Archive for June, 2009
If you think you have what it takes to work at a truly unique company, we’d love to hear from you. If you were one of those children who only and always colored inside the lines, this company is probably not the place for you.
Dear Readers,
Regular readers know that every year I publish a summer reading list. This year’s recommendations take up the theme of creativity. Instead of delving into someone else’s art, why not try to make your own? But my selections are not about art in the strictest sense – how to oil paint or make a magnificent quilt – although those are wonderful ways to rejuvenate yourself. These books focus on thinking creatively, and on how to put your breakthroughs to work. As you can see from the above text lifted from a corporate website, creativity is a sought-after trait in today’s job market. International business expert Charles Landry explains why: “Creativity is one of the last remaining legal ways to gain an unfair advantage over the competition.”
We all have unique insights, and tapping into them is useful on many levels. It will make your workdays more enjoyable, and it may be precisely what your manager wants to see. If not, you might consider moving to a place where creativity is valued, for those are the organizations more likely to survive and even thrive into the future.
Five Minds of the Future by Howard Gardner (Harvard Business School Press, 2007)
Harvard education professor Howard Gardner is best known for his theories about how we learn. In this latest book, he focuses on five cognitive abilities that he believes have recently emerged as essential to success: mastery of a major school of thought or a professional craft; the ability to integrate ideas from different disciplines; the ability to uncover and clarify new problems and phenomena; appreciation for differences among people; and fulfillment of one’s civic responsibilities.
Probably the most useful and easy-to-digest part of the book is the beginning of the last chapter, where Gardner gives examples of how the five minds might be applied to work. The Respectful Mind, which is focused around appreciating difference, leaders to “working effectively with peers, supervisors, employees, irrespective of their backgrounds and status.” It also could involve, Gardner writes, “developing capacity for forgiveness.”
Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life by Shakti Gawain (Nataraj Publishing, 2002)
First published more than 30 years ago, this book still is a big seller. Gawain, who draws on Eastern philosophy and Western psychology, defines creative visualization as “the techniques of using your imagination to create what you want in life.” She notes that everyone uses their natural power of imagination, but that some people spend more time imagining difficulties and limitations rather than “what you truly want – love, fulfillment…rewarding work…” While the technique is the same for anything on your list, she starts out with work. “After relaxing into a deep, quiet, meditative state of mind, imagine that you are working in your ideal job situation. Imagine yourself in a physical setting or environment that you would like, doing work that you enjoy and find satisfying, interacting with people in a harmonious way, receiving appreciation and appropriate financial compensation.” Add details, repeat often, and expect a shift to come.
A Whole New Mind: Why the Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink (Riverhead Books, 2005)
Pink, a former speechwriter for Al Gore, points out that “we are moving from an economy and a society built on the logical, linear, computerlike capabilities of the Information Age to an economy and a society built on the inventive, empathetic, big-picture capabilities of what’s rising in its place, the Conceptual Age.” This book is a guide to thriving in this new age by focusing on six new senses: Design, Story, symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning. While Pink wrote this book during a time of abundance, which means that in the current economy, it’s a little dated, the emphasis on crossing disciplinary boundaries, the need for humor, and the search for meaning are all still highly relevant.
This summer, enjoy a little sand, sun, and scintillation.
I’ve heard that job interviewers size up applicants within the first seven seconds of meeting them. Is that true?
Dear Readers,
When top television executive and Republican strategist Roger Ailes was a lowly producer, he helped conduct the first interview with Charles Manson in thirteen years. Manson, who brutally murdered actress Sharon Tate and six others, had been given nine life sentences in a maximum security prison for the criminally insane.
Ailes opens his book “You Are the Message” (Broadway Business, 1989), still a popular guide to communication, with the scene in which he and Manson meet for the first time and size each other up. Ailes claims that because he projected great confidence in the first few seconds, Manson backed down from his initial attempt to appear menacing and turned obsequious. “Research shows that we start to make up our minds about people within seven seconds of meeting them,” Ailes writes.
While others have cited similar findings, the time span varies slightly. You may have slightly more time to impress your interviewer: up to 30 seconds.
Why are first impressions so important? Because they are often face-to-face, they are vivid, and stick in one’s mind, making them hard to erase and replace.
When your initial encounter is face to face, you are judged more on your appearance and body language than your words. Being well-groomed and conveying an upbeat, warm, and confident attitude will help you make a good impression. If you are speaking over the phone, a positive and pleasant tone of voice also may trump what you have to say.
That doesn’t mean words do not count. If you can work the other person’s name into your first couple of sentences, that can increase receptivity to your message. Also key is demonstrating that you are a good listener. Pay close attention and then ask follow up questions, which signal that you are interested in what your interviewer has to say.
First impressions are not flawless. People can be distracted by a candidate’s most obvious attribute, especially if it is sociability, and tend to overlook factors that may be more difficult to detect, such as intelligence level. They also may be affected by their own moods. According to some researchers, people in happier moods make more accurate snap judgments. Cultural differences can also get in the way of accurate interpretations. What is considered outgoing in one culture, for instance, may be considered reserved in another.
Keep that in mind if you don’t get a job, or if you find yourself judging someone else harshly after just seven seconds.
WEB-BASED WORRIES
When a jobsite asks you to copy and paste your resume into a 1-inch opening, are people at that company able to see other documents on your c-drive?
Dear Readers,
Copying and pasting your resume into a corporate website does not give the recipient access to anything else on your computer, says Joe Dukler of Computer Geeks in Milwaukee, WI.
You should worry, however, about what happens to the information you do send. Don’t include a social security number on your resume, Dukler says, and “make sure you are sending it to an actual, decent company.”
The reasons to be cautious are numerous. For one thing, internet-savvy thieves set up fake corporate names with fake job openings in order to solicit personal information in hopes of eventually stealing your identity. Once these thieves have your resume in hand, “They may have someone sitting on the internet trying to find out more information about you,” says Dukler. Their goal: tapping into your credit card accounts and other financial assets.
Even going through a well-known online employment service such as monster.com carries risks. Monster.com’s website admits that the company “recently learned our database was illegally accessed and certain contact and account data were taken.”
The site also warns users that their email addresses could be used to target “phishing” emails asking people to confirm their usernames and passwords.
If someone you have never heard of contacts you with a job offer and asks for personal information, do not fall victim to yet another scam targeting job hunters.
And you thought your only problem was finding another job!
I’ve read about job fairs where thousands of people apply for dozens of jobs. There’s one scheduled nearby in a few weeks. Is it worth going?
Dear Readers,
The latest word on job fairs is mixed: prepare for them the same way you would for a job interview, but don’t expect to get hired.
Does that mean going is a waste of time? Probably not.
If you take the long view. Many employers these days are staffing fairs not because they have many employ slots, but in hopes of finding people to put in their pipeline for the future, says Vicky Causa, author of A Job Hunter’s Guide: the ABC’s of Job Hunting and the 1,2,3’s of Nailing It! (Self-published, 2009). “Companies want to keep their name in front of the public and keep people interested in working for them when the need arises.”
What’s in it for you? Even if you don’t land a suitable opening through contacts you make at the fair, you will have the chance to get familiar with job fairs in general, practice your two-minute “elevator speech” highlighting your most marketable traits, and firm up your handshake among potential employers.
Advance planning is necessary to making your trip to the fair worthwhile. Before the event date, examine the list of employers and their job openings. If you find several employers of interest, map out your route between their booths, and try to find out about each prospective employers’ successes and challenges.
You will stand out from the crowd by preparing resumes and cover letters that convince each employer that you can help them prosper. What do you have to offer that they need? Figuring out what to write may require some extensive research, including networking, but it is well worth the effort. “People don’t have jobs to fill, they have problems to solve,” says Causa.
Don’t forget to pick out a professional-looking outfit to make a great first impression. “So many people looked as if they were going out for a Saturday stroll, wearing sneakers and jogging clothes,” says Causa, CEO of Causa Associates, recalling her days recruiting at job fairs as vice president of human resources for a financial services firm.
Finally, bring a piece of paper with all the details that will be required if you fill out a job application on the spot. Print out a generic job application from a state government website, suggests Jennifer Landon, director of career development, Southern New Hampshire University. The sorts of information you’ll need, such as dates of employment and supervisors’ names and phone numbers “is not the kind of information most people have memorized,” she says.
Landon’s university recently hosted a job fair cosponsored by the State of New Hampshire and a local television station. More than 10,000 job hunters showed up to a fair featuring 150 employers who had 1,500 jobs to fill. About 30 days later, TK attendees had found jobs.
Those applicants who were hired probably made a strong first impression. Recruiters will look closely only at the resumes of candidates who look people in the eye and project confidence, Causa says. A perfect resume presented by someone who appears to lack self-confidence and projects pessimism is likely to be overlooked.
Each time you connect with a recruiter, take her business card so you can follow up with a thank you note. “A handwritten note is preferred, but at least send an email,” says Landon. If you’re stuck in line waiting to meet with the next recruiter, use that time to write a couple of notes on the back of the last recruiter’s business card to help you remember what transpired.
Write a thank you note even if you decide not to pursue a job, indicating that you are looking for a better fit. “It’s polite, and you may cross paths in the future,” says Landon.
Talking with fellow job hunters in line can also provide a lift. “The more you talk to people, the more you learn what a small world it is,” says Landon. “It’s a networking opportunity.”
Who knows, the next job hunter you meet may have just quit the job you want.
What do you do when a co-worker dies suddenly? Weeks later, some employees still feel like crying, but managers may feel the need to push past the grief. What’s best?
Dear Readers,
With the recent rash of murders and suicides tied to the sagging economy, the deaths from more common causes that regularly affect the workplace tend to be overlooked. But they, too, can cast a pall over a close-knit staff.
This winter, for instance, when an elementary school teacher in Virginia went to the hospital with a brain aneurism and died a few days later, her students and co-workers were devastated. The principal, still reeling from losing his mother several months earlier, tried to avoid using the words “die” and “died,” preferring euphemisms like “passed on,” even when the children had concrete questions about what happens when someone dies. That didn’t seem to do much good. Finally, overwhelmed by the outpouring of emotion, he called in grief counselors from Capital Hospice in Falls Church.
“We don’t have any magic answers,” says Capital bereavement counselor Carol Mansfield. “But in a death-denying society, we can answer questions about what it is normal to feel when something like this happens.” The first step, Mansfield says, is to acknowledge this reality: “There’s a real sadness that comes from a real loss, and it’s not showing weakness to express that sadness.”
Being unsure of how to express grief, especially at work, is not unusual. Finding the right words to say and appropriate ways to behave can be difficult. Michael Scott, the manager in the satirical sitcom, The Office, illustrated the absurd lengths that managers may go. In one episode, Michael was so upset by the death of a former boss, he insisted his staff hold a funeral service for a bird who died flying into their office window.
The death of someone else hits us hard because it stirs all sorts of unsettling emotions, Mansfield says. “Death triggers memories of our own losses and fears of death for ourselves and others.” If you have a prior loss that you haven’t processed, your grief can be magnified with the death of someone less close. “Death is cumulative,” Mansfield says.
Grief takes time to process. Soon after the death of a colleague, Mansfield suggests giving staff members an opportunity to gather and talk about their feelings. One session may not suffice, so it’s important to encourage those who want to meet again to do so, say over lunch, whenever they feel the need. It’s important “for managers to make it ok, and then let people decide what fits for them,” she says.
Setting up a memorial to honor a missed colleague can be helpful. “We’re doers,” says Mansfield, “so it’s nice to do something.” Some people set up flowers in a prominent place; others plant a tree or garden in their co-worker’s honor. “There are lots of different ways to remember someone.”
What about those who suffer a loss in their own family and don’t want to talk about it at work? Or those who want to comfort that coworker but don’t know what to say? Mansfield says these are other challenges employees often face.
One of her recent corporate clients had a woman on staff who lost a baby at birth. “Should we say something?” employees asked Mansfield. Her advice: identify the employee who is closest to her. That person should ask the employee how she thinks people could help her. Many people who return to work after a loss want to be left alone the first couple of days. Condolence notes are always welcome, however.
But choose your words carefully. Here are a couple of clichés and more sensitive options: Instead of “Time will heal,” consider “You must feel as if this pain will never end.” Nix, “It’s blessing,” and offer, “I am sorry this ever had to happen.” Those who are grieving need your support, not a nudge to move on.
As The Office’s bungling manager Michael brilliantly observes: “Society teaches us that having feelings and crying is bad and wrong. Well that’s baloney because grief isn’t wrong. There’s such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown.”
A little humor helps sometimes, too.
(For suggestions on bereavement phrases, please see Carol Mansfield’s lists below)
Worthwhile commentary in The American Prospect on the need to focus less exclusively on professional women and more on working class women. The current Recession gives us an opportunity to expand our lens.
The other day I was at an interview and one of the questions was, “What are your weaknesses?” I consider this a depressing, senseless question. How does one answer this? I said, “Chocolate.”
Dear Readers,
Interviewers generally ask three kinds of questions, says Charles Hays, vice president, Right Management Consultants, Inc., a career transition firm. The first category consists of positive questions in which they ask you about your accomplishments. The second aims to get at character traits, which is another chance to extol your strengths. These are questions like: “Tell me about yourself,” and “Where would you like to be in five years?”
The third category, negative questions, can be the toughest. While it’s probably okay to give an answer with some humor – like the “chocolate” retort – come prepared with a more serious response as well.
First deflect the question by rewording it, says Hays, who advises his clients to prepare two to three responses to this question before each job interview. You can do that by identifying an issue, followed quickly with an explanation of how you are addressing it. If you are in sales, for example, you might say: “I really wouldn’t call it a weakness. My bottom line is sales, and I don’t always focus on record keeping, so I need to keep my eye on that.” Your goal, says Hays, “is to downgrade the weakness and show what you’re doing to correct it.”
As important as what you say is how you say it. “It’s a psychological test,” Hays explains. “The interviewer wants to see how defensive you get, and what you’re willing to admit.” In other words: total denial will not serve you well, but a little honesty and a lot of preparation can win you the job.
JOB HUNT
ENERGY BOOSTERS
After several months without work, it can be hard to keep your spirits up. With rising unemployment, engaging in a job hunt can seem futile. How can you motivate yourself?
Dear Readers,
This question comes up often. Rather than go to “the experts,” who generally have little first-hand experience with being unemployed, I decided to ask Mark, a former manager in the manufacturing industry who has been out of work for several months. Does he get discouraged? How does he keep his spirits up? “I definitely have some experience with the emotional ups and downs of unemployment and sometimes total lack of motivation,” he replied. But he won’t give up. Among Mark’s strategies:
Put Yourself on the Clock. I find that I start feeling guilty if I’m not spending every waking moment working on my job search. So next week I will try something that I know I should have been doing the whole time. I am going to put myself on more of a strict schedule, and when I’m done for the day, I will try not to think about it much.
Get Out of the House. I work out and go for a run. At times it’s hard to get motivated to even do that. But I have yet to find a time when I regretted it. It’s also to helpful to go to the library or the bookstore. Being around people, even if you’re not interacting with them, helps to change your mood.
Meet Friends for Lunch. This is a great way to get some reinforcement and maybe even have a few laughs. Friends also may have some new ideas or connections.
Volunteer. Knowing you are helping others may also improve your feeling of self worth, which gets lost during unemployment. It is also a constructive way to network and possibly pick up some new skills.
Write Down Your Own Strategies. Writing down these thoughts seemed to help for some reason. I would suggest listing the things you find that make your days more enjoyable and productive during an extended job search. There are many ways to push yourself, and as each day or week goes by, your list should grow.
Dr. George Tiller’s murder is further evidence that the Public Conversation Project’s approach to dialogue about high-stakes issues is much needed. Public Conversations Project.
See blog Post of May 17.
