Career (Page 5)

Job Interviews

In: Career, Career Development, Working From Home

Any one searching for a job at the moment is going to face interviewing remotely, this article from HBR provides some practical tips on how to nail a job interview remotely. Tap into your networkHiring managers are looking for some familiarity so make sure you connect with your network and let them know what you are looking for. Remember that most people do want to help you wherever they can, don’t be afraid to reach out via email or LinkedIn explaining your situation and asking for advice as you search for your next position. Update your CV and cover letterIt is good practice to keep your resume up to date, make sure you highlight how you worked in high pressure environments. Most companies right now are looking for people who can contribute to weathering the current crisis, so it is good practise to state you have relevant experience. Prepare forContinue Reading

Why Talented People Don't Use Strengths

In: Career

In this article the author identifies that often really talented people struggle in their jobs because they are not in the roles that best suited their individual strengths. People talk about playing to your strengths but often that is easier said than done and the premise is that is because people often undervalue what they inherently do best. “As a leader, the challenge is not only to spot talent but also to convince your people that you value their talents and that they should, too. This is how you start to build a team of employees who bring their superpowers to work.” Whitney Johnson, HBR, 2018 The author goes on to suggest a series of questions to help you identify the real strengths of members of your team. What exasperates you? What compliments do you dismiss? What do you think about when you have nothing to think about? Each of these help youContinue Reading

Punch in face

In: Career, Resilience

“Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth” most will immediately recognise the quote as coming from boxer Mike Tyson, it is such a very a familiar phrase, so much so that you have probably used it yourself at one time or another but what does it really mean. When considering your professional career, as a leader or an entrepreneur we all face set backs at time. How well you recover has a lot to do with your preparation, planning and mental resilience. Having contingency plans for your career is not just logical it is essential. Back in the early 1990’s I was working in advertising, where the average tenure of most creative staff was nine months. Lose a client and the whole team expected to lose their jobs, win an industry accolade or award for great work and get poached to work in new firm withContinue Reading

Toxic Co-Workers

In: Career, Resilience

How do you deal with Toxic People? Especially when they are a co-worker or a boss? How should you manage a toxic staff member? There are numerous articles published on this topic and that is because unfortunately the problem is a fairly common one and many of us find it difficult to find the best way to respond. This article pulls together a range of insights, research and perspectives to provide some useful advice and techniques to manage these relationships most effectively without impacting you. Seth Meyers writing in Psychology Today has four recommendations Avoid sharing personal information or your true opinions – The key point being that you should not share information with a toxic individual that you don’t want the world to know. While openness and honesty are usually positive ways to build healthy relationships, with toxic people this information can end up being used for emotional abuseContinue Reading

In: Career, Human Capital, Leadership, Purpose

Technology is changing the meaning of work but Purpose, Potential and Perspective connect technology to humanity and shape the attributes of the Social Enterprise. This is all according to this years Human Capital Trends from Deloitte, which has been published annually for over a decade. The Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report is a weighty tome, (over 120 pages) and filled with rich insights that come from their consultants and partners all over the world. Accordingly my brief synopsis is just that – a touch on the key points that I observed while reading the report. If this interested you I would definitely suggest you read more in the full report (see link at bottom of the page). The article starts by reflecting on the fusion of technology and people into work and how that is continuing to shape the organisations. The authors begin that there are three bold shifts thatContinue Reading

In: Career

We all know the line ‘money doesn’t buy you happiness but it does come in a close second’. In this article the author uses research to identify the three things that ultimately will make you happier and more fulfilled than money. It is highly subjective and the article does recognise that anyone struggling financially is already dealing with significant stress, however if you have a reasonable income these three are actually worth taking a closer look at. Relationshipsbased on research by UC Berkeley – the article finds that a positive and nurturing relationship is much more rewarding than material returns. ExerciseA study by Yale found that regular exercise will make you feel as good as an extra $25,000 per year A Shorter CommuteThe University of West England identified that a 20% reduction in your work commute time equates to the benefits of a 19% pay rise. Synopsis of an articleContinue Reading

Goleman

In: Career, Career Development

The Hard Case for Soft Skills is the latest newsletter update from Daniel Goleman. Goleman first introduced us to the concept of ‘Emotional Intelligence’ back in 1995 with his book of the same name. The book remains high on the list of mandatory reading for MBA students and those interested in developing leadership skills. Goleman explains his model for Emotional and Social Competency (ESCI-360). He co-developed the model (ESCI-360), together with Richard Boyatzis. The model provides empirical evidence that Emotional Intelligence is the best predictor of workplace performance. The tool ESCI-360 (Emotional and Social Competency Inventory) has shown clear performance boosts from higher levels of Emotional Intelligence. The findings of the report include: Emotional Self Awareness is a solid foundation for Emotional Intelligence. Emotional Intelligence is a key predictor of leadership effectiveness. Leaders with high ESCI scores for Conflict Management are likely to create the most positive climates and haveContinue Reading

In: Career, Innovation

Google and Telstra both Plan to Disrupt Learning and University Qualifications. While its not a new idea to train and accredit specific skills, Google’s recent announcement has people taking notice. That is because it is disruptive of the traditional career path from university or college. Its more accessible, it is faster and it is much cheaper to graduate. It is also providing qualifications that are recognised by over 50 US employers. “Nearly two-thirds of all new jobs created since 2010 require either high-level or medium-level digital skills” Kent Walker, Google SVP of Global Affairs 13th July 2020 The IT Certificate Employer Consortium includes US employers like Walmart, Hulu, Sprint and of course Google. It is an interesting model for building local skills and competencies. Google claims its certificate programs are “designed to help people land jobs at any company, across any sector”. Google have partnered with hundreds of schools and colleges acrossContinue Reading

Inc. Macan Deve

In: Career, Strategic Mindset, Values

This article is based around an interview with Donna Hager, CEO and founder of architecture and engineering firm Macan Deve, she built her senior career as an VP engineer working for the world’s largest construction company and then she left. She started her company in 2015 based on some very different ideals, a construction engineering company owned by a woman, initially hiring senior people part time who didn’t want to retire. “I ended up hiring more senior people who didn’t want to retire, and I hired them part time, as needed. These were the smartest people I knew in engineering and infrastructure. I got great quality and we got little jobs. Finally, people were believing in us, and then I could hire some full-time people, and they got mentored by the more senior ones.”  Donna Hager The companies mission is to ‘eagerly explore new communities and different ways of thinking and beingContinue Reading

McKinsey Purpose

In: Career, Purpose, Resilience

“Creating strong links to an individual purpose benefits individuals and companies alike—and could be vital in managing the postpandemic uncertainties that lie ahead.” Igniting individual purpose in times of crisis, McKinsey Quarterly, 18th August 2020 It is widely recognised that companies around the world are extremely challenged facing the current crisis, so how important is it to be clear on purpose, of your company and of the individuals within the organisation. The authors explain that it may be a very important to have clarity of purpose. During times of crisis individual purpose can provide clarity of direction to individuals helping them address the challenges and potentially mitigate the risks and damaging effects of long term stress. “What is your company’s core reason for being, and where can you have a unique, positive impact on society? Now more than ever, you need good answers to these questions.” Purpose Shifting From WhyContinue Reading