Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Nice Girls Dont Get the Corner Office

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office Ten years ago, I first read a fantastic book by Lois Frankel called Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office, which was about unconscious mistakes women make that sabotage their careers. Well, apparently not much has changed in a decade because nice girls still don’t get the corner office, and in response Lois has released a new edition of her essential advice guide. Given that I’m still making some of these errors myself, I thought it might be helpful to show my fellow professional women how to overcome deeply ingrained habits that are presently holding us â€" and our teams â€" back. And guys, you owe it to the women you love to share this piece with them. Needing to be liked The desire to be liked is so strong in some nice girls that it becomes impossible for them to act in any alternative manner. They become immobilized at the thought of disappointing someone. But there’s a difference between being liked and being respected, and if you’re concerned only by being liked or preserving your workplace relationships, you will not take the kinds of risks that lead to respect. Lois suggests that you use self-talk to counter the need to have everyone like you all the time, because that won’t happen no matter what you do. Replace the thought “but people won’t like me if…” with “people might get upset with me, but at least I will be acting in accordance with my values.” Also, balance your inclination to serve others’ needs with serving your own. Before agreeing to something you don’t want to do, ask yourself how much it will matter if the person’s a little annoyed. Playing the game in bounds Even when a woman knows the workplace is a game, she has the tendency to play safe rather than play smart. She obeys all the rules to the letter and expects others to as well. If the policy says don’t do it, then it can’t be done. If it might upset someone, she doesn’t do it. Lois says that you never want to act unethically, but it is a game, and one you want to win. Therefore, you should play the game within bounds, but right at the edges. If you’re not sure where the edges of your company’s playing field are, look at the women in your workplace who are winning the game. Consider what they’re doing that you should be doing too. Also, try writing down two rules you interpret narrowly and always follow. Have you seen other people bend these rules? If nothing has happened to them, take the risk! For the rest of Lois tips, please see the full post at Intuits Fast Track blog.

Can you take your working life seriously

Can you take your working life seriously Recruiters often ask for a sense of humour in job descriptions or person specifications. Is this a cliché or is it intended  to make their job adverts attractive? Could it be coded language  warning of  onerous  duties and  expectations and odd  company cultures? Have you ever noticed these phrases? “Must have a good sense of humour.” “This is a busy firm. A sense of humour and a flexible, resilient attitude are necessary.” “Successful people in our company share a keen sense of humour and broad shoulders.” “You will need a great sense of humour and an ease with people. Can ‘a sense of humour’ actually make a difference in the workplace? Yes! It can be a key to success at work in four specific ways: Communication: Sharing a giggle helps colleagues establish bonds and develops rapport. Laughing breaks down barriers and is a great leveller.  A sense of humour can indicate emotional intelligence and might  help  towards building  strong business relationships. Productivity: When work involves repetitive tasks, monotony can undermine productivity. Sharing a joke  distracts from   boredom and makes work  more enjoyable. Surveys and anecdotal evidence  suggest that humour is important for career advancement and that people with a good sense of  it do a better job! De-stress: When we laugh, an emotional and a physical response is triggered and we relax. There is strong evidence that humour reduces dysfunctional stress and that by reframing stressful situations people can perceive them as more manageable. Creativity: The power of laughter sometimes opens up new ideas, positive ways of thinking and problem solving and  can help  people to make new connections. Some other views on this? Companies such as Deloitte Touche LLP use Humour Consultants periodically. “While we haven’t done any formal research on the subject, we are BIG believers that life is too short, and you work too many hours, not to have fun while you’re doing it. So part of our culture is about enjoying each other, being passionate about what you do, and having fun while you do it! All of this helps us serve our clients better, exceed their expectations, and grow faster than any of our competitors.” (J. Wall, Personal Communication, November 8, 2002) When humour is used fittingly it can demonstrate “…maturity and the ability to see the forest through the trees. You don’t have to be a stand-up comedian, but well-placed humour that is clever and apropos to a business situation always enhances an employee’s career” (Lynn Taylor, workplace expert). “A sense of humour is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” Dwight D. Eisenhower But beware. There is a flip side! Humour can be discriminatory, exclusive and offensive. In these cases it causes stress! There is a psychotherapy theory  that humour can be a defence mechanism. It may allow people to avoid experiencing their emotions, enabling them to distance themselves from difficulties in the workplace. Job advertisements stressing the need for humour may appeal to people who genuinely enjoy a joke and want to work with like-minded people. The reality could be a bit more sinister. Perhaps it is an indication that the culture of the company is a little inappropriate, the environment chaotic and that they are looking for someone who will not fall apart. “… I want to hire someone who, in times of difficulty, will not break down in tears and cry, but can bounce back and tackle the situation with a positive attitude. So no, it doesnt necessarily mean I want to hire the class clown for a position, but should things go wrong, I want you to be buckle up, face the situation, and move forward with a smile and a great attitude.”(anonymous employer) Arguably, having a sense of humour can make life more fun and us more likeable, but when it is a ‘must’ for the workplace you may want to ask yourself whether this is the type of environment and role that you would enjoy being part of. And as the National Careers Service advises, “You should only need a sense of humour if the job itself is a joke, so steer well clear of this! The only job you need a sense of humour for is as a comedian.”

Why a Strong Company Culture is Key to Employee Happiness

Why a Strong Company Culture is Key to Employee Happiness Im very passionate about our employees happiness and well-being. I also believe that having a set of shared values, as well as a strong company culture, is central to peoples happiness at work. As CEO, I take personal responsibility for my employees well-being and tied to that is the fact that our values are in front of mind in all that we do, especially recruitment. We always try to attract candidates that will preserve and enhance our culture. We have created initiatives to celebrate the company culture and these become stories shared which are cherished as the company grows. These include fun, off-site strategy away days and lunch and learn sessions on various food themes. I wish to empower and make the teams contribution feel valued and celebrated. We proactively seek opportunities to have fun. For example, we recently participated in a VR mindfulness meditation session. We also have off-site quarterly team strategy planning trips, which included a trip to Amsterdam on a modern houseboat. During our away-day trip to Amsterdam, we took the opportunity to refresh our company values together. I took my senior team, rented a houseboat on a lake just outside Amsterdam and we worked on them as a team there. We started by defining everyones personal brand, which was a great ice-breaker and team-building exercise, and then brainstormed as a team what the company values could be. We went on to cluster and prioritize these values, which helped us vote on the top five values which we believed fully represent what success means to our business. These values are now the glue that unites us to achieve collective success. To ensure they remain front of mind, we use them all the time and have had them printed on colorful canvas boards and put them in our office. 10-Year CVs We encourage everyone to have 10-year future CVs, which is a great way to encourage the team to look ahead and achieve more. If you have a plan in place, you are more likely to achieve it. Having a vision in the first place is so important, rather than simply drifting through life. This 10-year CV has been highly motivational, even for those who have been less ambitious. Food We find that food unites us. We have a fully working kitchen at work and the team is encouraged to eat healthily, cooked food at lunch. I get great satisfaction seeing the team teach each other about their culture and hidden culinary talents as they prepare and cook lunch together, rather than simply buy a sandwich from the local supermarket. I am sure the cooking standard and eating habits have improved, helped also by the slightly competitive spirit of our good eats, where the team is encouraged to bring in food on a theme eg Greek, or Thai to share for our lunch and learns. Success Celebrating success is also important, especially where it relates to company values and related behaviors that have been demonstrated. As a wise friend once said to me, your kids are on loan to you. I feel the same about the team; you cant take for granted that everyone in the team will stay forever â€" if we succeed to add as much value as we can to their future ambition and success, I will have succeeded. Career Progression We celebrate the career progression of everyone in the team, which could be evidenced by passing exams relevant to their work, a promotion or great client project feedback. We have implemented an NPS (net promoter score) in our business, which allows us to easily measure client satisfaction levels. This was initially designed to ensure we were gathering data to continuously improve the business performance and ways of working but has had an unexpected positive outcome to be highly motivational to the team to recognize their achievements. Energy levels and personal motivation in the business is very high, which makes the role of a line manager easier as the team is pushing to achieve their learning plans and aspirational career goals and other personal targets such as exam passes. Hiring for potential, not just evidenced success, and harnessing internal mentoring talent to shadow more ambitious junior team members, means overall salary costs are lower. I try to hire in anticipation of future business growth â€" not just at pain point of growth as its not realistic to expect new team members to hit the ground running, there is a learning curve of typically 3-6 months for full value to be gained. This hiring strategy results in more time for people to learn, and less fires to fight. Our time is spent on the positive aspects of what we enjoy doing. For me, the journey is as important as the end destination, so having fun along the way is something we try to schedule in as it does not always happen. In a world of mental health and stress, its important to slow down and consider employees personal lives and how they measure personal success such as buying a property or having more time to see their aging parents or newborn kids. If we can exist to make a difference beyond pure commercial gain then the world will be a better place. About the Author: Carlene Jackson is the CEO of Brighton-based tech company  Cloud9 Insight, one of the UKs top 25 SME culture leaders for 2019, according to the  recent  report by Real Business magazine. Cloud9 Insight is a Microsoft Gold Partner which has provided more than 600 UK businesses with cloud-based CRM software systems. Founded in 2010, the company has 20 staff and is also an award-winning apprenticeship provider.

Writing a Professional Introduction Email

Writing a Professional Introduction Email Managers often write a professional introduction email to their new staff after starting a position. It is an excellent way to digitally open the door and show you are an engaging leader.If you are a manager or director, we offer these tips to make sure your email is opened (and read). Introducing yourself in an email to staff for the first time must make the proper impression.Use a Welcoming Subject Line That’s Not Too SpammyGo to your spam inbox and read the subject lines. You will see a particular style of writing that looks impersonal, fake, and generic. This is hardly the way to introduce yourself in an email.For your subject line, be engaging, to the point, use your name, and mention your job title. Remember the importance of interpersonal skills in business.Try this professional email subject line:Introducing: [Your name] | New [your job title]Do Not Make Demands in an Intro EmailImagine how you would feelif you received a professional introduction email from a new manager o r boss like this:“Hi, I am your new sales manager. Here is what I expect of you in the first month…[insert demands]”It happens, unfortunately. Instead of starting off with a list of demands, try introducing yourself in an email by stating:How excited you are to be working together. Offering to speak with staff about suggestions and advice. What you look forward to at the company.Again, keep it brief. An introduction email should not read as long-winded. Assume your staff is busy and does not have time for long email interactions. You are showing respect for their time.Do Not Make Assumptions in an Intro EmailYou are the new kid on the block whether a new employee or leader. However, there could be those in the company with many more years of experience and perhaps a bit more battle-hardened when it comes to your new company.If you begin to impose your experience through assumptions in an intro email, especially if you have not spoken withany staff yet, your new colleagues may start thinking you have no industry experiencesimply because you made false assumptions about the company and your duties.Every person goes into a new position with pre-conceived notions of what will happen. It is a safer idea to keep these assumptions to yourself unless specifically asked for insight, which would never happen in an intro email. After all, that is why the company made you do30-60-90 Day Plan for the interview process.Proofread and Send a Test to YourselfBefore emailing the entire staff, make sure your grammar is clean. Great Google Chrome plugins like Grammarly are an excellent help.You are writing a professional introduction email to staff. Typos and poor grammar make your staff question your attention to detail. People often assume a brave, impeccable leader knows how to use clean grammar.Next, send a test to yourself. Read it out loud to yourself. If you hate the way your email reads, trust your gut instinct and change it.Use a Simple Font and Size Everyone Can R eadIt is best to stick with what works for a professional introduction email:Calibri, Arial, Sans-Serif, or HelveticaAlso, do not make your resume fonts visible from outer space or only visible through a microscope. Try font sizes 10 to 14.The main reason for this is because font types and sizes appear different on all devices. Large fonts, or worse, typing in all caps, can knock people out of their chairs. It looks awkward, unprofessional, and a bit like your introduction email is yelling. The last thing you want to do in a professional intro email is yell at them, digitally.Watch the Tone of Your EmailDoes your professional introduction email to staff read like this?“Here I am! Here is what I do!”Or does it read like this?“There you are! Tell me about yourself.”Emails using the word “I” too often sound boastful and arrogant. Sure, people want to get to know you in your professional introduction email, but they also want to know you are approachable.Try cutting down on phrases that state, “What I have done and this is why I am important”. These phrases read too arrogant. Plus, staff already knows you were hired for your past experience.Instead, focus on statements of this nature, “What we will do together and why each of you are important.” You read humble and willing to work together. Humility is one of the strongest traits that make a leader strong and approachable!For career advice on what to write when it's time to say goodbye, you can read How to Write Your Formal Letter of Resignation.

Writing a Resume For Writing Words - Follow the Rules Before You Start

Writing a Resume For Writing Words - Follow the Rules Before You StartIt is not easy to write a resume for writing words and you have to be very careful while doing it. What are the rules that one has to follow? Well, the basic rules that you have to follow are as follows:o Format matters. This is because your CV is to be written in a specific format. You have to read and understand this format before you start writing.o Avoid excessive use of abbreviations. Always avoid using these in your resume. They are only used in correspondence and not in resumes. This is a crucial rule for writing a resume for writing words and you have to understand this.o Avoid circular arguments. Never use circular arguments when writing a resume for writing words. It will look unprofessional and also will spoil the effect of your resume.o Know the language. The language in which your resume will be written depends on your choice. So, it will be good if you have a few friends who speak English very well an d you can ask them to teach you some sentences and word patterns that they usually use in writing English and try to write your resume in the same way.o Remember to incorporate keywords in your resume. Always put the keywords in your resume. This will help your readers to know what kind of job you are looking for and will surely add some points to your resume.o Learn the art of rewriting your resume. Rewriting your resume will make it look professional and will help you to sell yourself more effectively. It will also help you look more professional.o Know the use of rules for writing in English. If you know these things, then you will be able to sell yourself easily and will give the desired results from your resume. These are the basic rules that you have to follow for writing a resume for writing words and you have to understand this.

Social Media Means You Cant Hide - CareerEnlightenment.com

Of course she probably had a very attractive résumé to go with this. Be that as it may, her honesty got her somewhere.In contrast, I was speaking with a job seeker the other day who had been unemployed for over a year. I asked him what his strategy was. He said he reaches out to old friends and tells them he is unemployed on the third conversation.So hows that workin out for ya? was my only stunned reply.Dont be afraid to tell your truth, whatever that may be, in a professional, non-whiny way. You may be surprised at the results.What do you think? Could you be this direct and honest? What is one thing you can change in your profile to reflect what it is that you are actually looking for?

Are you making these 7 mistakes on your resume - Sterling Career Concepts

Are you making these 7 mistakes on your resume Are you making these 7 mistakes on your resume? My resume is on the back of this T-shirt. T-shirt by BlackBird Tees 1.   Does your resume style match your industry? Artistic and creative fields such as marketing and advertising lend themselves well to getting a bit more creative, dynamic in a resume. The only exception would be if you’re applying for marketing positions at companies in a more conservative industry (i.e., investment banking). 2.   Are you highlighting your community involvement and leadership roles? Complement your professional experience with community service involvement and roles with non-profits, and be sure to highlight any leadership roles that you have held. 3.   Are you highlighting appropriate skills for your field? If you’re pursuing a career in marketing or advertising, highlight your knowledge of social media. If you’re pursuing a role in IT, be sure to review your technology skill set. This can either be part of your summary section or as a separate section at the end of the resume. 4.   How long is just right? Sticking to one page is generally best for young professionals, but beyond that, there are no hard-fast rules about resume length. If you can present your background and strengths succinctly on one page, do it. If after a certain number of years, say 7-9 years, you find yourself repeatedly shrinking your margins and reducing your font size to remain on one page, give yourself the luxury of moving to a second page. You have my permission. An overly-packed page of text becomes difficult to read. 5.   Are you still starting off with an objective statement? A summary statement showcases  what you can do for a potential employer; an objective statement is all about you want. The most up-to-date resume formats capitalize on that difference and lead off with a headline, possibly a sub-headline, a summary paragraph, and list of core competencies. Objective statements are passé. Be honest with yourself, the reader doesn’t care about your objective. They care about hiring the right match for their needs. 6.   Are you overdoing it with the bullet points? Some resumes are all bullets, all the time. Others are in paragraph form without a bullet in sight. Which is correct? Which is better? Neither! Too many bullets begin to run together, and lengthy paragraphs become hard for the reader to digest. I utilize a hybrid style that combines both short paragraphs and bulleted accomplishment statements. 7.   Are your professional references available upon request? Of course, you have professional references available upon request. What job seeker would not have professional references available upon request! It’s no longer customary to include this phrase on a resume. It’s assumed. Something to also consider is that many recruiters nowadays may click through to check your LinkedIn profile for recommendations before asking for professional references so be sure your LinkedIn profile is complete.