Leading people is well is up there on any manager’s list and one of the most challenging of responsibilities. To make that job a bit easier here are some tips to bear in mind.
YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE SEEN AS 'ORDERS': As manager, your words are often not taken at face value. And most people will not risk disregarding your ideas, at least without good reason; so couch your suggestions in a way that makes it easier for your people to decide whether and how to use it.
DON'T ADD TOO MUCH VALUE: Sounds counterintuitive but ‘too much value’ takes the form of wanting a say in everything, or having the last word. This can take away ownership. Give direction but stop short of telling people exactly what to do. Help out, but know when to step back and encourage.
LET PEOPLE FEEL LED AND HEARD: People want to be led and heard too. Be the boss, but behave like a peer especially when you want people to be comfortable with saying what people they think. Don’t flaunt your authority. Or you’ll lose opportunity to really connect with your staff.
SHOW TRUST AT ALL LEVELS: Express confidence in line managers by making them a key source of information. But don’t block yourself from the layers below. Find a way to interact with across the board so that you can get a broader understanding of the issues that matter to people.
KNOW WHAT MAKES THEM FEEL SUCCESSFUL: Don’t make assumptions about what’s important to people or what motivates them. Of course your job is to help them do what they were hired to do. But knowing what people find meaningful enables you to understand how to tap even if occasionally into what makes them tick.
Now take action: Pick one person on your team. Find out what motivates them
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Step it UP
Career growth isn’t just about big things like promotions but also small things done diligently day in day out . These prepare one for the ‘big moments’. Here are a couple;
SHOW UP: This is about being consistent in your actions; especially doing your best when that’s hard. For example demonstrating the right attitude in difficult circumstances. Such consistency helps you keep focused and grounded.
SKILL UP: Invest in building skills that grow you personally and professionally. Listening, dealing well with conflict, giving feedback are all skills that are transferable and can stand you in good stead in several environments.
CHALLENGE UP: This is not about fighting or undermining your superiors. It’s building the capacity to think at a higher level so that you can add value to the boss’ ideas or play the devil’s advocate respectfully.
INFLUENCE UP: Develop your ability to present and sell your ideas to those responsible for decisions in any situation. You’ll get more traction that way than expecting others to automatically ‘buy’ your suggestions.
Now take action: What small steps can you take to influence better?
SHOW UP: This is about being consistent in your actions; especially doing your best when that’s hard. For example demonstrating the right attitude in difficult circumstances. Such consistency helps you keep focused and grounded.
SKILL UP: Invest in building skills that grow you personally and professionally. Listening, dealing well with conflict, giving feedback are all skills that are transferable and can stand you in good stead in several environments.
CHALLENGE UP: This is not about fighting or undermining your superiors. It’s building the capacity to think at a higher level so that you can add value to the boss’ ideas or play the devil’s advocate respectfully.
INFLUENCE UP: Develop your ability to present and sell your ideas to those responsible for decisions in any situation. You’ll get more traction that way than expecting others to automatically ‘buy’ your suggestions.
Now take action: What small steps can you take to influence better?
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Make that interview a little easier
Not many people look forward to job interviews so it helps to take all the help you can get. One way is to be observant and pay attention to clues that may guide you along
DON'T IGNORE BODY LANGUAGE: Having the right body language is important but so is that of the people interviewing you because that gives you clues as to whether your answers are making sense or not. Some interview panel members choose not to give anything away by keeping an ‘expressionless demeanor’. Otherwise most people’s expressions will give you clues- nods, a slight frown, ‘mindlessly’ shuffling their papers -often a sign he or she is losing interest. You’d be wise to heed these signals.
PAY ATTENTION TO PROBING: Some questions in an interview carry more weight than others; therefore an interviewer may probe further on the “big” questions if your initial answers are not adequate. So if you realize this, don’t just repeat your response ‘in other words’, add new information, include an example to communicate your points better. Ask for a question to be repeated if you are not clear rather than risk go round in circles or fudging your answers.
DON'T DOWNGRADE YOURSELF: Don’t belittle your achievements in an effort to appear humble. Be proud of your achievements and mention them with as many examples as you can. You don’t want to sound arrogant but showcasing your capabilities is the most important thing for you to do in an interview. The more recent the achievements, the better. Don’t mess that chance by ‘playing little’
NO MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES PLEASE: Sometimes a candidate looks great on paper but their interview performance is the exact opposite. Treat your job search as a ‘process’ and connect the different bits. Go into the interview expecting to be asked about the contents of your application so read the application and make sure you have good examples to back up what you have written.
Now take action:
Write down your top achievement in the past 12 months
DON'T IGNORE BODY LANGUAGE: Having the right body language is important but so is that of the people interviewing you because that gives you clues as to whether your answers are making sense or not. Some interview panel members choose not to give anything away by keeping an ‘expressionless demeanor’. Otherwise most people’s expressions will give you clues- nods, a slight frown, ‘mindlessly’ shuffling their papers -often a sign he or she is losing interest. You’d be wise to heed these signals.
PAY ATTENTION TO PROBING: Some questions in an interview carry more weight than others; therefore an interviewer may probe further on the “big” questions if your initial answers are not adequate. So if you realize this, don’t just repeat your response ‘in other words’, add new information, include an example to communicate your points better. Ask for a question to be repeated if you are not clear rather than risk go round in circles or fudging your answers.
DON'T DOWNGRADE YOURSELF: Don’t belittle your achievements in an effort to appear humble. Be proud of your achievements and mention them with as many examples as you can. You don’t want to sound arrogant but showcasing your capabilities is the most important thing for you to do in an interview. The more recent the achievements, the better. Don’t mess that chance by ‘playing little’
NO MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES PLEASE: Sometimes a candidate looks great on paper but their interview performance is the exact opposite. Treat your job search as a ‘process’ and connect the different bits. Go into the interview expecting to be asked about the contents of your application so read the application and make sure you have good examples to back up what you have written.
Now take action:
Write down your top achievement in the past 12 months
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Tips for tricky interview questions
No matter how prepared you think you are most people come out of interviews wondering why you mumbled through what with hindsight seemed like simple questions. Here are some tips on how to tackle common questions that can ‘trip’ you up.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF: Don’t dwell on demographic details or get into a chronological account of your professional history. Focus on highlighting your most marketable characteristics and successes. Keep it brief. You could talk about professional goals especially those related to the job; your strong work habits such as being highly organized and self motivated or working well with people. Even better use a real life example to demonstrate how you apply these abilities in actual situations.
WHY DO YOU WANT THIS JOB? Don’t give responses that are too ‘me’ focused. Be straightforward because this is not a trick question. Feel free to share your career aspirations but make sure you also say something about how the organization will benefit if they hired you. Avoid mentioning money or benefits at this stage. You will have a chance to discuss such details later when you are offered the job.
WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU? Don’t ever go into an interview without researching the organization. Show that you understand the wider mission of the organization and the requirements of the as indicated in the job advert. Tell them some positive things about the organization if you can and show how your strengths would be an asset. Share relevant achievements from previous jobs. If your qualifications are your biggest assets explain how those qualifications will enhance your capacity to do the job.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR CURRENT JOB? Don’t ‘bash’ your former employers, your managers or offload your negative experiences from other organizations. For example if the reason you are leaving is because your boss does not give you room grow, let your answer focus on your desire for the growth you hope the new job will afford you. It’s easy to complain about your last employer but it’s not professional and could make you lose out no matter how great you were in other parts of the interview.
WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES? Sometimes this question is asked to assess where you’ll need help if you were hired. It may also be used to test your sense of honesty and humility. What you should not say in reply is ‘I don’t know’ or ‘’I can’t think of anything.” This only makes you come across as arrogant or lacking self awareness neither of which is flattering in a potential new employee. A good strategy is to mention a past weakness, explain how you identified it and how you are improving it.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? Don’t go straight to asking about the remuneration package or say “I don’t have any question’ Think about at least one thoughtful question you could ask about the organization to show you are genuinely interested. This also helps you to make a good final impression.
Now take action: Practice answers to questions you would struggle with in an interview.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF: Don’t dwell on demographic details or get into a chronological account of your professional history. Focus on highlighting your most marketable characteristics and successes. Keep it brief. You could talk about professional goals especially those related to the job; your strong work habits such as being highly organized and self motivated or working well with people. Even better use a real life example to demonstrate how you apply these abilities in actual situations.
WHY DO YOU WANT THIS JOB? Don’t give responses that are too ‘me’ focused. Be straightforward because this is not a trick question. Feel free to share your career aspirations but make sure you also say something about how the organization will benefit if they hired you. Avoid mentioning money or benefits at this stage. You will have a chance to discuss such details later when you are offered the job.
WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU? Don’t ever go into an interview without researching the organization. Show that you understand the wider mission of the organization and the requirements of the as indicated in the job advert. Tell them some positive things about the organization if you can and show how your strengths would be an asset. Share relevant achievements from previous jobs. If your qualifications are your biggest assets explain how those qualifications will enhance your capacity to do the job.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR CURRENT JOB? Don’t ‘bash’ your former employers, your managers or offload your negative experiences from other organizations. For example if the reason you are leaving is because your boss does not give you room grow, let your answer focus on your desire for the growth you hope the new job will afford you. It’s easy to complain about your last employer but it’s not professional and could make you lose out no matter how great you were in other parts of the interview.
WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES? Sometimes this question is asked to assess where you’ll need help if you were hired. It may also be used to test your sense of honesty and humility. What you should not say in reply is ‘I don’t know’ or ‘’I can’t think of anything.” This only makes you come across as arrogant or lacking self awareness neither of which is flattering in a potential new employee. A good strategy is to mention a past weakness, explain how you identified it and how you are improving it.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? Don’t go straight to asking about the remuneration package or say “I don’t have any question’ Think about at least one thoughtful question you could ask about the organization to show you are genuinely interested. This also helps you to make a good final impression.
Now take action: Practice answers to questions you would struggle with in an interview.
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