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“Creating Successful Leaders”

February 10, 2016 Go Ahead! Apply for a Position that Doesn’t Exist

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Have you ever considered sending your resume to a company that wasn’t hiring? Or applying for a position that didn’t have any current openings? It may sound crazy, or even like a waste of time, but applying for your dream position—whether it exists or not—shows courage that other job-seekers don’t have. When taking the initiative to send an unsolicited resume, you convey the message that you’re not just looking for a job and a paycheck, but rather a career with a company that excites and interests you. If you take this plunge, here are a few things to know…

Use the Element of Surprise to Your Advantage

Your email to the company’s HR department or recruiter should explain why you’re contacting them, what you know about the company, and how you would fit into their current operation. Research the company and learn about their strengths and potential challenges they face. Show them how your skills and experience could remedy, or even prevent, future issues. For those reviewing resumes, seeing something like this can be a refreshing and welcomed surprise, and that can create a lasting impression.

Don’t Hold Your Breath, But Do Cross Your Fingers

When you invest your time and energy into submitting an unsolicited resume, know that you may not receive a response right away, if at all. Don’t take it personally. If the company has current job openings that you aren’t applying for, recruiters or hiring committees must fill those positions first. Follow up a few weeks later, but don’t be too discouraged if nothing comes of it.

When you submit your resume, send it to a real person, not just the generic catch-all email for the company. Don’t be afraid to drop off or mail a copy of your resume, too. Call their office to follow up. Since it’s so easy to email your resume without much thought, you can distinguish yourself by putting your face or voice to the name they see.

Think of This as an Investment in Your Future

When a job opening does occur, that recruiter may have a spark of recognition when they see your name among the other applicants. Better yet, he or she may contact you to let you know that a position is opening up. Perhaps you may be considered to take on some freelance work or they may contact you down the line for a job your talents are more aligned with.

In the end, putting your name out there and trying to make new connections is not going to hurt.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM

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February 3, 2016 Forgiveness Helps Us Grow

Holding on to anger

Fist image (without text) courtesy of Teerapun at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Every day we are given opportunities to forgive. Whether we’re faced with a driver that cuts us off on the freeway, a rude comment from a coworker, or our own lack of preparation for a work presentation, it is often best to let go and learn from our experiences.

It’s tempting to hold onto anger and sadness as protection—to make sure we never feel a certain way again, or to hold as collateral for an apology. But like the analogy of holding a hot coal with the intention of throwing it, we only hurt ourselves when holding onto these negative feelings.

Forgiveness is not forgetting. Practicing forgiveness does not mean you’re a pushover, and it doesn’t mean you accept negative behavior in others. There is a difference between forgiving someone, and opening yourself up to the same hurt in the future.

We can all hope that offenders realize their mistake and feel remorse, but this isn’t always the case. Some people may never apologize, and we’re left harboring ill-will. Forgiveness is for your well being.

Imagine this scenario:

You’re at the office. It’s a busy time of year, and your schedule is packed, but you decide to cut your lunch break short so you can meet with a new client for the first time. You finish your lunch and do some busywork while waiting for her to arrive. Forty-five minutes pass, and you finally see her pull into the parking lot. Right now your breathing is shallow, your fists are clenched and sweaty, your posture is hunched, and you’re angry—angry at her for not respecting your time, angry at yourself for scheduling too much in one day, and suddenly angry at your co-workers for not taking more meetings so you wouldn’t have to. This client may or may not apologize upon entering the room, but you can still practice forgiveness in order to take away a lesson from this experience, while releasing tension and stress.

Forgiveness requires intention and practice, but by lowering stress you are also lowering your chances of a high heart rate, high blood pressure, body aches, depression, and fatigue.

And don’t forget: mistakes are what make us human. Mistakes help us improve: our products, our processes, and our attitudes. Without forgiveness we would still be holding onto hurts from long ago—forgiveness helps us grow.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM

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January 27, 2016 Women: Step Into Your Leadership

Female Leader

How can you hold a position of power at work and live a full, rich life outside the office? How can you balance career leadership with family, volunteering, travel, friends, and personal wellbeing? It may seem intimidating or even impossible to achieve a good work-life balance if you hold a lot of responsibility in your company, but it IS possible and it’s absolutely worth it.

Take it from me—I’ve lived it. My leadership experience at 3M came with a lot of responsibility, but it helped me grow as a person and develop a wide range of skills. And yes, it was possible to have a life outside of work, even when I was managing a huge sales team in the eastern U.S.

Unfortunately, many women believe that they shouldn’t hold a position of power at work. According to a recent study at Harvard Business School, women “perceive professional power as less desirable than men do” and “women anticipate more negative outcomes from attaining a high-power position.” One of the reasons? Women, on average, have a “greater diversity of pursuits” than men do. We are typically not singularly-focused and want to accomplish many different things in our lives, beyond the workplace walls.

But should you really pass up a leadership opportunity because you think it might interfere with your goals? In my opinion, no.

Even though leadership might seem like a lot to take on, it doesn’t have to be all-consuming. As a leader, it’s up to you to practice smart time management, delegate when necessary, and perform decisive actions. You call the shots, which can give you a certain amount of flexibility and freedom in your schedule.

Additionally, if you surround yourself with a great team, you shouldn’t have to worry about stretching yourself too thin and taking on more than you should.

And if you take on a leadership role and discover it’s not for you? At least you tried. There’s no shame in backing down if you’ve given leadership your best shot and it just didn’t work.

In the words of Kate White, former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine, “Professional power does involve tradeoffs and sacrifices. But the thrill that comes from ownership and autonomy, of creating something according to your own vision, offers fabulous rewards that can make the trade worthwhile.”

Well said. Are you ready to lead?

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM

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