You took control of your career and went for that promotion. After poring over your resume and surviving a grueling interview process, you land the job! Congratulations: you're a new manager. Now what do you do?Most new managers spend so much time focusing on getting the job that once they have it, they're at a loss as to where to start when they sit behind that new desk. Anxiousness sets in, and they're wondering, "Do I have what it takes to lead? Will my new team follow me and respect me? What if I don't have all the answers?" Relax, new managers! It's common to be a little afraid when you first start a new job. There are a lot of unknowns, even when the promotion is within an organization that you're familiar with and with players that you already know. Suddenly you're going from being "one of the guys" to being The Boss. Scary stuff! As an executive coach, I have a whole system on how to build your team during those first days of a new job. One of the main things I focus on is how to communicate and lead people who you used to work with and now they report to you, and people who you may know very little about (if you're entering a high-level position in a new organization). Now I'd like to share a few of those tips with you. ***** Labels: organizational-effectiveness
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If you want a perfect example of the old saying, "Misery loves company," you need to look no further than most workplace break rooms today. With few exceptions, there is at least one person in every organization who complains, complains, complains.
Their boss is unfair; the workload is too heavy; the benefits and pay aren't good enough; they don't have a nice enough office; so-and-so didn't deserve that raise...and so on.
This malcontent spreads his or her negativity like germs in a nursery school. They lie in wait in the break room, ready to pounce on unsuspecting employees who come in for a cup of coffee or a donut; instead, they get an earful of just how awful it is to work for this company.
Unfortunately, this kind of negativity is a powerful thing. Before long, the malcontent army has grown, and they become the majority, poisoning the workplace environment with their dissatisfaction.
So what do you do if you're an employee who finds satisfaction in their work, who agrees with the policies and procedures of the company, who has a positive outlook, and who actually likes their job? ***** Labels: workplace-survival
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My company was recently looking for new administrative help, and as the cover letters and resumes came rolling in, I was shocked at how poorly written most of them were. With all the spelling and grammar checks, with all the "Resume Wizards", and with all of the zillions of bytes of information out there on the Internet, how could someone submit such jumbled messes and expect to be called for an interview? One applicant addressed the letter to "Michaela Blake" and then led with the salutation "Dear Sires"! Another applicant failed to mention what job he was applying for! One cover letter went on and on and on...but never got to any sort of a point! And my "favorite" letter not only had horrible typographical errors, but the person left in the name of someone else they were sending the letter to, talked about how much money they wanted to make, and in the same paragraph, gave me a list of their weaknesses ("But I'm sure you'll find that I'm going to be really good at this job") and practically begged me not to call their current employer! Yikes! Do you think I called any of these people in for an interview? Or do you think I quickly filed their info away...in my trash can? For those of you out there who don't think the cover letter means much, let me tell you: IT DOES. The cover letter is a very critical part of the whole job hunting process... ***** For more FREE tips on advancing your career and navigating the workplace, sign up for my FREE e-zine "Lipstick Leadership" at LipstickLeadership.com today! And check out the products I've developed to guide you toward the success you deserve!Labels: career-advancement
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Sometimes you find friends in the most unlikely of places. That's the conclusion Shalini and I came to the other day on the phone. It was funny to think about my relationship with her and how she never thought that she would be friends with someone who lives in Connecticut, runs a company and has a family! Ain't life funny! But, there is power in unlikely friendships like ours. "I think my most powerful relationships have been making allies with people who are unlikely friends," Shalini says. "Who else makes us think out of our box? Befriending someone that has different views is an opportunity for us to move to some greater understanding because we all share some common values; it's just that we have different approaches." So today, let's get out of our comfort zones and make a new friend today! Find out more about Shalini at OurVoicesInMedia.com ***** For FREE tips on advancing your career and navigating the workplace, sign up for my FREE e-zine "Lipstick Leadership" at LipstickLeadership.com today! And check out the products I've developed to guide you toward the success you deserve!Labels: inspiration, success-stories
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As Shalini's mentor, I get to chat with her about both business and pleasure. During one of our recent sessions, we finished up with the business talk and moved onto the fun stuff. As someone who creates films that are so inspirational, I was intrigued as to what films SHE draws inspiration from. "I love movies about someone who discovers their calling. I like films like Whale Rider, The Matrix or Star Wars: The First Trilogy, because they're about someone who comes to care and comes to realize who they really are... and I think that’s really powerful," Shalini explained. "I’m really excited about this new trend of socially conscious films in Hollywood, films like The Constant Gardener, Syriana or Good Night and Good Luck, which really help us examine the world in a new way. I also like films like Children of Men because they create this haunting future, and I love the near future as a time period and when filmmakers depict a frightening, terrifying world that we’re heading towards unless we change our ways." Shalini's own film A Drop of Life is set in the near future and is the story of two women whose disparate lives intersect when they are both confronted with lack of access to clean water. Maybe filmmakers like Shalini will provide the world with the wakeup call we need to make serious changes and preserve our planet, ourselves and our way of life. For more on Shalini, go to OurVoicesInMedia.com***** For FREE tips on advancing your career and navigating the workplace, sign up for my FREE e-zine "Lipstick Leadership" at LipstickLeadership.com today! And check out the products I've developed to guide you toward the success you deserve!Labels: inspiration, success-stories
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How many of you out there are perfectionists? And how many of you consider perfectionism to be a positive trait?
Well, in the workplace, perfectionism can be both a positive and a negative. Sure, you are detail-oriented and you never give less than 110%, but your need for perfection can also result in missed deadlines and huge amounts of stress.
Angela from Baldwin knows what I'm talking about...
Dear Michelle,
I am paralyzed by my own need for perfection at work! Every time an assignment comes across my desk, I can't stop myself from obsessing over it, and no matter how much time I devote to it, no matter how many times I review it, no matter how hard I work on it, nothing ever seems to be good enough to meet my standards. I've always thought being a perfectionist was one of my better qualities, but lately it's been driving me crazy and creating a lot of frustration.
Can you help me get over my perfectionism? ***** Labels: organizational-effectiveness
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