invaluable.  Begin the process of transforming your life today.

 

Ideas for Spending Your Gift:

• Go for a brisk walk, jog or run.

15 hours of walking or jogging each month will literally transform your health, wellness and physical fitness.  15 hours of walking easily equates to 30 miles a month.  Even half that will pay significant health and wellness dividends - you could then use the other half of your early morning time for some of the other ideas below.

• Develop a "journaling" habit.

Journaling is an excellent habit to develop and serves as a way to clear the clutter from your mind.  Journaling is a trait and habit adopted by many highly accomplished executives and well-know leaders.

• Meditate or sit quietly.

Meditation has been recognized for thousands of years for its positive physical, emotional, mental and spiritual impact.  Some call it meditation, others call it prayer, or perhaps it's simply "quiet time".  Call it what you like, the end result is truly transformative.

• Read something fulfilling or inspiring.

15 hours of reading per month easily equates to two to three books per month.  This is in addition to any other reading you may already be doing.  Reading is an outstanding personal and professional development medium.  Focus your morning reading time on books that motivate, inspire or uplift your emotions.

• Plan your day.

Arrive at work with the feeling of control and peace of mind.  The habit of daily planning is the number one most effective way of facilitating goal development and achievement.  Simply carving out 15 minutes each day for planning will have a sustaining effect on your performance and achievement capability.

• Brainstorm a problem or current challenge you are facing.

The quiet of the morning, free from distractions, is an excellent time to mull through a current problem or issue you are facing - be it business related, personal, interpersonal, whatever.

• Go outside and sit.  Enjoy the sounds of nature.

Your "garden", the beach, a local park.  Sitting outside, early in the morning, is great for thinking, being, and creating.  Where WERE you the last time you had a really great idea or inspired thought?

• Solve a relationship issue.

There's no better time to identify what YOU can do to help resolve a relationship issue than your early morning thinking time.  Take personal responsibility for all of your relationships and dedicate some early morning time to figuring out how YOU can fix any unresolved issues.

 

Avoid "Squandering" Your Gift on Any of the Following:

• Reviewing or reading emails.

• Reviewing work or project files.

• Surfing the internet.

• Dozing.

• Watching TV.

• Listening to talk radio (listening to uplifting music is fine).

• Reading the Newspaper - Do this at your regularly scheduled time.  Our news tends to be highly skewed to the negative and is therefore dilutive and counter-productive to our early morning objectives.

How Well Do You Handle Criticism? ALWAYS Consider the Source of the Criticism

Too many of us allow criticism to slow us down or, many times, stop us cold in our tracks.  Dealing with criticism can be difficult sometimes, but we should not allow others' opinion detract us from our intended actions, goals and objectives.

ALWAYS make it a point to assess the SOURCE of the criticism before taking action or changing your direction.  Some key questions to consider in assessing the source of criticism include the following:

• Does the critic have knowledge or experience in this particular area?  If they're an expert in the area, maybe you have something to learn from them.  But if they have little or no knowledge in the area and are simply offering unsolicited advice, politely thank them, but ignore their comments or suggestions.
• Are the critic's comments sincere?  If someone is offering well-meant, well-intentioned, constructive criticism that is sincere and "from the heart," you may want to listen carefully -- their ideas MAY be helpful even if they're not an expert in the area.  If the criticism is insincere, sarcastic or is simply meant to undermine your efforts, then ignore it -- politely excuse yourself from the conversation.
• Did you ask for feedback or is the criticism completely unsolicited?  If you've asked for someone's honest opinion, be prepared to listen -- whether you like their answer or not.  You do NOT have to agree with their opinion, and you may dismiss it altogether.  In these situations, listen with an open mind and consider truly helpful points that are offered.  If the criticism is unsolicited, you have no obligation to listen or seriously consider the comments.  Never let unsolicited feedback or criticism cause you to give up on your dreams, goals or objectives.
• Does the person WANT you to do well?  If so, listen carefully to their comments and consider constructive advice that might help you overcome obstacles and challenges.  If not, then simply discount or ignore their advice -- many people who have given up on their own dreams criticize the efforts of others.  Don't let their comments take you off track from the direction you're moving in.

"Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please." Pythagorus, Greek Philosopher

I picked up the above insights when reading the book, "Big Things Happen When You Do The Little Things Right," written by Don Gabor and published in 1998.

_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Posted via email from Andy Robinson's Career Success! Career Tip of the Day

Career Success Tip: The Importance of "Face Time" With Your Boss

Actively seek out opportunities over the course of each week -- several times -- to spend substantive/quality one-on-one time with your boss, manager or direct supervisor.  Use those opportunities to remind your manager of your continuing value contribution, including:

• Demonstration of getting things done ahead of deadline.
• Evidence of getting things done under budget.
• Surfacing great cost-saving and expense-reduction ideas.
• Evidence of your going above and beyond the call of duty with respect to projects and assignments.
• Offering to tackle the jobs or projects that everyone else is avoiding.
• Evidence of new business generated through your efforts -- individually or as a member of a team.
• Sharing client or customer feedback offering testimonial to your great service or excellent work.
• Keeping your manager fully aware and "in the know" on important matters -- minimizing surprises.
• Effectively managing your boss' expectations -- under-promising and over-delivering.
• "Saving" a client relationship that was "heading south."
• Leadership involvement in outside activities that effectively promote your company and enhance the company's goodwill in the community.

Never assume that your manager or supervisor is aware of all of the great things that you do.  It is YOUR JOB to communicate that good news and keep your boss fully informed of the value you continue to deliver.

_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Posted via email from Andy Robinson's Career Success! Career Tip of the Day

Problems Are Nothing But Opportunities in Disguise -- A Chance to Learn and Grow

In his book, "Charging the Human Battery," Mac Anderson noted that someone once asked Norman Vincent Peale, "Don't you think life would be better if we had fewer problems?"  Peale said, "I'll be happy to take you to Woodlawn Cemetery, because the only people I know who don't have any problems are dead."  The point is we can't avoid problems, so we might as well expect them and embrace them as opportunities to learn and grow.

Problems are nothing but opportunities in disguise.  Always ask yourself, "What is the learning opportunity here?"  "What changes do I need to put into place?"  "How has working through this problem made me stronger?" -- as a colleague, as a leader, as a manager, as a parent, as a friend, etc.

Consider right now the things in your life that you currently refer to as "problems."  Write them down .... then challenge yourself to note the learning or growth opportunity with respect to each problem.  In what way will dealing this this particular problem make you a better person -- how will I ultimately benefit?  Allow those "benefits" to bring renewed energy to creatively solving the problem.  Be grateful for the learning opportunity and move on.

Going forward, replace the negative energy that you formerly associated with problems with positive energy.  This simple paradigm shift is transformational to your growth, to your personal development and to your peace of mind.

All the best to your career success!

_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

Posted via email from Andy Robinson's Career Success! Career Tip of the Day