Internships

Posted: 06/25/2008

In my book I talked about the value of internships for both the intern and the employer.  In order for these assignments to realize their full value, it requires effort on the part of the intern and the organization that has the opportunity to utilize this often-incremental resource for a specified period of time.  During my corporate management career, I looked forward to having this extra resource to get needed projects completed.  I made sure the individual had meaningful work that would challenge them to utilize their skills and/or develop new skills that they would take away from the assignment.   Unfortunately, there are some organization leaders who do not understand the reasons why internships are important or how they should manage these individuals and the process.  If you are currently an intern or plan to have an internship, take the personal initiative to make sure it is the learning experience it should be.  This can be your first experience with “managing” the boss.  If you don’t have a written outline of the position responsibilities, request one at the beginning of the assignment.  Discuss the internship performance review schedule and progress reporting that will occur during the assignment.  Ask how and by what criteria you will be evaluated and rated during and at the completion of the assignment.  Finally, make sure you get meaningful work that is reflective of someone performing the assignment professionally–your objective is to get real work experience.

Mid Year Performance Review

Posted: 06/24/2008

If you don’t have quarterly performance discussions, you should at a minimum have a mid year detailed review of your accomplishments to date and review of the things you must complete before year-end.  Complete your self-assessment in preparation for your discussion with the leader of your area.  If he or she does not initiate the discussion, take the initiative to facilitate the required discussion.  The review is even more important during our current business and economic environment.  When there is a slow down and likely recession in some major industries, there is added pressure on everyone to deliver more value.  Businesses and all other organizations will be looking for ways to conserve cash and/or reduce costs in all areas and the people costs are obvious areas of opportunity.  Make sure your evaluation results in the feeling that you are an asset to the organization that increases value.  You never want to leave the impression that you are simply a “cost” to the enterprise.  Focus the discussion on the value you have created during the first half of the year and end the discussion with the value you will create during the remainder of the year.  Stay involved and don’t be reluctant to take on new and more challenging responsibilities.  Organizations like and appreciate individuals who take initiative, deliver value and go beyond expectations.

Job/Position Security

Posted: 04/28/2008

We frequently see announcements that organizations will be restructuring or eliminating a significant number of positions.  Sometimes the reductions are the result of a changed business alignment while others are simply reductions due to the need to reduce costs in order to become more competitive.  For you as an individual, the reason really doesn’t matter.  The reason might impact the strategy you must employ but the bottom line is that there will be less people in the organization when the process is complete.  If your desire is to stay with your current organization or if you plan to do the things that would facilitate a transition to another more desirable organization, you can implement strategies that would aid you in either endeavor.   You start by being the very best performer in your current organizational assignment and also learn functions in other parts of the organization.  The idea of multitasking or job combinations is very common in realigned organizations as the organization strives to leverage all resources.  I would also suggest you learn and begin doing things others cannot or will not do in the organization.  Job functions will continue to be performed and the individuals who have the most needed skills will be retained.   You should also stay contemporary in all your thinking and focus on the future.  What you did in the past will have no significant impact of what the organization is looking for in the future.  By doing these things, you will strengthen your position with your current organization while becoming more employable with other organizations.  There is no job security but you can win in any environment.

Oral Communication Skills

Posted: 04/28/2008

Technical skills are important because you must be able to perform the functions of your position.  You must begin with the basic skills and continuously learn in our environment of rapid change.  Do you sometimes wonder why some individuals with excellent technical skills can never seem to get to a level above the technical technician in organizations?  Do you see others with lesser technical skills rise above others and become leaders of their organization?  The lack of oral communication skills has prevented a significant number of people from achieving their dreams of career success.  Few individuals have natural oral communications skills that rise to the level of captivating audiences and leaving them totally satisfied or wanting to hear more from the communicator.  You know, the type speakers you can’t wait for the next opportunity to hear more of what they have to say.    If you want to achieve all you desire in your career and have difficulty with your oral communication skills, make efforts to improve in this area by getting the required training.  Don’t wait for a manager or leader to suggest the training, take the initiative to become better and you will increase your odds for career advancement.  There are few really successful individuals who do not have good oral communication skills.  I almost said none but thought of a few that would make you believe I “misspoke” due to some obvious success stories by most standards.

Contemporary Knowledge

Posted: 02/14/2008

In my book, I talked about the importance of staying contemporary in all that you do during your career.  That is true relative to your skills as well as the language being spoken in your business or profession.  You must understand and be knowledgeable of what others are saying and communicating at all times.   I recently visited a web site that is a good tool that will facilitate your needs in understanding business terms or definitions.  The site is www.businessdefinitions.com and it is loaded with information that you might find of value now or as a reference tool in the future.  It is loaded with over 20,000 terms and you can search by term or major business category.  You can also sign up on the site to receive the term of the day and I have found that to be of value and a way of stimulating thought.  You might find it interesting to test your knowledge and understanding of terms before reviewing the definitions on the site.    Staying relevant requires continuous development and learning.  In order to accomplish that, it is imperative that you stay contemporary in all that you do.  Being knowledgeable of the terminology and language of your professional environment is a major facilitator of this process.

Honesty and Integrity

Posted: 02/11/2008

The terms Sarbanes Oxley, Corporate Governance and Business Ethics all relate to public business conduct.  All of this is reflective of the honesty and integrity of the individuals involved in the business processes–it is that simple.  After completing my book, it was reviewed by a professor at a major university and a portion of his response after reading my book was, “I like the fact that Mr. Donald stresses the importance of coaching, culture, ethics and leadership.  I don’t know the literature on careers but the importance of these factors often seem to be overlooked by the young folks that I advise.”  That is a clear sign to me that some of the folks who will be entering the work force have taken notice of the business practices today and will likely follow the leads of others.  That is unfortunate and sends a message about the way business is conducted.   Our business and professional environment is more competitive today than ever and the competitiveness is likely to continue in the future.  With the increases in competitiveness, we have also seen increases in questionable and often illegal business practices, many of which have lead to criminal prosecutions and incarceration of the offenders.  Many of these situations have been well publicized and it is difficult to read business publications without reading about a developing situation that is being investigated.  I have no idea why the level of honesty and integrity seems to be deteriorating but it certainly has no place in any successful business or professional endeavor.  From my perspective, crime is crime but there is now a definition for it when applied to “professional” individuals. It is called white-collar crime as noted in the definition below.     Within the field of criminology, white-collar crime or 'incorporated governance' has been defined by Edwin Sutherland "...as a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation." Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behaviour was learned from interpersonal interaction with others. White-collar crime therefore overlaps with corporate crime because the opportunity for fraud, bribery, insider trading, embezzlement, computer crime, and forgery is more available to white-collar employees.   Believe me when I say that no inappropriate business conduct can be concealed long term.  Businesses have internal controls and specific reporting requirements that prevent that from being a realistic outcome.  I encourage you to always operate with the highest degree of honesty and integrity while pursuing your career and professional endeavors.  That is the only approach that will result success and the career longevity that you desire.  Any perceived short-term results that are achieved are not worth the losses and personal embarrassment you will certainly suffer as a result of unethical business practices.  This is one area that is not negotiable and should never be compromised.

Dealing With People

Posted: 02/11/2008

During your career, it will be necessary for you to interface with and be effective in your encounters with individuals who have differing personalities.  Some of the situation will be very easy for you to manage and be productive while others will be more complicated and challenging.  In some instances you might have to develop some type of relationship but in other situation, you only need to find a way to be successful in achieving a specific outcome.  Each of these potential situations presents different challenges but they are manageable.   I the book, Dealing With People You Can’t Stand, several personality types are discussed with specific guidance on how to manage the relationships with the individuals possessing the personalities.  The entire book was very insightful but the major take away for me was that you must focus on what you need from all encounters and the things required to accomplish your objectives.  After all, you are not desirable of developing a long-term personal relationship with everyone you encounter in your business and professional dealing.  In many situations, all you need or want is to close the deal.  If long-term relations prove to be possible, there is nothing wrong with that, but it should not be the prime objective with every encounter.  Do not compromise your principles during you professional endeavors but adjust your strategies and tactics when necessary to achieve your desired outcomes.  Recognize that people often do have different personalities that make them unique and not necessarily bad people, only different.  Learn to get what you need from each professional situation and never take everything personal.

Career Resolutions 2008

Posted: 01/14/2008

I hope you had a safe and enjoyable holiday season while spending time with family and friends.  It is certainly important to have the much-needed time away from your work environment in order to recharge your mind and body for life and career demands.  It is also important that you begin the New Year with a positive attitude and leave the “issues” from the prior year in the past.  Learn the lessons from experience but live in the present and focus on the things you will accomplish in the future.    I will share with you my thoughts on items you might want to consider for your 2008 career resolutions.  Some will be things you should focus on and complete early in the year with others being more related to continuous changes in how you manage and function during your career.  You might want to consider establishing some as goals with a time line for completion.  That can be a powerful enabler for goal accomplishment.  Significant details are provided on the majority of these items in my book.  Visit my web site regularly for career ticklers such as those included in this list of resolutions.    1.      Career Analysis-Analyze your career progress to determine if you are on track to achieve your career objectives.  Ask the tough questions and be prepared to take the necessary actions required for career success. 2.      Skills Assessment- Most of us believe we can effectively perform all the required functions in our profession.  An honest self-assessment will provide you with clues to the areas where improvements or new skills are needed.  Be proactive and seek out any additional training and development that will make you better at what you do. 3.      Resume Update- The beginning of the year is an excellent time to update your resume.  Do it whether you are looking for a new position or are completely satisfied with all aspects of your current position and career.  Things can change rapidly so be prepared.  Who knows, that outstanding opportunity that was a distant dream just might surface. 4.      Networking- Begin developing your network of contacts or start cultivating your existing network.  This is a perfect time for that type activity because many others will be in the frame of mind to do the same thing. 5.      Mentoring- Touch base with your mentor.  If you don’t have one, get one.  He or she could be your portal to success and you need every advantage you can get in this competitive career environment. 6.      Read- Broaden your perspectives by staying in touch with current world events and reading about topics not related to what you current know.  Your schmoozing ability will play a significant roll in your degree of success and that requires diverse knowledge, information and technique. 7.      Continuous Learning- Make continuous learning a priority.  No matter how good you are in your profession, taking a break from the learning process can make you obsolete.  Seek out and take advantage of personal and career development opportunities. 8.      Start Fresh- Clean out those old files, both hard copy and electronic.  Learn from the content of those files and identify actions that would be of value.  There will be some real treasures in those files, use them to your advantage and move on. 9.      Utilize Technology- The Las Vegas technology show this year continues the trend of introducing new devices that will change how we work and live in profound ways.  This field is showing no signs of slowing down and it is essential that you utilize and stay current with emerging technology in order to get or remain relevant in your career field. 10.  Make Health a Priority- Being successful in your career without maintaining your personal health is not a winning scenario.  Do the things you must do in order to maintain your body, mind and spirituality.  That is the only way you can enjoy the benefits of a successful career.   Have a wonderful year!

Defining Moments

Posted: 01/04/2008

“There is a defining moment in every persons life. Within that moment, everything that that person is, shines its brightest.”     There was a time when I found it difficult to understand why bad things happened to individuals when they appeared to have everything anyone could need or want.  Many of these individuals had achieved fame, fortune and success as defined by most in our society.  After perceived significant achievements some individuals still managed to loose it all as a result of inappropriate actions difficult for most of us to understand.  It is near impossible to read a newspaper or view an evening news report without adding a new individual to the list of those who have fallen from grace.  I don’t know if the frequency has increased or if the reporting has gotten more visibility and frequent with technology.  Either way, there is certainly more awareness.   The important message for any professional is that you must manage your defining moments and avoid becoming an undesirable statistic.  If you compromise just once, you stand the chance of putting one foot on that slippery slope that could lead to a failed career and personal embracement.  Listen to your parent tapes and do the right thing and you will avoid those career pit falls.  If you question the impact of how one decision can start a chain of events that lead to career ending consequences, google any of the following names and see how their lives changed as a result of personal actions:  Mark Swartz, Ivan Boesky, Michael Vick, Dennis Kozlowski, Marian Jones, Bernard Ebbers or Lisa Nowak.  Those defining moments have consequences in any profession and they will ultimately define your level of success.  Do the right thing and you will manage your defining moments.

Holiday Social Events

Posted: 11/29/2007

Inappropriate conduct during a social event or holiday party can do major damage or totally destroy a career that has been consistently moving forward.  It only takes one action and not the establishment of a trend to find you in a very unfortunate situation.   In thinking about this, I instantly recall an incident at an event when an outstanding information technology professional decided he would drink flaming ouzo to show his manhood.  He proceeded to light the drink and accidentally set his mustache on fire.  For the next year or so, that was his defining moment.  He was no longer known as an outstanding information technology professional.  He was now branded as the person who set his mustache on fire.  This occurred over 25 years ago and I can see the event like it was yesterday.  That is how lasting the action was for me and I am sure it was the same for others who witnessed the act.  Think about this and the likely significant change in your career potential before you decide to put that lampshade on your head or dance on the piano at the next office social function.  You do not want some inappropriate behavior to become part of your brand and a defining moment.  Have a plan and seriously consider your behavior before attending social events and holiday parties.  Social situations can be valuable and enhancing to your career when used appropriately.   In order to capitalize on the benefits, you must avoid embarrassing actions that will potentially offend others and leave negative professional impressions.  Save yourself some career pain after those holiday parties by doing the following: 1.    If you drink alcohol, set a limit and stick to it 2.    Dress appropriately 3.    Keep your hands to yourself 4.    Don’t tell jokes 5.    Use good etiquette at all times 6.    Network and build relationships 7.    Use your schmoozing skills 8.    No performance discussions 9.    Never criticize your spouse or significant other 10.  Don’t gossip Know when it is time to leave the party.  The longer you stay, the greater the chance you will say or do something that is inappropriate.  Don’t be the one enjoying that final drink and turning the lights out at the end of the evening.