March 8, 2017 The #1 Way to Grow in Your Career
There are many ways to grow and flourish within your career. You can take classes or expand your skills through research and application. You can find a mentor and learn from their experiences. You can take on new and diverse projects in order to stretch yourself and your abilities.
But at the heart of it all is one key element: the ability and the willingness to be COACHABLE.
When you’re coachable, you open yourself up to possibilities. You acknowledge that you don’t know everything and are willing to accept feedback and learn. You admit that you are sometimes wrong and look for ways to improve your current way of thinking/doing/behaving.
It isn’t always easy to be coachable. Many of us (especially if we’ve been in the same job for quite a while) tend to believe that our way is the best and leave little room for criticism or critique. It’s time to turn that kind of thinking around.
Start by asking for feedback.
Regularly ask your co-workers and superiors for feedback and then LISTEN to what they have to say. It doesn’t have to be in a formal meeting; it might be as simple as approaching a co-worker and saying, “Hey, Sally. How do you think my presentation went? Would you have changed any of the slides? Or maybe emphasized other material?”
Ask clarifying or follow-up questions if need-be. And remember to keep your defensive side in check! Even if you don’t agree with the feedback, take it gracefully. Say something like, “That’s an interesting take, Sally. I hadn’t seen it from that angle before.”
Keep in mind that not all feedback is quality feedback. Take your time to mull it over or get a second opinion (For more tactics and tricks on how to receive and utilize feedback, please see December’s newsletter).
When you’re coachable, you seek to expand your knowledge. Beyond soliciting feedback, start exploring ways to build or update your skills through webinars, in-person classes, training workshops, or one-on-one meetings with experts in your field. If your workplace is not proactive in seeking those opportunities, you may have to hunt for them on your own. Don’t be afraid to approach your boss and ask if the company could sponsor you (and your co-workers) in a specific learning program. If nothing else, you’ll open up a dialogue about advanced training.
Another way to grow your skills through coaching is to seek a mentor or be a mentor.
If you’re new to a company, new to a certain position, or seeking to advance within the company, a mentor can help you achieve those aims. If your workplace doesn’t have a formal mentoring program, seek a mentor on your own and invite that person to meet with you every now and again. Start small! You might scare people off if they think mentorship is too big of a commitment. Ask if they’ll meet with you for lunch once or twice a month, and go from there.
On the flip side, if you’ve been with your company a while, consider being a mentor. As a mentor, you’ll learn to see the company with new eyes and you may begin to explore the company and your position in ways that you hadn’t previously considered.
You have endless potential! Grow and evolve in your career by being coachable.
Seeking further guidance? Please feel free to contact me today.
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: ask clarifying questions, asking for feedback, be coachable, benefits of mentoring, grow career, Margaret Smith business coach, margaret smith career coach, Margaret Smith minneapolis, Personal Growth, your coachability
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- Posted under Leadership, Thrive at Work
March 1, 2017 The RIGHT Way to Get Angry
Picture this: You’re late to work because traffic was moving at a snail’s pace, which caused other drivers to get irritable and cut you off on the road. When you finally get to work, you find a Post-it note on a stack of papers on your desk that says “Need this by the end of the day.” You grumble about the huge pile of work and decide to make a cup of coffee. When you take your first sip, the coffee burns the roof of your mouth and you end up spitting it out…all over your white shirt.
Have you ever had a day like that? I know I have! How do you react? How can you turn such a disastrous day around?
A big part of the solution rests with you. How you handle the anger that’s undoubtedly bubbling within you can either make or break your day. But that’s easier than it sounds!
When many of us feel angry, we tend to react in one of two equally unhealthy ways:
- Bottle up the anger and hope things will get better.
- Let our anger flow forth and land on everyone and everything around us.
Research shows that neither method is ideal. Bottling up your anger can make it worse and can increase stress and anxiety. Venting your anger, on the other hand, can intensify your feelings and damage relationships with those around you.
So, what can you do?
One way to temporarily cool your jets is to practice steadying your breathing and counting or repeating a mantra in your head. Once you’ve gained control, assess the current situation that’s making you angry and LOOK FOR THE GOOD in it. Even terrible situations have silver linings. Take the story at the beginning of this blog post:
- Even though traffic was slow, you didn’t get in an accident and your car is running just fine
- Even though your boss gave you a pile of work, you are employed and capable. You are a problem-solver and can either figure out how to do the work or talk with your boss and negotiate.
- Even though you burned your mouth and spilled coffee on your shirt, it’s great that you have access to coffee and have the means to purchase a shirt. You’re luckier than many people out there.
See? If you dig into your frustrations, you can find bits of goodness embedded in them.
Another tactic you can utilize is practicing empathy. If other people are causing you to get angry, ask yourself why that might be. Put yourself in their shoes and consider if they are being a pain in the neck because they’re going through a rough patch. It could be that something terrible is happening in their lives that you’re not aware of. Before you combat anger with anger, take a moment to find compassion. Ask questions (if you feel comfortable doing so) and aim for understanding.
You can get a handle on anger. As researcher Albert Ellis said, “You don’t get frustrated because of events, you get frustrated because of your beliefs.” Work on your belief system. Believe that the world is not out to get you. Believe there is always something positive embedded in the negative. Your thinking can change your life.
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: anger the right way, conscious anger, controlled anger, empathy at work, good embedded in bad, Margaret Smith UXL, mindful anger, silver lining at work, the right way to get angry, UXL career coaching
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- Posted under Changing Your Life, Communication, Personal Branding, Thrive at Work
February 22, 2017 5 Tips for Job Hunting While Working Your Current Job
It’s a common story. You desperately want a new job, but because of financial constraints, you’re unable to quit your current one and start searching. What do you do?
The simple answer is, of course, you have to search for a new job while you’re still working your current one. But that isn’t always easy. How do you balance your time between everyday work and job hunting? How do you field calls from potential employers? Or dash out for an interview? How do you maintain a positive attitude and a good work ethic, even when you want to get the heck outta dodge?
Great questions! Here are 5 tips for effectively job hunting while working your current job:
1. Respect your current job (and company)
First and foremost, don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re still employed by your current company. That means you still have to do your work and do it to the best of your ability. It also means that you should limit job hunting to your lunch break or to times when you’re not at work (before work, after work, on weekends). Consider taking a day off every now and then and dedicate it to job hunting.
REMEMBER: A future potential employer may call your current boss down the road. You don’t want to be remembered as a slacker!
ALSO REMEMBER: Every skill you build in your current position can only help you in the job hunt. Use that as motivation as you plow forward!
2. Set deadlines for yourself
Make goals and commit to achieving them. You might want to apply for a certain number of jobs each week or set aside an hour each day for job searching/applying.
3. Invest in your future
Job hunting may seem overwhelming, especially if you haven’t done it in a while. Think about taking an online course in effect job hunting, or enlist the help of a career coach. Career coaches, such as myself, specialize in résumé editing, cover letter writing, job search tactics, and interviewing best practices. Your job hunt doesn’t have to be a solo endeavor!
4. Set boundaries
When applying for jobs, make your availability clear. Let recruiters know that you will only take a call outside of normal working hours (or during your lunch break). If you have a separate home phone, give the recruiter that number.
And emails? Reply to any job hunt-related emails during lunch or during a designated break. Otherwise, reply after work. Most recruiters understand job applicants’ constraints and it is acceptable to let recruiters know that you’d like to remain discreet.
One other thing related to setting boundaries: Try not to get your coworkers involved. While it may be tempting to tell others about your job hunt, be careful who you divulge information to. Office gossip can spread quickly!
5. Network with care
If you attend a job fair, you run the risk of bumping into someone you know. If you update your LinkedIn profile to say “Seeking a new position,” you really run the risk of being exposed. What to do?
According to Liz Ryan of Forbes magazine, “Your best bet as a stealth job seeker is to network one-on-one with people you already know, and to allow or encourage the folks you already know to introduce you to other people — friends and colleagues of theirs.” Personal references are one of the best ways to find a new job, rather than taking your chances at a job fair.
Remember to be tactful, respect your current job, and set a regular job-hunting schedule. And don’t let your search distract you from doing the best work you can do right now. Best of luck with your hunt!
Do you have other questions about job hunting while still working your current job? Please post them in the comments section below or, if you’d like to remain confidential, please feel free to contact me.
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: business coach Margaret Smith, Career Coach Advice, career coach Margaret Smith, Job Hunt Advice, Job hunt tips, job hunt while working current job, job search advice, new job hunt, tips for job hunting
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- Posted under Goals, Tips for the Job Hunt
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