New Year's Goals

It’s New Year’s time. Get those dusty old goals out and and polish them for the new year. While your friends are making New Year’s resolutions you can be setting goals and achieving success. How many people make New Year’s resolutions on January 1 and give them up by January 30th? Why? There are at least two reason for this. First, some people are not the structured goal setting type. Second, some folks only work with part of a plan to succeed.

In the first case, you may prefer to stay open to new information and be flexible when making decisions. Rigorous goal setting may be outside your mode or abilities. It doesn’t mean that you do not set goals, you have goals and attain those goals in a different way. In Myers-Briggs terminology you deal with the outside world as a “P” or perceptive person. The “P” folks out there prefer a, “...spontaneous way of life, and like to understand and adapt to the world rather than organize it.” That’s okay.

The second case presents others who set goals but forget to realize and keep in mind the benefits of achieving the goal. Or they don’t break down the big goal into smaller bites and set time lines. Or they don’t write down the goal and communicate it to people who might help.

There is more that goes into goals than just making a resolution. Goals need to be written down, shared, committed to a time line and tied to a benefit. Plus, each step or mini goal needs to be recognized, appreciated, and celebrated when it’s met. Often goals are made and written down, but then our daily activity doesn’t fit into meeting our goal.

Like my friend and chiropractor tells me, things work better when they are in alignment. That holds true for our physical body and our lives. This is the case for those of us who are more spontaneous in our goals and for those of us who find comfort in planning out the detailed steps in achieving our goals.

It’s New Years; may this year be happy, prosperous and successful for you.

Job Search Plus Holiday Stress

In the last couple of weeks I’ve had a number of clients tell me that they are overwhelmed by everything they need to do to launch and carryout a job search. They tell me that they cannot believe everything they need to do, all the meetings, classes and lectures they need to attend. Yes, it’s overwhelming... getting a professional resume put together, researching target companies, creating a contact list, developing positive responses to common interview questions and we’re just getting started. It’s a lot to do. That’s why I tell my clients and friends that people in Job Search are not unemployed... they’re working full-time.

“OMG, what about social media? LinkedIn and getting my profile complete and not to mention how long it takes to fill out some of these job applications...” Gee, I’m getting stressed just writing this, so what do you need to do, especially since the holidays are just around the corner?

I don’t know who first said, “Plan your work and work your plan.” But, this little cliche is a good device for decreasing stress in your life. Stephen Covey has another cliche that says, “First things first,” and I’m a big fan of Franklin Covey planners because they really help organize the goal setting process into daily activity where you can actually measure your progress toward a goal.

It’s important to realize that for most people planning decreases anxiety and stress. It allows us to see what needs to be done and what is next to do. If we follow Covey’s advice to do first things first, we are able to evaluate what activities are important and urgent and what activities are dependent on other activities which have priority. Okay, that is easy to say.

When we are at work, customers or bosses provide priorities to our day. With your career plan or job search you have to provide the priorities and create a sense of urgency. I sit down with some clients and we develop a formal plan of action for their career or job search. Some clients already have the plan but they haven’t written it down. Often when we keep things in our head they get confused or muddled. Sometimes we forget something that is essential in order to proceed.

Writing a plan down, putting it on a time line is a further way to eliminate stress.  It allows you to see in concrete terms how something is going to work. With a plan and a schedule written down you are able to fit in other activities that are necessary but ancillary to your job search. Christmas shopping for example or my favorite holiday activity, Christmas parties. I always want to make sure I have time for going to Christmas parties. They’re great networking opportunities.

Sit down and plan out what you need to do... if it’s a struggle, give me a call! I do this with clients all the time. When necessary, hire a coach or consultant to help you get up and running quickly. Remember the holidays are stressful enough, do some planing and enjoy the holidays.

The Gift of GAB

An Irishman & motivational speaker

   I have this friend, Conor Cunneen. We have worked together and offered each other support as we transitioned into new careers from our corporate gigs. Conor is a great example of someone who looked at his “transferable skills” and re-invented himself. Check out this example of Conor’s re-invention: Click Here


   The gift of GAB talk is filled with points that might be of benefit for us. GAB is an acronym for Goals, Attitude and Behavior.


Goals, 
   After a termination from your job, the structure, deadlines and routine of the job is gone. The discipline from the job is missing and we need to replace it with our own personal accountability. A refresher in the basics of goal setting is often all you need to get back on the wagon, so to speak. See Goal Setting for Job Seekers


Attitude,
   Having a positive hopeful attitude with expectations of success is essential for people doing a job search. It's where the smile comes from which is the most powerful non-verbal humans have to offer the world.  With so much competition out there why have anything other than a positive attitude. Drop your “stinkin’ thinkin’” and stop making excuses and start moving toward your goals. As Conor states in his book SHEIFGAB, “The key question is, What do I want my attitude to be?”


Behavior, 
By putting goals and a new attitude together your behavior becomes directed and more active. There lies the path to success. Job search is work. That’s why Conor challenges everyone he hears say that they are “unemployed.” In stead, he says that you are, “NIGEP = non-income generating employed person.” This is the most important work you have to do and may be the most important work in your whole life. 

WARNING

   Remember the old adage, "If you don't have anything good to say..." As a job seeker, you cannot afford to pass negative thoughts, actions or energy... you don't know where it will land. Like a stray bullet that hits an innocent bystander, a negative comment can paste you with a reputation as a whiner and complainer, in short, a problem,  when you want the reputation of a problem solver.  Remember you can choose your attitude and you have control over what you do and say. Take control over the things you can take control over and see what happens. Like the fellow said, “If you think you can you can, and if you think you can’t you can’t. Either way you’re right!”

Next week I’ll focus on developing and working from a job search plan. Good hunting. 

Job Search Goal Setting & Project Management

I’ve been working on a goal-setting presentation geared to job seekers for the last couple of weeks. Midway through my preparations, I realized that if someone were to approach a job search as a project in need of management, rather than just applying for as many jobs as possible in an ad hoc manner, they would be far more successful. In other words, the job seeker needs to approach their job search as a Project Manager would approach a critical project.

I stopped and thought “Wow, a stalled job search has all the issues and problems of a project that is behind schedule and in danger of failure.” The elements of any project are:

• Mission statement, with goals and objectives
• Clearly defined requirements
• Selecting people for the project team
• A breakdown of work
• Schedule with milestones and realistic deadline
• Listed risks and opportunities
• A written plan with mitigations for risks
• Accountability or status meetings
• Cost control and resource management

No wonder so many job seekers drown in all the work to be done. It’s daunting, especially if you see yourself alone, with no one to share the burden of job hunting. But you’re not alone, there are people, resources, groups and organizations there to support you in your job search.

Some people hire a coach to help them better manage their job search. Others have outplacement resources and others utilize job clubs, accountability groups and support ministries to reach their goal.

So the quick lessons are: a good Project Manager would not take over a critical project with a helter skelter attitude and expect to be successful. And no Project Manager would attempt to accomplish a project all by themselves. You should have a plan and shouldn’t think that you have to find your next job all by yourself either.

How do accountability groups hold you accountable?

   The short answer is that they don’t; you have to hold yourself accountable first. Accountability groups help its members hold themselves accountable. It’s important to know what the group can help you with. You need to know how to utilize the power of such a group.  The group can...


... offer support and comradeship during a difficult time
If you are a small business owner who doesn’t like sales or a job seeker looking for the next opportunity you are basically on your own. If you succeed or fail you have no one to answer to, except yourself. Frankly this is lonely.  It is difficult to do sales or a job search and experience rejection with no support system. If you have a group who is going through the same kind of experiences you feel less alone. And you can pump one another up from time to time. While you are still on your own, you not all alone.

... clarify your goals and help you to stay focused
When you are on your own as either a job seeker or as an entrepreneur you are alone. If you were working in a job with peers and colleagues around, you can bounce ideas off people. As a single force in the world, having a group to bounce ideas off of can help in qualifying and quantifying your goals. With an accountability group to check in with, a conflicting goal or action can be identified and put into check; allowing you to remain focused on key goals and actions. If a goal is too big and requires a mini goals to be identified a group can point this out to you.

... provide some motivation to meet goals
Many of us are too easy on ourselves and accept our own rationalizations without question. The accountability group is a place to announce your goals and then report your status. Telling someone makes the goal real. Putting a date to a goal gives it a sense of urgency. When you’ve communicated the goal with a date to a group you’re more motivated to make the goal happen. Most of us hate to tell someone that we didn’t do what we said we would do. Also when you don’t feel like doing what you need to, having a group to report to gives you a proper kick to do it anyway.

   With the support and backing of a group of people who have made a commitment to aid in each other’s success by holding one another accountability -- you can achieve you sales or job seeking goals. The commitment is key. Each member needs to commit to personal responsibility, to attend meetings regularly, to ask questions of the other group members--even tough questions, and to expect one another to do the same for you and the group.

Accountability Groups? What?

   I was talking to a group of folks at a local chamber of commerce and one person asked, “I keep hearing about accountability groups, what are they?” It really is a great question. Many of us used them in college except we called them study groups. The objective of the group was to divvy up the work into manageable pieces so that each member of the group would be accountable for one part. Each member would do all the reading and research and then bring the results back to the group. There was an implied contract that each member would do their very best with their portion of the assignment or syllabus and the whole would be greater than the sum of its parts. 

   The purpose of an accountability group is that each member could achieve more than they would with a solo effort. If your are a business owner and part of your job includes sales as well as providing the service that is your business, what can you do to help yourself? One answer is to join a “Leads Group” where you bring leads to the group and others do the same, and by sharing qualified leads you all have more sales. Many sales people and business owners use this type of accountability group to achieve success.

   Years ago, when I was starting a small information technology business I banded together with two other entrepreneurs for support and accountability. In this situation we would provide our plans for the quarter, month and week ahead to the group. The others would comment and ask questions to help clarify the plan. Then each week we would report our status against the plan to the group and receive appropriate feedback and then act accordingly. So if I was having problems with sales I would state a sales goal and as a group come up with the steps to achieve the goal. We’d iron out the number of phone calls a day and face to face sales meeting per week. After some time the group would challenge me to raise the sales goal and increase the percentage of calls that resulted in sales. It is a great way to motivate yourself when you are a sole business owner.

 

   People who are in job transition and looking for a new job can use this model too. Putting together a group of 6 to 8 people from different industries or different roles within an industry provides a sense of camaraderie and support to its members. They can state their weekly goals and report the past week’s activity including successes and get  feedback. If a member has a blind spot in their job search, the group can provide constructive observations for the member. If a member has a struggle with their search the group offers a safe place to voice fears or challenges. 

  I have seen the use of accountability groups change lives. Whether you are looking for new sales or a new job, having a group to support, challenge, and provide advice to you will make a positive difference in you career... Now, go and be accountable.

Have a career plan

   Coaches and bus drivers both employ a plan when they are working. A bus driver might say, "I want to know where I am going so we know where we are when we get there. So, before we start, I look at a map." The Chicago Black Hawks had a goal this year, and Joel Quenneville had a plan on how to accomplish the goal. Some people are planners and others like to fly by the seat of their pants.

   In your career, flying by the seat of your pants is likely not to get you where you need or want to go. I understand that some people have been successful without planning, but let's agree that you and I are not these people. Many more successful people achieve their goals because they plan, write down their plan and revise the plan when unforeseen things happen. So, let's agree that planning is generally a good idea for positive career growth.

   One of my favorite interview questions is, "Where do you see yourself five years down the road?" (Actually this is a great question after you've started the job, too.) The question that isn't normally asked which is far more important, "How are you going to get there?" This involves planning, setting milestones and intermediate goals and accountability.

There are several elements required in a good career plan.

1. State the goal
2. Cite the requirements, (education, experience) to meet the goal
3. Evaluate any shortfalls you have regarding the requirements
4. Detail the steps needed to be taken with target dates
5. Evaluate each step in the plan and review the plan regularly
6. Achieve the goal and celebrate

   Some people need a coach to hold them accountable. Others just tell everyone they know. And some people join an accountability group. We'll talk more at a later date on accountability groups. Each of these methods are set up to help keep you on target to meeting your milestones, intermediate and final goals . When accountability is missing this can be the root of failure.

   Make a plan for yourself. If you're on the job, how are you going to get to the next level in your career? If you are in transition, how are you going to land a job that will move you to your next level? If you need help, hire someone like me to consult with you and walk you through the process... Call me and then see the places you'll go!

(My number is: 630.319.7587)