Career Success Partners

Adaptability and Surviving Change - An Interview With Author M.J. Ryan

Career Success Radio Show

Interview with M.J. Ryan, Nationally Recognized Expert
in Effectively Dealing with Change

Carrie and I interviewed author M.J. Ryan on the Career Success Radio Show on Tuesday, May 12th, on the subject of how to effectively adapt to and survive CHANGE.  M.J. has just released her newest book, "Adaptability - How to Survive Change You Didn't Ask For," which provides useful strategies to "retrain your brian" and optimize your response to change, step by step: By first accepting the new reality; then expanding your options; and finally, taking effective action.  M.J. offers cutting-edge advice for becoming calmer, less fearful, and more flexible, creative and resourceful in your thinking. Listen to an archived recording of this broadcast by CLICKING HERE or on either of the pictures below.

 

M.J. Ryan is one of the creators of the New York Times bestselling Random Acts of Kindness series and the author of The Happiness Makeover (nominated for the 2005 Books for Better Living award in the Motivational category), Attitudes of Gratitude, The Power of Patience, Trusting Yourself, The Giving Heart, and 365 Health and Happiness Boosters, among other titles.  Altogether, there are 1.75 million copies of her titles in print.

The former CEO and Editorial Director of Conari Press, in 2000, she joined Professional Thinking Partners (PTP), an asset-focused consultancy whose expertise is in maximizing thinking and learning individually and in groups. Dubbed “an expert in human fulfillment,” she specializes in coaching high performance executives, entrepreneurs, and leadership teams around the world. A member of the International Coaching Federation, she is a contributing editor to Health and Good Housekeeping and has appeared on “The Today Show,” CNN, and hundreds of radio programs. Articles on her work have appeared in over 1000 newspaper and magazines, including The New York Times, USA Today, Wall St. Journal, Health, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, Town and Country, Cosmopolitan and Yoga Journal.  She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter.

Book Review - "How to Wow"

I recently read Frances Cole Jones' book, "How to Wow" in advance of an upcoming interview scheduled with Frances on the Career Success Radio Show. 

"How to Wow" offers excellent and highly practical advice, including proven strategies for:

• Presenting your ideas

• Persuading your audience, and

• Perfecting your image

This is definitely a MUST READ in today's highly competitive job market where the "little things" are BIG THINGS in terms of setting yourself apart from the rest of the crowd.

Highlights of the book include learning how to:

• Make a lasting impression with a simple introduction
• Effectively employ the twelve most persuasive words in the English language to command the stage, the boardroom, the lunch table and the interview presentation
• Read nonverbal responses accurately -- and shift negative ones immediately
• Motivate your team for a deadline
• Interview fearlessly and flawlessly
• Write the perfect pitch, resume, cover letter or email
• Deliver speeches that bring people to their feet
• Transform a PowerPoint presentation into a powerful success

This is definitely a book to keep in your career library and read cover-to-cover.  For more information, or to purchase this book, click on the book image below.

Online Job Search Secrets - An Interview with About.com's Alison Doyle

Career Success Radio Show

Interview with Alison Doyle, About.com's Job Search Guru

Carrie and I had a great interview with Alison Doyle of About.com on The Career Success Radio Show, which was broadcast yesterday, March 10th at 4pm on ExceptionalWisdomRadio.com.  Please click on the images below to listen to the interview.

 

Alison is a job search expert with many years of experience in human resources, career development, and job searching, with a focus on online job searching and job search technology.  She has covered job searching for About.com since 1998.

Alison is the author of Internet Your Way to a New Job: How to Really Find a Job Online (2008) and the About.com Guide to Job Searching (2006). 

In her interview recent interview on the Career Success Radio Show, Alison discusses tips, techniques, ideas and suggestions for effectively using on line job search resources as part of your comprehensive job search campaign. To listen to the archived interview, click on the Radio button below.

Book Review: "Negotiating Your Salary"

We recently interviewed Jack Chapman, author of "Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1,000 a Minute," for an upcoming segment on the Career Success Radio Show.  In advance of the interview, I had picked up and read his book and wanted to give a quick overview and recommendation.

"Negotiating Your Salary" is definitely a must read for anyone preparing to negotiate their salary and compensation -- whether through a job offer situation or job promotion situation.  The book is well-organized, easy to read, and offers highly practical, realistic tips and advice on maximizing your salary through effective negotiation techniques.

Highlights of the book include answers to the following key questions:

• Who should mention compensation first -- you or the employer?
• What are the biggest salary negotiation mistakes that job seekers make?
• What is the best way to answer an initial offer made by an employer?
• What salary range should you ask for?
• How do you get your employer to WANT to give you a raise?
• What are the key "Salary Negotiation Rules" that everyone should be aware of?

This is definitely a book to keep in your career library and one that you will reference often.  For more information, or to purchase this book, click on the book image below.

Keeping Your Job - Ideas from "the Field"

Let's face it .... times are tough and the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" is still a faint flicker.  A single day doesn't go by where we don't hear about another company making lay-offs.  Keeping your job in these times is without a doubt a top priority .... in fact, your job is probably the most important asset you have right now.  So, what are some things you can do to improve your "standing" at your current employer?

I recently submitted a question through the LinkedIn "Answers" application, asking for suggestions from LinkedIn members -- real business professionals out in "the field" -- as to what can be done -- those things under YOUR control -- to help ensure you keep your job and stay off the "pink sheet" list.  I've summarized the best of these suggestions below:

Suggestions From LinkedIn Members:

• Work ethic.  "Do your job, do it well, and be willing to pitch in to help others, without complaining that "this isn't your job." Also don't proclaim it to the heavens that you're helping out. Just do it without calling extravagant attention to yourself, and trust me, you will be noticed."

• Continuous Self-Improvement.  "Continual striving toward self-improvement, and do make sure your boss knows it. Let him/her know that you've identified your own "needs improvement" areas, and also let him/her know what steps you're taking to improve yourself."

• Hone Your People Skills. "Be a people-person. Cultivate business relationships. Get along with everyone: peers, superiors, subordinates. Be kind, be firm, be fair, be empowering, be caring. Do NOT be a gossip, and stay out of the drama."

• Set the Example - Be the Role Model.  "Set a good example by following all the "little" rules. Come to work on time, don't make personal calls, don't take 10 smoke-breaks a day, etc. Lots of people think these don't matter, especially when they see other people behaving badly. But from an employer's perspective, these people are seen as taking advantage of the company, and it does not go unnoticed."

• It's All About the Value You Deliver.  "Always be proving your value inside the company through results. Being in sales this is particularly important, but regardless of your position within the company you should be achieving above and beyond what is expected of you."

• Be Politically Savvy.  "Become as friendly as possible with your superiors and other executives. This is a political one, but companies are living organisms, and it can't hurt you if you are well-liked by those above you. I am not saying to be artificial here, because if you are not perceived as being genuine it will work against you. But if your boss asks you out for lunch or you've been putting off attending company events, you may want to rethink your strategy. After all, when it comes down to eliminating people, it is another person or people who are creating the short-list, and their decisions aren't always rational ones."

• Focus on the Important.  "Work on things that are critical to your company's success. No matter how "cool" you might think of the project you're working on, make sure it is what matters to the folks making the layoff decisions."

• Be an Idea Person - Show Your Creativity.  "Have some ideas/suggestions on how things could be improved, and be willing to take the lead to see them through."

• Listen!!  "Two ears, one mouth. Listen, listen, listen and speak up when you can contribute or add to the solution (not the problem). As my grandmother always told me, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" - whether in a meeting or in an email - which is especially important in tenuous times."

• Be Kind to Others.  "Smile, say "please" and "thank you" and remember that everyone you interact with is important - now or in the future."

• Prepare; Be Ready Just in Case.  "Always have a longer term plan in place to deal with what unfortunately, is becoming a reality for more and more of us. Keep your resume current by including any new training or courses you have completed (hopefully you are availing yourself of those tuition reimbursement vouchers in your workplace!). Highlight on your resume, how you specifically saved the company time, money or improved quality in your or other organizational areas. Network relentlessly and come to the realization that all of this is an inevitable component of the new workplace. It must be managed and dealt with, as you would any management problem that you face day to day."

Thanks(!) to all of my fellow LinkedIn members for the above great ideas.

Another GREAT Resource: 

I also strongly encourage to take a look at Stephen Viscusi's newest book, "Bullet Proof Your Job", which offers excellent insights, ideas and suggestions in the form of "simple strategies to ride out the rough times and come out on top at work."  Stephen's book is available on Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover below.

A couple of final words.....all of the above a great ideas for helping you to keep your job, but in the end, these ideas are great whether times are tough or not.  Keep these things in mind throughout your career to consistently come out on top at work.

Book Review: "Smart Networking"

Yesterday, my Career Success Radio Show co-host, Carrie Robinson, and I interviewed networking expert Liz Lynch.  Liz writes frequently on the subject of networking, she publishes a popular e-Newsletter, is a frequent speaker at conferences and for major corporations and has been featured in a number of media interviews.  Her latest book, “Smart Networking” has received excellent reviews.  She is the founder of the Center for Networking Excellence which develops products, programs and seminars that help entrepreneurs and professionals get clients, build their businesses, and accelerate their careers through networking.

Liz had wonderful insights and tips that she shared with us on how to effectively incorporate networking into your work life, career management and job search.  Her interview will air on the Career Success Radio Show channel of Exceptional Wisdom Radio in February.  The Career Success Radio Show launches officially in February with a great line up of excellent guests, all of whom are experts in fields pertaining to career planning, career development, career achievement, career management and career transition.

We strongly encourage you to visit Liz’s blog site – The Smart Networking Blog, for excellent tips and to get the inside scoop on business networking.

Liz’s book, “Smart Networking,” can be found at Amazon.com by clicking through on the book cover below.

Special thanks to Liz from both Carrie and me for a wonderful, content-filled interview on the subject of networking.

Book Review - "Little Teal Book of Trust"

Trust is a combination of the value that others perceive in you, and their willingness to harmonize with and accept your advice to help them succeed. It's people seeking and taking your advice both as a counselor and a confidante. Someone who trusts you to a point where they call at some critical stage, because they know you are the ONE who can help them in a way that others cannot.

But how do you develop trust? Follow the advice of Jeffrey Gitomer, bestselling author of the Little Books, which have now sold more than two million copies worldwide.

From the Back Cover....

Trust is the basis for all relationships.

This book will help you:

• Tell the truth. This is the number one element of trust AND relationships. 
• Do what you say you will do. This is a test for being trustworthy and reliable. 
• Communicate in a timely manner. This shows you are responsible, on top of it, and that you care. 
• Bring value beyond your product or service. What you do to help others be more successful is a true reflection of your character. 
• Be on time. Being on time shows you respect the other person’s time. 
• Be friendly. Smiling people are the gateway to open communication. 
• Be sincere. This can only come from belief in what you do, loving what you do, and caring for others. 
• Show and say genuine thanks. Be grateful for the opportunity to be of service. 
• Be consistent. I believe this element of trust is the most difficult to master because it combines all the other elements. 
• Give trust. You become trustworthy by giving trust.