Employees' New Year's Resolutions

The holidays tend to be a time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. So be warned, your employees are reflecting and planning, and now is the time to pay attention to keeping and reaping top talent.

It may be common sense but it bears repeating anyway. When we talk about talent retention, we're talking about key people and top talent. As we prepare to ring in the New Year, we should bear in mind a few things about our recruitment and retention efforts that might make this time of year both opportunistic and threatening where top talent is concerned.

It'is the season for resolutions after all. People everywhere will soon be resolving to lose weight, start a fitness program, drink less, or quit smoking. But the number one New Year's resolution last year, according to About.com, was to find a better job. In fact, more of us turn our attention to our working lives at this time of year than at any other time. (Traffic to major job boards typically spikes between 40-60% from December to January each year.) Monster itself agrees that its spike in traffic in January is the biggest all year (including increased traffic after its Superbowl ads) and that this is mostly due to resolutions.

Maybe it's having time off to reflect on the past year that causes so many people to think about improving their working lives. After all, according to Freud, love and work are the cornerstones of our lives. When we reflect, we tend to reflect on those two things more than anything else.

Derrick Barton, founder and CEO of the Center For Talent Retention notes, "Whenever there's a major holiday, Thanksgiving, July 4 or Christmas, you're around family and friends. People ask how work is going. Sometimes people open up beyond the usual one or two word response because they're comfortable talking with a trusted person. This may get them thinking that perhaps they're lucky in their work, or that maybe they need to get out of a bad situation. When that mental 'click' is turned on, there is a strong correlation to actually leaving, particularly among top talent and people with skills that are in demand. Worse, what held them back in 2004 will not as likely hold them back in 2005."

For many, work has become the dominant force in their lives. Numerous employee surveys this year and last revealed an enormous pent up desire for change; some surveys even suggested that more than half of all employees (and managers) plan to leave their employers within the next 12 months or "when the economy improves." If recent economic trends, which indicate a stronger economy and improved labor market, hold, 2005 could be the biggest year so far this decade for job change.

So how might this present an opportunity for recruiters and/or trouble for organizations? For recruiters, the New Year is harvest time. Clever recruiters will have planted seeds of interest into the top talent they hope to recruit from other organizations so that their follow-up calls in January and February connect them to people in the career-change state of mind.

Organizations, on the other hand, should spend some time in December and January cementing their ties with top talent. This involves more than a Christmas card or even a bonus. Employers should use this time of year to show real appreciation for the hard work of key performers during the past year. Of course, retention initiatives should occur year round, but it doesn't hurt to emphasize and increase those efforts at year end and during the first months of the new year, when employers are most vulnerable to losing their best people.

Retention of critical talent is not a one-to-many exercise. Top talent and those that have been identified as having strong potential should be met with one-on-one. Perceptive managers will gain a sense of whether an employee's commitment is strong or waning. At the very least, it will give managers the opportunity to express gratitude and learn what is important to keeping their key people engaged. This time of year has the advantage of being a natural time for taking stock of accomplishments during the past year and looking ahead to goals for the coming year.

However, this won't just happen. Data gathered by the Center For Talent Retention at the start of the decade found that 86% of managers did not feel accountable for engaging and retaining employees. Despite the elevation of "talent retention" as an issue since then, it is very doubtful that the situation has improved much. The surest path to getting managers actively involved in the retention of key people could be to build it directly into their compensation plans. Again, there is no better time to revisit incentive plans than the beginning of a new year.

The New Year is not a time to sit back and reflect. In fact, it may be the best time exploit the vulnerabilities of competitors, after all, all's fair in the war for talent.***

Source: inc.com

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The Art of Employee Motivaton

If you think that your employees’ poor performance on their designated jobs is costing you a whole lot of loss profits, then instead of just doing a total overhaul of your employee roster, why not try to do some employee motivation tactics to get them to actually come around and be able to save your company from looming bankruptcy. It really is fairly easy and simple to rouse some employee motivation, you just have to take these techniques to heart:

People nowadays are concerned of the lack of importance that is being put into health care plans. Is your company one of those companies who does not provide their employees with the health benefits that they should be entitled too? This is a possible reason why your employees’ morale are down. You need to reassess the situation and try to give them the health benefits that will ensure them that they will be protected by the company that they have been loyal even in their times of sickness. Always remember that a happy worker is a satisfied worker so make sure to use this employee motivation tool in order to give your employees morale a much needed boost.

Remember, companies are usually employed with some women who will, most often than not, become mothers. So it is highly important that you know their needs especially during the time when they would want to avail of their maternity leave. It is important that your company, no matter what kind of product or service you offer, is always sensitive to your employees needs, no matter what gender.

When it comes to having a good health plan for your employees, you must be sure that your health plan is actually of any good or else it would not really do any good to your employees’
morale. Make sure that the health plan will be able to cover all their basic needs and it wouldn’t really hurt if you throw in some added kicks.

Basic health care plans that you can use for employee motivation actually covers the following: full coverage for any basic illness or injury, coverage of hospital payments in case the employee has to be checked in at the hospital or if there are some minor surgeries that need to be done.

Added benefits to further boost employee motivation through a health care plan is through having their dental health covered as well as their optical needs, eyeglass subsidies as well as free dental cleaning and check-ups will be a good treat for your employees and will surely be a great added employee motivation move.

Apart from having a good health care plan for your employee motivation tactics, you must also be able to provide for them some other additional care such as an insurance plan which they can rely on in case something bad happens to them and they are still of service to your company. Even if this employee motivation move will not be availed by the employee’s family during the time of his or her service, your employee can still choose to continue on paying for the premiums of the insurance plan even after he or she has retired from your company. Unfortunately for your employees, once they resign
from a job position at you company the said insurance plan will be revoked since the company will not be able to play for your insurance premiums anymore (remember, all the payments from these employee motivation tactics will actually come from the employee’s salary).

Another great employee motivation move for loyal employees of your company is to have a car loan ready for them, employees who have already served some considerable amount of years in the company should be entitled to a car plan wherein deductions from their salary will be used to pay for their vehicle of choice. This is a great employee motivation move since those who are not able to afford a car (a brand new car at that!) would actually want to continue staying in your company because of this added employee motivation benefit.

From time to time, especially during special occasions, you need to be able to give your employees some added morale boost by organizing events or parties that will foster camaraderie among your employees. A little good time certainly wouldn’t hurt anyone and this will all be in the spirit of good ole’ company fun. Employee motivation directed events such as Christmas parties and company picnics are surely a welcome treat to your seemingly overworked and over fatigue employees.

You must also remember to give your employees some time to unwind like providing your regular employees the benefit of having a two-week paid vacation leave. That’s the least you can do for your employees who you have held captive for the majority of the year in your office.

These are really simple and easy employee motivation tactics that you can do in order to boost your employees’ morale and be able to ensure a good upkeep of your company.

For more great employee motivation info and advice check out: http://www.profitable-employees.com

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The Importance of Employee Performance Reviews

Employee performance reviews are essential to ensure that your company functions at its optimal level. For the well-being of employees, as well as the growth of the company, these reviews are invaluable tools to maintain a satisfying and enriching environment for all. However, most managers view performance reviews as one of their most uncomfortable tasks. A little bit of planning and preparation makes all the difference, and transforms the entire process into a productive tool.

A company’s strength lies in how secure an employee feels about his job. Remember, it’s a performance review, not a criticism session. The primary objective is to evaluate how an employee can add more value to the company. An employee should feel motivated after a performance review session. A positive attitude makes all the difference!

Of course, all companies have a mixed population of employees; some are top performers, while some are mediocre or weak. Top performers deserve appreciation, and weak performers need positive inputs. However, the real challenge for any manager is to remain consistent and act without prejudice or favoritism. The prime factors during employee performance reviews are generally the quality and quantity of work. The employee’s attitude is a secondary, but important criterion as well.

An important, yet commonly overlooked tool for effective employee performance reviews is an interactive session. Two-way communication ensures that the employee feels important, and the inputs you get might prove equally important to the company.

Performance reviews are also a great to show that you really care about your employees. Your active listening skill is valuable in showing concern for an employee's well-being. Discuss and address the concerns of the employee in a way that makes the employee feel important and acknowledged. This reaffirms the employee’s value to the company.

Avoid restricting the conversation to an employee's job. It gives a mechanical feel to the performance review and dilutes the interest of the employee. A good way to connect with your employee is to discuss how he balances his professional life with his personal. Discussing personal, but not personally sensitive topics creates a friendly ambiance, which helps the employee feel at ease and more willing to listen to your comments.

Employees are assets, and acknowledging their efforts goes a long way in increasing their value and consequently, the net worth of the company. The bottom-line: Employee performance reviews — when done correctly — increase productivity and job satisfaction.

Article by Angela Martin

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Job Satisfaction Factors

What is it that makes people feel satisfied with their job? A Management Consultant namely Roy Walters after having spent years on studying job satisfaction and productivity has developed a Satisfaction Potential checklist which contains nine characteristics that define truly satisfying job. Hence, look out for these characteristics and if you don't see them in your job it is better to seriously search for another job.

1. The job isn't monotonous, but allows employees to change pace with varying tasks.

2. The job does not waste a person's time and effort. It has been planned in such a way that it can be done without exerting energy uselessly.

3. Employees are free to plan their work the way they can do it most effectively.

4. Employees believe they have a reasonable degree of authority over how their work should be done.

5. Employees believe they have adequate opportunities for individual growth and recognition.

6. Employees don't feel too closely supervised, over-instructed or rigidly controlled.

7. Employees see their job as an integral part of the whole company and each employee is treated as an individual, not merely a cog in the wheel.

8. The answer to the question, "How am I doing?" comes from the job itself. Thus, employees can correct their own errors and improve their techniques.

9. Superiors offer feedback without causing embarrassment.

In other words, if any employee has to truly enjoy his job and give his best for the organization the superior has to ensure that the task given to him is not monotonous, routine, mundane and design it in such a way that he utilizes his energy to his optimum level and still feel fresh, plan his work the way he considers doing it best, give him reasonable degree of authority, responsibility and freedom to perform the way he would like to start and complete with the job, which will give him opportunities for growth, development, recognition and status, ensure that he doesn't feel closely supervised, treat him as an integral part of the organization, give him the freedom and autonomy to improve upon their techniques and offer constructive feedback which enhances his work ethics.

Wouldn't it be great if every job matched these criteria as given above? It is not just a theory which we read from the management books and forget but we need to start with the jobs in our own company and see just how satisfying you can make them?

Article by Iyer Subramanian. He is working with Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a Joint Director-HR.

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Staff Reductions: the Last Resort Part 2

This article reviews best practices for when employee lay-offs are unavoidable.

Legal commentators speculate that 2009 will see an increase in litigation arising out of reductions in force ("RIF") cases. Generally, this is because RIF cases involve plaintiffs who are often more sympathetic than other employment law litigants.

The key to limiting liability associated with RIF cases is planning. Planning which employees will be impacted by a layoff should be managed carefully and not rushed, even when top management is demanding immediate action. A timeline with realistic expectations should be developed and followed closely.

Also, employers should avoid viewing a RIF as the opportunity to get rid of the "bad apples" or poor performers. Employers who do decide to lay-off employees based on poor performance, should do so only if they have documented issues beforehand. In other words, an employer's failure to document performance issues and/or efforts to give "poor performing" employees satisfactory written performance reviews or salary increases risk exposing their companies to wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation suits.

There are a number of concerns that should be weighed prior to reducing one's labor force. A few of these concerns have been highlighted below.

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) (Federal): Requires employees with 100 employees or more to provide 60 days notice in the case of a mass layoff.

California's adoption of the WARN requires 60 days notice for employers with 75 or more employees.

Older Worker's Protection Act (OWBPA): requires special language and timelines when presenting an employee who is 40 years of age or older with a severance and release agreement.

Federal and State anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation regulations.

Federal and State wage & hour and final pay regulations.

California's adoption of the WARN requires 60 days notice for employers with 75 or more employees.

Due to the complicated nature and maze of regulations, employers should work closely with human resources professionals.

About the Author:
Michele O'Donnell joined the MMC team in January 2007 and currently leads MMC's elite team of HR Consultants. Ms. O'Donnell has been involved in the Human Resources industry for more than 14 years, bringing vast training and management experience to the MMC leadership ranks. Her experience spans the broad scope of labor law, regulatory compliance and HR Best Practices, drawn from her rich experience as Director of HR for several firms throughout her career. She currently works to ensure that MMC's consultants forge long lasting relationships with our clients, fostered in exceptional service and unsurpassed HR expertise. Ms. O'Donnell earned her baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University before receiving her Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University.

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Staff Reductions: the Last Resort

Everywhere you turn, the current state of the economy is a central topic. The economic crisis is not only an issue in the United States, but a matter of global concern. In fact, the United Nations projects that about 20 million jobs will be lost worldwide by the end of 2009.

As many businesses across the country are facing financial challenges, employees naturally are uneasy about their future with employers. The fears of reductions in workforce loom large in employees' minds. Minds that are also dealing with adjusting mortgages, rising childcare, fuel, food, and generally a higher cost of living.

Jon Gordon, author of "The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work," suggests that employer's ramp up communication during this period of uncertainty to quell employee fears. By holding weekly meetings, sending out informative newsletters or e-mails, an employer can better manage fears. Gordon says, "Even if things are great, people are still nervous." When there's a void in communication, he says, "Negativity fills the void."

The reality is that as many businesses experience the twinges of financial strain, the first thought often is to turn to staff reductions, as reductions can be a fast and quick cost saving measure. However, the decision can also result in general fear, increased workers' compensation and employment law claims, a loss of trust, and non-productivity.

There are options that employers should consider before making the decision to cut staff. Some alternatives are highlighted below.


Have frank and open discussions with staff about financial challenges. Staff may willingly agree to a reduction in pay or hours worked in lieu of undergoing a reduction in staff.

Consider retraining current employees so that they can assume greater responsibilities and limit the need of having to hire additional workers with specific expertise or limited skills sets.

Consider cutting back on perks such as employer-sponsored meals and snacks. Although many enjoy workplace perks, most would gladly give them up if it meant saving jobs.

Consider alternative ways to save money, such as banning color copies, canceling company service subscriptions or limiting employer-sponsored memberships.

Have employees volunteer to leave early on days where business is slow or set up a rotating schedule of who will go home early on slower days.

The bottom line is if this is a challenging time for your business, be open and share with your staff. Employees are much more willing to compromise and contribute solutions when they feel their input and opinions matter.

About the author:
Michele O'Donnell joined the MMC team in January 2007 and currently leads MMC's elite team of HR Consultants. Ms. O'Donnell has been involved in the Human Resources industry for more than 14 years, bringing vast training and management experience to the MMC leadership ranks. Her experience spans the broad scope of labor law, regulatory compliance and HR Best Practices, drawn from her rich experience as Director of HR for several firms throughout her career. She currently works to ensure that MMC's consultants forge long lasting relationships with our clients, fostered in exceptional service and unsurpassed HR expertise. Ms. O'Donnell earned her baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University before receiving her Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University.

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What Are Your Employees' New Year's Resolutions?

The holidays tend to be a time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. So be warned, your employees are reflecting and planning, and now is the time to pay attention to keeping and reaping top talent.

It may be common sense but it bears repeating anyway. When we talk about talent retention, we're talking about key people and top talent. As we prepare to ring in the New Year, we should bear in mind a few things about our recruitment and retention efforts that might make this time of year both opportunistic and threatening where top talent is concerned.

It'is the season for resolutions after all. People everywhere will soon be resolving to lose weight, start a fitness program, drink less, or quit smoking. But the number one New Year's resolution last year, according to About.com, was to find a better job. In fact, more of us turn our attention to our working lives at this time of year than at any other time. (Traffic to major job boards typically spikes between 40-60% from December to January each year.) Monster itself agrees that its spike in traffic in January is the biggest all year (including increased traffic after its Superbowl ads) and that this is mostly due to resolutions.

Maybe it's having time off to reflect on the past year that causes so many people to think about improving their working lives. After all, according to Freud, love and work are the cornerstones of our lives. When we reflect, we tend to reflect on those two things more than anything else.

Derrick Barton, founder and CEO of the Center For Talent Retention notes, "Whenever there's a major holiday, Thanksgiving, July 4 or Christmas, you're around family and friends. People ask how work is going. Sometimes people open up beyond the usual one or two word response because they're comfortable talking with a trusted person. This may get them thinking that perhaps they're lucky in their work, or that maybe they need to get out of a bad situation. When that mental 'click' is turned on, there is a strong correlation to actually leaving, particularly among top talent and people with skills that are in demand. Worse, what held them back in 2004 will not as likely hold them back in 2005."

For many, work has become the dominant force in their lives. Numerous employee surveys this year and last revealed an enormous pent up desire for change; some surveys even suggested that more than half of all employees (and managers) plan to leave their employers within the next 12 months or "when the economy improves." If recent economic trends, which indicate a stronger economy and improved labor market, hold, 2005 could be the biggest year so far this decade for job change.

So how might this present an opportunity for recruiters and/or trouble for organizations? For recruiters, the New Year is harvest time. Clever recruiters will have planted seeds of interest into the top talent they hope to recruit from other organizations so that their follow-up calls in January and February connect them to people in the career-change state of mind.

Organizations, on the other hand, should spend some time in December and January cementing their ties with top talent. This involves more than a Christmas card or even a bonus. Employers should use this time of year to show real appreciation for the hard work of key performers during the past year. Of course, retention initiatives should occur year round, but it doesn't hurt to emphasize and increase those efforts at year end and during the first months of the new year, when employers are most vulnerable to losing their best people.

Retention of critical talent is not a one-to-many exercise. Top talent and those that have been identified as having strong potential should be met with one-on-one. Perceptive managers will gain a sense of whether an employee's commitment is strong or waning. At the very least, it will give managers the opportunity to express gratitude and learn what is important to keeping their key people engaged. This time of year has the advantage of being a natural time for taking stock of accomplishments during the past year and looking ahead to goals for the coming year.

However, this won't just happen. Data gathered by the Center For Talent Retention at the start of the decade found that 86% of managers did not feel accountable for engaging and retaining employees. Despite the elevation of "talent retention" as an issue since then, it is very doubtful that the situation has improved much. The surest path to getting managers actively involved in the retention of key people could be to build it directly into their compensation plans. Again, there is no better time to revisit incentive plans than the beginning of a new year.

The New Year is not a time to sit back and reflect. In fact, it may be the best time exploit the vulnerabilities of competitors, after all, all's fair in the war for talent.***

Source: inc.com

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Some Great Tips to Retaining Talent in Your Firm

Its great to hire an employee who is talented, professional, intelligent and willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. However, retaining such an employee in a world where talented people can be literally snatched from your firm by the bigger fish or by competitors is a true challenge.
Here are some tips to help you retain your talent pool:

Competitive Salary Package

You may not be able to match the deep pockets of a larger company but you should still make an earnest effort to keep your staff salaries reasonably competitive. Generally speaking salary is not always the only reason why a person will switch a job. However, this is only true when the salary is more or less reasonably competitive. Although conditions may vary across geographic regions and industries you can make rough estimates.

Appreciating by Differentiating

Wonderful people need to be treated wonderfully. Simple and plain. Make sure that your best employee gets the best salary package in your firm even if that person is younger/less experienced. While there may be resistance from a lot of quarters questioning your judgment, remember that its business. Businesses get most benefit from their best staff and everyone in the staff should be amply clear about what will get them the best bucks at your place. A letter of appreciation as the best employee for the year will surely help as will a bonus based on performance.

Job assignments

Try to give the best and most challenging job assignments to your best staff member. This will help to fulfill their desire for more growth by helping them polish their old skills and learn new ones. Moreover, it will help them to see that they have a future at your place and that your firm is not stangant.

Perks

Try to see if you can afford some small perks for your staff. Ofcourse, this may not be possible given the size of your firm and your financial standing. Younger companies are generally struggling in their first couple of years to get out of the red and start earning profits. However, if you can afford to do it then don't hesitate to hand over some perks based on the competency of the staff.

It great if one can do all of the above but remember that its easy to lose focus of the whole situation. Focusing on the best of your talent is just one piece of the puzzle and it should not make you forget about the remaining of the rest of the staff.***

Source: Amazines

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The Importance of Career Planning to Your Future Fortunes

In this article we will cover a little about the meaning and purpose of Career Planning. When it comes to career planning, you tend to think the craziest things when you are young and not yet focused on life. When you are a child you want to be the President, the Pope, or an astronaut; kids tend to shoot for the stars, however, when you grow up, you need to aim more realistically for your success, but not necessarily aiming lower than you can strive to succeed to.

You will want to make sure that your plans are something that you can enjoy and something that you can reach. When it comes to career goals you do not want to set the bar too high, but you do need it to be a slight challenge. A lot of career satisfaction comes for achieving goals in the workplace that you had to work hard to make happen, including your own pathways and the roles of team members.

The only thing that you will want to worry about when it comes to picking a career is that it is something that you can reach. If you can see you can do it, right? Well sometimes, it depends on your means. When it comes to planning your career you need to think about support, money, and effort.

When it comes to support, you are going to need some family and friends to back you up when everything falls. You are going to need some people to act like a support system. You are going to need some people when things fall apart so that you can pick yourself up and make something of your life.

Your career will dedicate your life so it is important that you take career planning seriously and that you think about your future when you choose a career.

It is also very important that you make sure that the career path that you choose fits your personality and your future goals. There are a lot of career tests that you can take online and offline so that you can pick a career that suits you. You will notice that your career planning may be rough in the beginning, but if you do your research you should be able to find a solid path for your future.

If you would like to do some further counseling you may want to ask yourself about seeing how people in the careers that you pick act and work. You may want to become an intern or you may just want to get more involved in the career by becoming an assistant.

There are lots of things that you will want to take inconsideration when planning your career. Location has a big effect on your career path. You may end up having to move away to become what you dream of. You will also have to research the wages that you can look forward to having.

You will also want to research the odds of finding a job in that career. If you plan to study for a higher qualification, you should start your research before you go to college so that you can declare a Major.

I have found a site created by Helene Malmsio who has had 20 years of employment recruitment and staff training experience. On this site there are hundreds of resources to help you plan your career, including a no-obligation report download and eCourse you can also subscribe to, that can be used by anyone wanting some expert help in trying to develop their career further.

It is important that you do enough research because you don't want to end up in a career field that will make you unhappy. When it comes to a career you may want to think about aiming high because your goals are going to always be changing, but you will be able to get a clear idea of what you are looking for out of the perfect job.

As for effort, how much are you willing to give to your career? Are you willing to give it your all? How far are you willing to take your dreams? If you cannot drive yourself to reach your goals, you will never be able to make your dreams come true.

Just because you have one problem with the above, does not mean that you cannot make your dreams come true, however, it will be more of a challenge. The most important thing that you will ever need is personal motivation and commitment to your career goals. If you got drive then you will find a way to make the money and the support system for your career training or college degree to appear. Money can hold a person back, but it can never stop a committed person from following their career dreams.

You will want to speak to many people in the job field as well as some people who can give you some advice or guidance in your career planning. It is important that you make something out of your life so that you can live a fulfilling life.

Get the best tools you can to make sure you are fully equipped to make the best decisions and choices from the career opportunities open to you, and to learn the professional skills to sell yourself to your ideal employer. We all had to learn these skills, no-one was born with them, but your career path will be fast-tracked to success when you give yourself the leading edge in your career planning.

Learn everything there is to know about career planning from the bottom up, so you get it right the first time...

Do you find the prospect of planning your career daunting and unmanageable? If you are one of the millions of actively seeking job hunters in the market today, you have to gain a competitive edge to get ahead.###

Source: Ezine Articles

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Ten Job Secrets for Career Success

For you to find career success, you must be pro-active about your job. The following are ten career secrets you can use and find career success:

1. Find Out What Your Organization Needs for Career Success 
Invest the time to investigate and understand your organization’s mission, goals, and values. Your organization may be facing challenges and the person who can tune into what the organization needs to be successful and provide the solution can write his/her own career success ticket. 

Remember, to get what you want in your career, you must help your organization, your department, your manager succeed. Focus on what is important to your manager and provide the solution. If customer service is important, speak with your manager in terms of creating customer solutions. If your manager is a numbers person, quantify all your results, etc. 

2. Be a Change Agent for Career Success 
Organizational change will change the way you do your job. There is no escaping the changes that are happening around us all the time. Learn to embrace these changes so that you can learn how to take advantage of the career opportunities available from being a change agent. 

How do you do this? Be pro-active and ask questions about the change. How does it affect the organization? What challenges will there be implementing the changes? How will these changes affect the way you do your job? And the most important question, “What can you do to help implement the changes?” 

Once you receive the answers to these questions, and are able to act on the answers, you are way ahead of the “change curve” and will be looked at as someone who can “make things happen” within the organization. This will lead to countless career opportunities 

3. Be the Master of Your Job for Career Success 
Invest the time to learn as much as there is to know about your job. Many times, employees will become complacent and master only the few tasks that they do 80% of the time. Then when a career opportunity comes up, this employee doesn’t have the skill set to take advantage of a promotion or raise. 

Take the time to read trade journals, go on the Internet to job related sites, and ask questions to master the understanding of your job. With the wealth of information there is in the 21st century, there is no excuse for “not knowing.” 

4. Volunteer to Make a Difference for Career Success 
Volunteer for assignments that expose your skills. Look for especially challenging projects that other people have declined. 

Also volunteer to mentor others within your organization. This will show and develop your leadership, management, and interpersonal skills. Keep management posted on your challenges and how you are working with the person you are mentoring to overcome these challenges. 

Volunteer to write a department or organizational newsletter. This is another way to benefit a large group, while showcasing your skills and ideas. 

5. Be a Solution Creator and Not a Problem Maker for Career Success 
Anybody can find problems within organizations. My experience is that you don’t need to find them…they will find you. Some people have a special skill for finding problems and reporting them. 

Develop the skill of looking at these problems as “opportunities for advancement,” step back and analyze the opportunity, and develop ideas for overcoming the problem. Make sure you communicate these solutions during meetings, e-mails, memos, and conversations with management. You will soon be looked upon by management as someone who can overcome obstacles and make things happen within the organization. 

6. Handle the Next Level at This Level for Career Success 
If you are a manager and want to become a vice president, then start working like a vice president. Find a vice president that is open to mentoring you for the next level. Remember, that vice president will not be promoted to the next level unless the organization sees that the vice president has developed someone to take his/her spot. It might as well be you. Plus, you can lighten the vice president’s work load. 

Explain to the vice president what you want to accomplish so that everyone has a clear understanding and that this is a win-win situation for all involved. 

I hear, “I’m too busy already to do this.” Well, let me ask you, “How badly do you want the promotion?” We are all busy. It’s up to you to enhance your time management and delegation skills so that you can take on these tasks that will prepare you for the next job level. 

Note: Dress as if you are already at the next career level. When you dress for the next level, this makes it easier for the decision makers because they can already envision you at the next career level. 

7. Announce That You Want It! 
Many times employees miss out on promotions because the decision makers and career influencers do not know they are interested in being promoted. 

Announce that you want to go to the next career level! 

Take time to sit down with your supervisor, manager, director, etc., and let them know you are interested in going to the next level. Ask them for their honest assessment of your skills. Then ask what you need to do to be ready when the next career opportunity appears. 

Also announce your career aspirations to influencers in the Human Resources Department. Remember the more people they can hire from the inside, the less work they need to do. Make it easy for them to hire you. 

Announce it to any one who can influence the decision for your promotion. 

8. Network and Join Groups to Accelerate Career Success 
Join and be active in committees within your organization for career success. This shows management that you care enough to make a difference. It also allows a larger assortment of managers to experience your skill set outside of your normal duties. 

Also join professional groups and associations for career success. Professional groups and associations are a perfect way to let influencers outside your organization become aware of your skills. Remember, these influencers most likely work for other organizations and may be in positions to hire new employees. Don’t just join, participant in the association’s activities to show your creativity, teamwork, and other skills. 

Join and let your organization know you’ve joined these groups. This will show your organization that you are an employee who is taking action to stay ahead of the “career success curve” and can contribute to the organization. 

9. Tell Your Job Story for Career Success 
Let as many people within your organization and outside your organization know what you do and how well you do it. Make sure you tell your job story at meetings, company conferences, and retreats and to customers. Make sure you tell them with passion! 

Many people are shy about telling their career story in a group setting. Because of this fear, you may miss out on the one opportunity to let other people know what you know. One of the most important groups that you could ever join to overcome this fear is Toastmasters. This is a worldwide organization with over 175,000 members dedicated to helping members improve their public speaking, evaluation, think-on-your-feet, and leadership skills. The main reasons you should join Toastmasters are the following: 

* Toastmasters can give you the confidence to approach any opportunity with confidence. 
* Toastmasters can give you the speaking skills to stand up in front of a group and present your point in a persuasive manner, while others may shy away from this opportunity. 
* You develop your leadership skills by learning how to do effective, positive, and encouraging feedback and evaluations, while learning how to empower the receiver to do better. 
* You have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills by volunteering for positions at the club, area, state, regional, and international level. I always say if you can’t get the skills at your organization, you can get it at Toastmasters. 

10. Build a Nest Egg for Career Success 
One of the biggest barriers to creating career success is not building a financial nest egg. When you are at a financial disadvantage, you are less likely to pursue job opportunities, invest in educational opportunities to increase your skills; and, most importantly, you may develop an overwhelming fear of losing your job while in your present position. 

Eliminate your debts so that you can freely pursue any career opportunities that present themselves. It’s no fun knowing that you wanted a certain job but couldn’t pursue it because of financial obligations. 

I challenge you to apply these ten career techniques today! You will see immediate job results and go to the next career level no matter what the economic environment may be. 

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Dress for Success

Do you possess the look of a professional? Do you look incredibly smart? Are you confident enough to take charge and get the job that you applying for?

Consider the fact that your resume is quite impressive and the employer can’t resist to have the audacity to ask you to come for an interview. But after the all the preparations, your final problem will surely comes up right after you realize and ask yourself ” what should I wear?” These things are actually important for the job hunters, people tend to have a systemic problem nowadays regarding what they should wear on a job interview. Honestly I’m wired toward automatically seeing the person in these kind of situations because I also had the same experienced when I was hunting for a right job. However many take these for granted, with the eloquence of having an “impressive resume” they forgot that applicants will not only be examined based on the job experience and personality but also with how they present themselves professionally.

Here are the top 20 tips in dressing for an interview

1. Research if the company or your potential employer have a specific dress code.
2. If your planning to buy new clothes, get good advice from sales persons.
3. Have the clothes altered to fit and accent your features.
4. Select an outfit that you have worn before and are comfortable wearing
5. Your hair should be clean and neat.
6. Do not wear a strong perfume or cologne, scent must be low key or absent.
7. Cover any tattoo and limit pierced jewelry to ears only.
8. For men – Wear a suit or sports jacket that is color coordinated with your trousers.
9. For men – You should have clothes in Neutral or dark colors such as blue, black or gray.
10. For men – Wear a conservative and low key tie. Avoid ties with flashy patterns.
11. For men – Keep your sneakers away. A clean, polished black leather shoes is highly recommended.
12. For men – Don’t forget to trim and clean your nails.
13. For men – White socks are definitely NO! Use dark socks.
14. For men – Use dark suit and light colored shirt.
15. For women – Wear a classic suit or simple dress paired with a jacket.
16. For women – The appropriate colors are navy blue, black, dark green, dark red, burgundy or gray.
17. For women – Don’t be too provocative or sexy.
18. For women – Trim your fingernails and use a polish that complements your clothes and would not distract the interviewer.
19. For women – Choose a moderate shoes which is clean and with heels that makes you comfortable.
20. For women – Use a tan or light hosiery.

Clothing will play a role in your career so you should continue to pay attention to your wardrobe. Add pieces made of high quality that will match to what you already have. Buy separates that can be mixed and matched. Dressing is not everything but it will definitely add up to your overall impression that you will make on.

These are some advices and the right tools that I can give to someone on their job hunting, but I have to leave it here. Because as we all end up with reality, applicants must not look good with their own respective dress but might as well have the confidence to make themselves qualified enough for the job. Job hunters should think first all the requirements before going to an interview, from the resume to his/her diploma. They must be ready to answer the question exquisitely. So if you want to have a job career in the future, you should consider these suggestion for you to succeed.

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The Unsuccessful Habits of Hard Working People

by: Daryl Cowie

We've all heard the phrase work smarter, not harder. It's one of those motivational statements that once held a great message, but now days is more often used to mean "You're taking too long. Quit complaining and get it done". In many ways these messages are not that different, but they hold two very different sentiments. 

The truth is, many of us need to work smarter instead of harder, but we don't really know how to get from where we are to where we need to be. I was brought up believing that hard work is the key to success and fulfillment. Work harder than anyone else and you'll get recognition for it. While this is true in many ways, this philosophy can also severely restrict the level of success you achieve. 

While working hard truly is a virtue, it also has some basic failings. First of all the hard work principle lends itself to measuring how hard, or long you work instead of what you are getting done. Many hard workers feel they are entitled to rewards as long as they put in long hours or carry heavy loads. It can lead to resentment of people who have figured out how to work shorter hours for larger rewards. Instead of admiring them, you see them as lazy and undeserving. Hard workers are often frustrated by the efforts of people around them that they feel are not making the same contribution, or reaching the same level of productivity as they are. What the "hard working" crowd is missing is that every employee is hired to get a result, not to fill an empty space. 

Look at it this way. Pretend for a moment that you were doing the hiring and paying the bill. Would you rather pay a hard working man with an axe for 2 months to clear your land of trees, or pay a lazy dude with a chainsaw who can do it in one month? What I'd really like is a hard working man with a chainsaw, but given the choices I'll take the man who made the smart tool choice over the one who works hard. Why? Bottom line, it gets the job done faster and cheaper, which is what I really want. 

The second failing of the hard working philosophy is a tendency to want to jump into action without a well thought out plan. Let’s get moving! The problem with this is that the devil is in the details. I have seen many hastily laid plans leap into instant action and gain immediate progress. I have seen just as many of these plans sitting in the trash bin after huge amounts of time and money have been invested in them because they didn't actually accomplish what the customer really wanted. By the time they figured they weren't going to meet the real requirements they had too much invested in the hastily chosen direction to make the required corrections. A common companion of these discarded plans is the discarded manager who goes along with it. Action is critical, but first you must ensure your actions contribute to a plan that actually ends in the right results. 

In both cases of these cases, the work hard philosophy is missing the main opportunity. A smart plan is better than a hard working plan every time. But we are taught to spring to action. Get to work. Get it started. The reality is that working hard without a plan is fruitless. Working hard at things no one cares about is simply not productive. 

Making smart choices that contribute to the results that matter to other people is one of the keys to success. Solid up-front goals and objectives planning sessions are critical to your personal success and to the success of everything you endeavor to do. If you're a hard working person, learning to effectively recognize the goals and intelligently plan objectives and strategies to accomplish them is one of the best investments you can make in yourself. 

My success management tip for hard workers: learn to plan smart first, and then work hard. This is the unbeatable combination. ***

About The Author

Daryl Cowie has shared management tips with 1000s of people in over 30 countries around the world. His mission is to help you and your company turn business opportunities into business realities. Sign up for his free business management home study course at http://FreeManagementTips.com 

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80% of Job Seekers Only Read the Headlines

Do your Job Ad Headlines attract the right individuals?

by Toby Marshall

Think back over your recent recruitment campaigns. Did your ads always attract the high quality candidates that you were hoping for, with the right skills for the job? Your headlines play a large part in attracting people to your ads.

Your headlines should not be an afterthought – research indicates that around 80% of those reading ads only look at the headline, and if it doesn’t appeal to them immediately, they move on. Your headline is critical – its objective is to catch the attention of those you want to reach. You have just a few seconds, maybe less, to snare this interest.

Writing great job advertisements is like any other marketing activity. According to the statistic above, this applies to the headline even more than any other aspect of the ad. You are putting yourself out there, selling your business, this time not to customers, but to good quality individuals who you hope will want to work for you and help you drive your business forward.

Review the headlines of your former ads. Do they jump out at you? Are they captivating? Is the text persuasive? Does the job sound interesting? Does the job appeal to the desires of your potential candidates? Do you really know what your candidates are looking for?

Thus, the headline is by far the most important part of your ad. It should be emotive, stirring up excitement in the target audience and it should get them motivated to apply for your job.

Writing a headline that will appeal to your target audience will set the bait for your potential employees – captivating them, reeling them in and making them want to read more about what you have to offer.

Your headline has to stand out, and it has to do this amongst a sea of similar looking ads, whether in a newspaper or online. In printed form this is more challenging as costs are exorbitant and you want it to look good and be unique but most likely, in a small space. Your headline should be short and sweet, no more than 15 words, otherwise the reader will quickly lose interest.

n many cases the headline can be the job title itself. However, this can be spiced up with perks that won’t fail to attract your target audience. For example, the title Public Relations Director could have a sub-heading (or strap line) of Overseas Travel. This will instantly appeal to those with a desire to travel and highlights a genuine and very strong draw for a certain subset of individuals who you are hoping to attract.

The headline has to be short to grab the attention of the audience. It’s best to go for black text on a white background, with plenty of white space surrounding it. You can use abbreviations that are well known in the trade, e.g. PR for public relations.

So in the case of the example given above, you could shorten your title and make it stand out as follows:

PR Director - Overseas Travel –

This will stand out a lot more than Public Relations Director which takes up about the same column width, but does not have the same presence or appeal.

You want your ad to stand out on a crowded page. The abbreviated version of the job title, with the employee benefit directly underneath stands out a lot more than the full job title. Think about the short forms you can use, for example:

- Sales Mgr rather than Sales Manager - BDM rather than Business Development Manager. - Ops Manager rather than Operations Manager

A BDM knows what BDM stands for. It doesn’t really matter about those who don’t know what BDM is, because if they don’t know what it is, you probably aren’t trying to appeal to them anyway.

Sub headings can be longer if necessary, and emphasize words that you want to stand out by using bold or larger font. A general rule to follow is that the heading and sub headings should take at least a third of your ad space.

Despite the temptation, beware of capital letters. They are less readable than mixed case, for example:

PR Director is easier on the eye than PR DIRECTOR. In this situation, you are presented with a series of solid rectangles. Recognising words becomes more challenging on the eye.

With online ads, you have just the first 150 or so characters to grab the attention of your target audience. If these characters don’t appeal, you will have lost these potential recruits. Your upfront summary has to be spot-on, so that you don’t miss out on these people.

The bottom line? Every character counts. Choose your words wisely and target them directly to appeal to your key audience. If your headline isn’t right, you will be missing out on high quality, great candidates for your company.***

About the author:

Toby is an active speaker on the international conference circuit. His mission: To give all companies, no matter how few employees they have, the information and expert help they need to do their own recruitment and selection and find great new staff. If you like what you have read so far, you can get more information and resources at www.abacusrecruit.com.au

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Choosing a Recession Proof Career

It’s becoming more of a reality with each passing day even if politicians are averse to use the proper term.

We are in a recession. 
The combination of rising fuel costs, the war in Iraq, the rising price of food and the mortgage crisis in this country has put us in a severe economic downturn. Call it what you want but it has made many of feel extremely uneasy about our future.

How will we continue to live the lifestyles we’ve grown accustomed to? Is it possible? One way to ensure that you’ll come out of this horrendous period of economic history in decent shape is to find a career that can go relatively untouched by a wretched economy.

Here are five careers to consider if this is a concern of yours:

1. Think international. 
With the state of the U.S. dollar in steady decline it may be time to consider relocating to Europe for a period of time where economies are thriving. If you have bilingual skills now is the time to put them to use. You probably wondered to yourself as you were taking your seventh year of Spanish: why do I need to know a foreign language? Well, this is the reason. It’s going to give you an opportunity to secure your financial future.

2. Teaching is rewarding. 
The stigma that teachers don’t make a lot of money is true. However, they do earn a respectable living and can make up to $80,000 if they earn their masters degree. Not to mention, the pension plan for educators in public schools are excellent where you can earn up to 80 % of your highest salary and receive excellent health benefits.

3. Go green. 
Working for the environment is not just a couple of hours of community service on Earth Day anymore. This is a thriving industry as some politicians are serious about combating global warming. This field is open to scientists and people with great communication skills that are adept at promoting major issues.

4. Healthcare jobs are safe. 
The healthcare industry is one of the largest growing fields in the United States and there appears to be no end in sight. With healthcare privatized for the foreseeable future there will always be a future in this industry.

5. Public service. 
Firefighters, policemen and municipal jobs will always be needed to be filled. While the salaries may not escalate like they used to, there will always be a demand for these services to be rendered.

Source: www.bankaholic.com

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Job Searching on Internet

How do you find out about a job searching on the internet?

You probably asked. If you are one of the millions of people looking for jobs online or looking for other jobs to make both ends meet then you can search no further for online job postings are made available for unemployed people and those workers unsatisfied with their current compensation.

There are thousands of online job sites provided yet, narrowing down your choices to come up with the right ones is essential. Many people regard internet as one of the means in finding for the right job likewise, with employers generating this type of search to come across a candidate that will be suited for the job qualifications.The competition gets tougher and tougher therefore, you need to employ some of the best ways for employers to utter the line," you're in".

How do you find out about a job searching on the internet? Of course you would definitely look for them. You don't expect jobs come knocking on your door unless you are considered as one of those few people who are fortunate enough for jobs to come running after them. However, if you belong to the vast majority of people chasing for one job to another then you simply have to go find and get them.

Like any other search, you basically need a resume. You can send it through email rather than visiting the location yourself. Make certain that all the information disclosed in your resume contains the necessary details that will serve as your employer's way of determining if you are fitting for the job.

How do you find out about a job searching on the internet? This would also mean an applicant searching for the best online job sites providing greater outcome. This implies sites that has generated and converted jobless people with the right kind of job they are after for. Some of the best sites to look for include Career builder, http://Monster.com and Yahoo! Hot Jobs, all these are known to be one of the most recognized job sites online where you can also search for the field or category that you are interested in.There are still a lot of job sites on the net yet, all you need is a great deal of persistence and patience as you hop from one job site to another.

How do you find out about a job searching on the internet? These postings can also be manifested through sites that do not have a direct relation to job sites. There are certain articles on the net that will talk about the job you want and would provide links directing you to sites offering your preferred job.

How do you find out about a job searching on the internet? Answer is simple, possibilities are endless and options are limitless. Keep in mind that jobs are many yet; these great figures are only for those who exude the right qualification and attitude until you come upon the lines, "Congratulations, you're hired".

How Do you Find out About a Job Searching on the Internet? Learn about real work at home jobs from the honest team at Better Lifetimes. They show you how they've been making a full time income via their program website and FREE BLOG at http://www.BetterLifetimes.com

Source:www.isnare.com

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Four D Words Are Needed To Be Successful

Copyright © 2005-2008 Gordon Bellows

In order to achieve any amount of success in your life, it is
important that you understand four basic characteristics.

Let's call these four attributes the four D's of success, and
they are vital no matter what level of success you want.

Desire - Decision - Determination - Discipline

Desire is the most essential of the D's. Without desire, the
other fundamental things just don't matter. There are many
things we might like to have, and perhaps, we envy someone who
already has something we like. However, we are not very likely to
have these things for ourselves without desire. Not just a
feeling of wanting something or thinking it would be nice, but a
deep-down burning desire, a do-it-or-else attitude and a
willingness to make sacrifices to reach that goal. By sacrifices,
I mean things like giving up the extra servings to lose weight,
watching less TV to have more time available for a special
project, doing without a few things to be able to save money for
a down payment on a new house. Without a strong desire, the
sacrifices may become more of a dreaded chore than a means to an
end, in which case we are more likely to just give up and abandon
the goal.

Decisions need to be made once you have a clear-cut desire. You
want to accomplish a specific goal and now you need to decide how
to do it. Decide on a method to reach your goal and how long it
might take to get there. You can usually find valuable
information that is related to your goal in a bookstore, the
library, or on the Internet. Other times, you might need to talk
to someone who has accomplished a similar goal. Also, decide what
sacrifices, if any, may be necessary for you to make in order to
reach your goal. Reaching a goal is often easier by breaking a
major goal into mini-goals, each one being a milestone in
itself.

Determination and willpower are the traits you need to reach your
goal when you have a burning desire and you've made the decision
to take action and make something happen. There may be obstacles
on the way to your goal, but strength of mind and fortitude can
help keep you on track. It doesn't matter how fast you are
moving toward your goal as long as you keep moving in a positive
direction. You should be resolved to turn your desire into a
reality no matter what it takes.

Discipline can sometimes be the hardest D to handle. We may have
the best of intentions, but a moment of weakness can throw us off
track. It takes self-control and restraint to make sacrifices and
stick to the plan we decided upon. Every so often, we have to be
strict with ourselves and remember that the goal we seek is worth
the effort. If it becomes too hard to follow the plan, we might
need to revise the plan or the time it takes to get there.

Usually, what we desire most, is not the goal itself, but the
benefits that we experience when the goal is reached. The
following are typical goals and some possible benefits:

Goal: lose weight Benefit: look/feel better, more energy

Goal: plant garden Benefit: fresh food, exercise, nature

Goal: learn to golf Benefit: exercise, recreation

Goal: buy motorhome Benefit: travel, family outings

Goal: work at home Benefit: freedom, more time with family

Goal: higher income Benefit: better lifestyle, independence

Take a moment to think about your desires. Chances are good that
you have desires that are strong enough for you to make the
decision to take action and make things happen!

About the author:
Gordon Bellows struggled to find success with a home-based business until he was given some life-changing information. The same clear-cut tips and secrets that put him on the fast track to success are revealed in a useful e-course that is yours at no cost! Go to http://www.Home-Biz-Builder.com

Click here to read more articles from Gordon Bellows.

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How To Get Paid More At Your Current Employer

Do you want to ask your boss for a raise, but are unsure how?

Getting a raise doesn't have to be difficult. Think about it this way. You work hard. You contribute a lot to the company you are working for. If getting more money is something you deserve, it's OK to ask for it.

There are four steps to getting a raise:

1. YOU FIND OUT WHAT YOU ARE WORTH.
If you want to make more money, do the following:
Change your beliefs. The money you make is directly tied to the money you believe you will make. Believe that you are worth more and you will be. If you do not believe it, then no one will. If you are not making what you deserve, ask yourself what limiting beliefs are holding you back. Ask yourself what is keeping you from believing in the value you bring to the workplace.

Investigate so you know for sure. To date, it's not appropriate to ask colleagues what they make. It would be much easier if you could say to your boss, "Bill is making $150,000 a year and I am only making $100,000, and we are doing the same amount of work. So, can I have a $50,000 raise, please?"

Instead, you have to do your homework so you can go to your boss and say, "This is what other people in my industry in comparable positions are making, and I am doing the same amount of work, or more, so I would like a raise."

2. YOU GET THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SO YOU ARE PREPARED.
If you want to gather information, do the following:
Take out the job description you were given when you were first hired. If you don't have it, make a list of your initial duties. Compare what you were doing then with what you are doing now. If you are doing more, you should be getting paid more.

Go through your inbox. What's in there? Have you received thank-you letters or compliments from co-workers or your staff? Have you received thank-you letters from customers, or complements from your boss? Print these out so you can show your boss that the people you work with (including him or her) see you as valuable.

Select a number that you want to make. It's important that you have a number in mind, something to shoot for. You can't get what you want unless you know what that is. It's also important to have a plan B. Ask yourself what you would want instead, if you do not get that number. More time off? A larger bonus? Do you want to work from home? Do you want to have some of your commuting costs paid for? Have this planned out ahead of time.

3. YOU REQUEST A MEETING WITH YOUR BOSS.
The best way to get a meeting with your boss is to simply ask for a meeting. Tell your boss that you want to talk to him or her about your role in the company. If your boss asks you what you want to discuss when you make your request, say, "It's nothing bad, I promise. I just want to review a few things with you."

Or, you can put yourself on your boss's calendar. Half and hour should be fine. At the scheduled time, go in, and discuss your raise.

4. YOU ASK FOR YOUR RAISE.
Be as professional as possible in this meeting. You are not there to blame your boss or the company for anything. You need to be upbeat and optimistic. If you find that you cannot have this discussion without anger, wait for another time. Work with someone like a career coach to role-play the discussion so you so come across positively.

Expect to get your raise. Your intentions make a difference. Why would your boss give you a raise if even you don't expect to receive it?

Your goal is to leave this meeting with an answer or an appointment to discuss this matter again. As discussed in the chapter about following up, do not leave with, "I'll get back to you." Keep making appointments and keep following up. If you find that you are getting nowhere after six months, you can decide if you want to continue working for a company that does not truly value you or your contributions.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!
Copyright © 2008 Deborah Brown-Volkman
About the author: She is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that works with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. She is the author of "Don't Blow It! The Right Words For The Right Job," "Coach Yourself To A New Career," and "How To Feel Great At Work Everyday."

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Use a Mentor for Your Career Success

Mentoring is a relationship that is established with someone who is an expert in their field. The mentor is usually older and more experienced than the mentee. The mentor shares their experiences, and the lessons they have learned. But the relationship benefits both the mentor and the mentee. The mentor benefits from the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills. The mentee receives career guidance and helpful career advice to prepare for the next level in their career.

Many companies have formal mentoring programs in place for matching new employees with those already established in their career. If you are choosing your own mentors here are five tips to ensure a successful relationship:

1. A good career mentor:
- Is knowledgeable in their field
- Is generous and honest with advice
- Is a good communicator
- Is committed to the relationship
- Will get to know their mentee: her/his capabilities, interests and goals
- Will make recommendations for the mentee's career development and path
- Will create learning opportunities and heighten the mentee's career
- Will introduce the mentee to key people and professional organizations

2. Choosing a career mentor:
- Choose someone you admire
- Look outside your immediate work area - maybe your boss's boss.
- Choose someone in another area of your organization who has had a career path similar to your goal.
- Find multiple mentors (I have clients working with more than one mentor in a formal relationship).

To find a career mentor outside of your organization, join professional associations where you can meet senior people and executives in your field.

3. Setting up the Mentor/Mentee Relationship:
- Before seeking a mentor's assistance, make a plan. What do you expect from your mentor? What do you want to focus on? How much time do want to commit to this relationship? It is important for you to be clear about your expectations for your own benefit and in order to communicate this to your potential mentor.
- Invite the potential mentor to lunch or coffee to discuss your intention. Mentors appreciate the recognition, and are willing to share their knowledge and wisdom.
- At the meeting, effectively communicate your need for a mentor, your vision of the future. Define the relationship and why you would like this person to be your career mentor.
- Find out how involved the potential mentor wants to be in this relationship.
- Give them a chance to think about it - tell them you will get back to them in a couple of days.

4. The Relationship:
- Set up the parameters of the relationship together, how often, when & where you will meet, and the length of the meeting.
- Respect your mentor's time. Show up on time for your meetings. If you have to cancel your meeting, give at least 24 hours notice.
- Set up boundaries for phone calls. Between meetings call only if absolutely necessary.
- Use your scheduled meetings effectively by organizing your materials and the topics you would like to discuss.
- Pay for your own meals and drinks or offer to pick up the tab for your mentor's meal.
- If you are given an assignment, complete it on time.
- Show your appreciation by offering to help your mentor in any way possible. Send a thank-you e-mail communicating how this relationship has helped you or send a gift to recognize a special day for your mentor.
- Recognize when the relationship is winding down, communicate this, and wrap it up. If you would like to stay in touch with occasional updates of your career successes, clear it with your mentor at the end of the relationship.
- Obtain approval from your mentor before using them as a reference.

There are many benefits to a career mentorship, for both parties. Mentees gain the benefit of someone's experience to help them navigate their career development. Mentors have the opportunity to reflect on their careers. Having clear goals and communicating these will ensure that the experience is positive and productive. ***

Copyright 2007, Cecile Peterkin. All rights reserved.
Cecile Peterkin is a Certified Career and Life Coach. Feeling stuck in middle management or mid career? Take a FR-EE Assessment at our career guidance website.

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10 Ways to Stimulate Employee Motivation

Today's fast-moving business environment demands that the effective manager be both a well-organized administrator and highly adept in understanding people's basic needs and behavior in the workplace. Gaining commitment, nurturing talent, and ensuring employee motivation and productivity require open communication and trust between managers and staff.
1. Understand their behavior
People at work naturally tend to adopt instinctive modes of behavior that are self-protective rather than open and collaborative. This explains why emotion is a strong force in the workplace and why management often reacts violently to criticisms and usually seeks to control rather than take risks. So, in order to eliminate this kind of perspective and to increase employee motivation, it is best that you influence behavior rather than to change personalities. Insisting what you expect from your employees will only worsen the situation.

2. Be sure that people's lower-level needs are met.
People have various kinds of needs. Examples of lower-level needs are salary, job security, and working conditions. In order to increase employee motivation, you have to meet these basic needs. Consequently, failures with basic needs nearly always explain dissatisfaction among staff. Satisfaction, on the other hand, springs from meeting higher-level needs, such as responsibility progress, and personal growth. When satisfaction is met, chances are employee motivation is at hand.

3. Encourage pride
People need to feel that their contribution is valued and unique. If you are a manager, seek to exploit this pride in others, and be proud of your own ability to handle staff with positive results. This, in turn, will encourage employee motivation among your people.

4. Listen carefully
In many areas of a manager's job, from meetings and appraisals to telephone calls, listening plays a key role. Listening encourages employee motivation and, therefore, benefits both you and your staff. So make an effort to understand people's attitudes by careful listening and questioning and by giving them the opportunity to express themselves.

5. Build confidence
Most people suffer from insecurity at some time. The many kinds of anxiety that affect people in organizations can feed such insecurity, and insecurity impedes employee motivation. Your antidote, therefore, is to build confidence by giving recognition, high-level tasks, and full information. In doing so, you only not refurbish employee motivation but boost productivity as well.

6. Encourage contact
Many managers like to hide away behind closed office doors, keeping contact to a minimum. That makes it easy for an administrator, but hard to be a leader. It is far better to keep your office door open and to encourage people to visit you when the door is open. Go out of your way to chat to staff on an informal basis. Keep in mind that building rapport with your staff will effectively increase employee motivation.

7. Use the strategic thinking of all employees.
It is very important to inform people about strategic plans and their own part in achieving the strategies. Take trouble to improve their understanding and to win their approval, as this will have a highly positive influence on performance and increasing employee motivation as well.

8. Develop trust
The quality and style of leadership are major factors in gaining employee motivation and trust. Clear decision making should be coupled with a collaborative, collegiate approach. This entails taking people into your confidence and explicitly and openly valuing their contributions. By simply giving your staff the opportunity to show that you can trust them is enough to increase employee motivation among them.

9. Delegate decisions
Pushing the power of decision-making downward reduces pressure on senior management. It motivates people on the lower levels because it gives them a vote of confidence. Also, because the decision is taken nearer to the point of action, it is more likely to be correct. Consequently, by encouraging them to choose their own working methods, make decisions, and giving them responsibility for meeting the agreed goal will encourage employee motivation among your staff.

10. Appraising to motivate
When choosing methods of assessing your staff's performance, always make sure that the end result has a positive effect on employee motivation and increases people's sense of self-worth. Realistic targets, positive feedback, and listening are key factors.

If you follow these simple steps in increasing employee motivation, rest assured you will have a good working relationship with your staff at the same time boost you company's productivity. Just bear in mind that people are employed to get good results for the company. Their rates of success are intrinsically linked to how they are directed, reviewed, rewarded, trusted, and motivated by the management.

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When is the Right Time for an HR Expert?

For many companies, who have experienced rapid growth, Human Resources is an after thought. You start out with two employees and before you know it, you've grown to over 25. Life in the office goes from being fairly simple to highly complex.

When you are a small company, it is easy to operate on the fly. In fact some employees find it thrilling to work in an environment where everything is informal. Unfortunately, there are many others who have a difficult time operating in an organization where the only thing that is predictable is change.

Like it or not, it may very well be time to formalize HR processes and procedures in your organization. No need to panic. You can easily accomplish this by hiring an HR Expert.

What's the role of an HR Expert?
Think of an HR Expert like you would a VP of HR. Only you don't have to provide this person with a fancy office and a big salary. The services of an HR expert vary depending on the company's needs and the consultant's depth of experience. Just-in-time services range from writing an employee handbook to helping guide you through complex HR issues.

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. When evaluating consultants, focus on the value they can bring to your organization. A small decrease in turnover or an increase in productivity will more than pay for this investment.

So how do you know when it's the right time to hire an outside HR Expert? Here are some clues:

You no longer know right from wrong - When you first started your business you were feeling pretty comfortable addressing HR issues in your organization. After all, how hard could it be making up policies, such as vacation time, as you needed them? Now was it Bob or Mary that you promised an additional week of paid vacation? If you can't remember, ask either one of them. They know exactly what the other one has.

You are having a difficult time keeping up with all the rules and regulations-Some leaders find it hard to let go, so they try to manage everything. This requires a great deal of reading and a terrific memory. Before you enroll in a three-day seminar on the fundamentals of HR management, ask yourself if this time would be better spent dramatically improving your product and enhancing your market position.

You believe you can do it all in house - Why hire an expert when you can use software to automate all of HR? Take employee handbooks. For a few hundred dollars you can do it yourself. Or can you? You probably could if you had the knowledge that it took to answer the series of questions that need responses. But if you could do this, then why would you need to buy the software?

Save yourself the money and aggravation. Hire an expert who can get the work done right the first time and in a way that works for your company. Then cross this important item off of your long list of things to do.

You are not Atlas - When you are experiencing rapid growth, it's easy to forget that you need a strong foundation to support your company's growth. Imagine what would happen if you decided to build a 5,000 square foot house on a foundation that is meant to support a 2,000 square foot home. Your house will eventually collapse.

The same is true for organizations that have grown rapidly and have not established a strong base. Through luck, or by throwing out huge sums of money, you might have attracted star players to your team. But few people will stay once they realize that they have joined a squad that is experiencing lots of growing pains. Invest in your infrastructure beforehand, to ensure you retain those valuable resources.

You can no longer look around the office and call each employee by their name - If you've reached this point, then you probably should have hired an expert several years ago. That being said, it is not too late. Now where are those name tags kept?

Despite what you might have heard, there is no magic formula for deciding when it is time to bring in an HR Expert. The right time is when you are serious about decreasing your legal exposure, enhancing employee engagement and dramatically increasing productivity and profitability.***

Article Source:http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com

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