Tag Archive for ‘Personal Development’ at DrivenLeaders.com

Tag Archive for 'Personal Development'

Brazen Careerist: Career Management for Gen-Y

Published

on August 25, 2009

. 0 Comments

brazenlogo Brazen Careerist: Career Management for Gen Y Since March of 2008, Brazen Careerist has provided an environment for emerging professionals to interact, network, and contribute in a forum dedicated to career development. Powered by user generated content, Brazen emerged as the social network for career focused members of Gen-Y. Being an early contributor in their community, I’ve seen the site evolve and develop into a substantial resource for navigating the professional world, and it’s not slowing down…

Starting today, August 25th, the Brazen team has elevated the community to the next level, creating what is now being called a “career management tool for next-generation professionals.”

“We are calling Brazen Careerist the career management tool for next-generation professionals. In the online career space where experienced professionals win, we’ve created a network that will help young professionals level the playing field. Instead of just a traditional résumé, at the core of the new Brazen Careerist profile is an idea-based feed that showcases your knowledge, opinions and thoughts. In other words: Your potential.” – Penelope Trunk, CEO at Brazen Careerist

Thanks to co-founder Ryan Paugh, I had a chance to preview the enhancements of the new Brazen network last week and I must say I was impressed with the concept of the recent launch. In addition to creating a professional profile, the site now allows you to showcase your resume and more importantly your ideas - something employers can’t find on your resume. Where previous functionality only enabled the contribution of content, users now have the ability to establish a personal feed, encouraging your interaction with some of the most influential members of Gen-Y.

If you haven’t visited or experienced the new site, take a look and let me know your thoughts.

Rypple: 360 Degree Feedback Reinvented

Published

Anthony

on May 29, 2009

in Communication and Personal Development

. 5 Comments

360 feedback Rypple: 360 Degree Feedback Reinvented For years now, 360 degree feedback or “multi-rater feedback” has become all the rage when it comes to training, development, and in some cases, performance evaluations.

In a nutshell, 360 degree feedback is a method and a tool that provides an employee the opportunity to receive performance feedback from every aspect surrounding their role. Traditionally the feedback is given from a range of internal sources (including supervisors, peers, subordinates) and in some cases external sources as well (customers, business partners, etc.) 360 degree feedback allows an individual to understand how his or her effectiveness as an employee, coworker, or staff member is viewed by others.

“The purpose of the 360 degree feedback is to assist each individual to understand his or her strengths and weaknesses, and to contribute insights into aspects of his or her work needing professional development.” – Susan Heathfield, HR Expert - About.com

There is great debate as to whether 360 degree feedback should be used strictly for developmental purposes, or also used for end of year appraisals. Some argue that multiple sources lead to more well rounded fedback, while others feel that the method’s anonymity provides no recourse should one want further clarification on the feedback. Regardless of position, it’s hard to argue the power of receiving a full circle view of one’s effectiveness when it comes to personal development.

Recently while discussing the topic, a co-worker introduced me to Rypple.com, a quick and easy way to solicit feedback from managers, peers or really anyones opinion whom you respect. The flexibility of the system allows you to solict feedback from anyone, about anything from performance, to opinions on a meeting, or input from a team members on a project. Everything is presented in very simplistic manner allowing you to simply enter your question, choose whom you want to ask it to, and then track your performance.

What separates Rypple from other 360 feedback systems is that there are minimal constraints when it comes to what you can and cannot do. There are no pre-defined questions or limitations on who should give you feedback. The responses are completely anonymous, creating an open environment for honest and meaningful feedback. With this flexible functionality, some users have even employed the technology to survey customers and solicit feedback from clients.

Rypple is a web-based and free for the basic service, (a premium version costs a nominal fee per month, with corporate options rising from there) allowing users to sign-up today and receive feedback almost instantly. Certainly an interesting twist on receiving feedback that caters directly to Gen-Y. To learn more, take the Rypple Tour and check it out yourself. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts or experiences if you’ve used it.

Setting Priorities 101: Plan Each Day to Ensure Success

Published

Anthony

on May 8, 2009

in Classroom 101 and Personal Development

. 4 Comments

todolists2 Setting Priorities 101: Plan Each Day to Ensure Success

We all have 168 hours in every week. No more, no less. And though many of us might wish we could, we will never have the power to add to that number. Our level of success is directly related to how we manage our time each and every day.

For those aspiring to get ahead, every new day brings greater challenges, new opportunities, and undoubtedly additional items to add to the “To-Do List.” We constantly have more and more demands placed on our time and it seems the closer we get to achieving our goals, the more and more things we have to get done each day. Setting priorities and planning ahead is no longer a “nice to do” option, it’s the price of admission in being effective.

The more time you invest in planning and setting your priorities before you begin your day, the more you’ll be able to accomplish — and the faster you’ll get those tasks done.

I know this isn’t breaking news - you’ve heard it before. Yet even knowing this, a majority of people neglect taking a few extra minutes to truly plan for their day and internalize what they want to accomplish in that given time. The key to maximizing your time and efforts is learning to identify and work on the most important tasks until they’re complete. Prioritizing is one of those things that sounds easy, but can be hard to do consistently. There are various published techniques on how to become better at setting your priorities; however the one I have personally found to be the most beneficial is the “ABCDE Method.”

It sounds basic, but if you truly understand the power of this technique and implement it every day, you will be amazed at its effectiveness.

The ABCDE Method of Prioritizing

The ABCDE Method requires that you review your list of given tasks and put an A, B, C, D, or E next to each one in order of priority. The way that you determine your highest priority at any moment is to think about the potential consequences of doing or not doing a particular task. The very act of performing this excise and thinking through your tasks before you start work will dramatically increase your efficiency and effectiveness once you begin working.

A - “A” tasks are extremely important, they are considered must do’s. They have serious consequences if they are completed or not. Whether you do them or don’t do them can have a major impact on your results and your success. You should always do your “A” tasks before anything else. Assuming that you have more than one “A” task, organize them by priority, as A-1, A-2, A-3, and so on.

B –“B” tasks are things that you should do, but they’re not as important as A-tasks. They have mild consequences if completed or not. Doing it or not doing it may cause some inconvenience, but the consequences are relatively minor compared to A-tasks.

C - “C” tasks are those that would be nice to do, but it will have no consequences at all. Whether you do them, attempt them, complete them or not, they will have no consequences in your life or work at all. They usually will not contribute to your long-term success in your personal life or career.

As you can tell by now, the general rule is to never to a “B-task” when there is an “A-task” left on the list. Likewise, never do a “C-task” when you still have “B-task” left undone. Stay focused on all the “A-tasks” before moving on to a “B” and so on down the list.

D - “D” tasks need to be completed but should be given to someone else to complete. Putting it bluntly, delegate them! The only time you should spend on these tasks is the amount of time it takes you to figure out to whom the task should be sent to and the needed direction for completion. The more you can delegate, the more time you will have to focus on the “A” tasks, which have the most impact on your success and happiness.

E - “E” stand for eliminate. These are the activities that are no longer important in the achievement of your most important goals today. When you take a close look at it, much of what you do during the day or week can be eliminated with no consequences at all.

Once you have completed this entire exercise, go back to you’re A-1 task and focus all your energy and concentration on starting and completing this job before you do anything else.

Give it a try! Or if you’ve had success with a different method, leave a comment with your suggestions. If done right, you’ll soon be asking yourself, “What am I going to do with my 168?” Now wouldn’t that be wishful thinking…

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3 Secrets to Becoming a Super-Resilient Person

Published

Anthony

on April 26, 2009

in Personal Development and Thought Provoking

. 0 Comments

bounce back paddle ball1 3 Secrets to Becoming a Super Resilient Person We all learn something about ourselves in difficult times. For some the lesson is reassuring - no matter what the setback or scenario, certain people always seem to remain positive and maintain their emotional balance. Yet for others, adversity provides the opportunity to slip into mental spiral that can be harder to recover from than the original setback itself. The ability to bounce back from adversity – known as “resilience” - is looked at as both highly valuable and a little mysterious. While it’s sometimes looked at as a special trait enjoyed only by an extraordinary few, resiliency is actually something that can be developed with a conscious effort.

Some psychologists, such as Dr. Robert Brooks of Harvard Medical School, look at the ability to bounce back from adversity as a mindset – one that defines the way in which we understand and approach all aspects of our life. He states his rational for this view by saying;

“The reason I do so is my strong belief that mindsets can be changed, that they do not have to remain fixed ideas that are cast in stone. I realize that many people have held on to certain self-defeating ideas for years, but with insight, courage, and support these ideas can be changed.”

There’s not doubt that enhancing your ability to bounce back quickly will change your outlook in business, relationships and life in general. The question is, How can you consciously improve your resilience?

Through her research, Suzanne Kobasa teaches that to truly improve your resiliency, you must learn to embrace the 3-C’s. Mastering all three can help you find balance in difficult times and give you the strength to overcome them. If you’re facing a setback or difficult situation, reflect on the following and you’ll be one step closer to becoming a more resilient person.

The 3-C’s: Keys to Becoming More Resilient

Challenge

View change as a chance to grow. Focus on the positive and build from there. Successful people appreciate that change is a constant in life and interpret change as a challenge to confront and master rather than as a stress to avoid.

Control

Believe you can change your situation for the better and act on it. Focus on what you can control, instead of concentration on things that are outside of your influence. It is only natural that you will feel more stressed when you attempt to alter uncontrollable circumstances. Stay focused and spend your energy on things you can control.

Commitment

Be passionate about your pursuits and remember the bigger picture. When you have a purpose, when you are guided by a vision, you never lose sight of why you are doing what you are doing. When this happens, an energy and passion is triggered that provides meaning and lessens the negative impact of stressful situations.

8 Secrets to Settling Disagreements

Published

Anthony

on March 15, 2009

in Communication, Managing and Personal Development

. 2 Comments

disagreement 8 Secrets to Settling Disagreements

Succeeding in any venture or relationship will bring about its share of disagreements. Be it with a customer, a colleague, or business partner, disagreements are an inevitable part of doing business that you can and should be well prepared for. Aside from settling a particular dispute, properly resolving a disagreement provides the opportunity for increasing respect, building trust, and generally advancing the relationship with your opposition to an entirely different level. Yet even so, the word disagreement continues to hold a negative connotation in most peoples mind. Why? Because disagreements make people uncomfortable. And if handled incorrectly, they can lead to a full fledged argument where nobody wins and everyone goes home unfulfilled.

I first encountered one of my favorite models for settling disagreements while reading How to Win friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie, a few years back. Without a doubt one of my all-time favorite books that I’ve been known to quote on more than one occasion. In his chapter entitled, “You Can’t Win an Argument” Carnegie sites an article from Bits and Pieces, offering a few suggestions on how to keep a disagreement from turning into an argument. The highlights are below.

Distrust your first instinctive impression. Our first natural reaction in a disagreeable situation is to be defensive. Be careful. Keep calm and watch out for your first reaction. It may be you at your worst, not your best.
Control your temper. Remember, you can measure the size of a person by what makes him or her angry.
Listen first. Give your opponents a chance to talk. Let them finish. Do not resist, defend, or debate. This only raises barriers. Try to build bridges of understanding. Don’t build higher barriers of misunderstanding.
Look for areas of agreement. When you have heard your opponents out, dwell first on the points and area of which you agree.
Be honest. Look for area where you can admit error and say so. Apologize for your mistakes. It will help you disarm your opponents and reduce defensiveness.
Promise to think over your opponents ideas and study them carefully. And mean it. Your opponents may be right. It’s a lot easier at this stage to agree to think about their points than to move rapidly ahead and find yourself in a position where your opponents can say: “We tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen.”
Thank your opponents sincerely for their interest. Anyone who takes the time to disagree with you is interested in the same things that you are. Think of them as people who really want to help you, and you may turn your opponents into friends.
Postpone action to give both sides time to think through the problem. Suggest that a new meeting be held later that day or the next day, when all the facts may be brought to bear. In preparation for this meeting, ask yourself some hard questions:

Could my opponents be right? Partly right? Is there truth or merit in their position or argument? Is my action one that will relive the problem, or will it just relive my frustration? Will my reaction drive my opponents away or draw them closer to me? Will my reaction elevate the estimation good people have in me? Will win or lose? What price will have to pay if I win? If I’m quite about it, will the disagreement blow over? Is this difficult situation an opportunity for me.

I’ll be the first to admit it takes commitment and a conscious effort to consistently apply these principals, yet I’ll wager that if you take them to heart, you won’t be disappointed.

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So You’ve Just Become a Manager – Now What?

Published

Anthony

on November 5, 2008

in Leadership and Managing

. 4 Comments

frustratedman So You’ve Just Become a Manager – Now What?

As soon as the jubilation from your promotion subsides, it hits you – “What do I do now?” The training is over, everyone says you’re ready, yet all of a sudden you are responsible for a number of employees and not even sure where to begin. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Over the next few weeks, I will be writing a number of posts in a series entitled, “So You’ve Just Become a Manager,” highlighting the keys to making the transition a successful one.

To further examine this process, I’ve spent the past few months interviewing a number of top managers and directors here at J&J as to their first steps when moving into a management role for the first time. Though each had their own individual thoughts and style as to how they approached the transition, there were many suggestions that became consistent in each. Interestingly enough, many of the suggestions focus on self-management, versus managing ones subordinates during this period.

Though the future posts will provide greater detail, I thought I’d kick off the series with a brief overview of the highlights. The following are the 10 most common tips from some of the best in the business…

Monitor your work hours.
Set time limits to your work hours and stick to them. When you’re in a new position it’s very easy to get sucked into working longer and longer hours because you feel you have to. Resist the urge to consistently stay late. One of the worst things that can happen is burning out too early, if this happens, it will be hard to jumpstart your passion for the role, not to mention your employees will take notice.
Set up processes early.
Be conscious of your time - Now that you are managing other people, you will be pulled in multiple directions at any given moment. Begin to formalize a schedule of when you handle routine administrative tasks. (ex. approve expense reports every Monday, budget meetings on Thursdays) Whatever your particular role entails, begin to get a grasp of your time demands and build a routine to fit.
Establish trust early.
You might feel there is pressure to push for results early in your new role. Again, resist the urge. Take the time to get to know your people individually and as a team. What do they need and what do they expect from you. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are their goals and ambitions? If they don’t tell you, ask. Establishing trust clearly takes time, but starting off on the right foot shows that you have their best interests in mind. When your employees trust you and want to work for you, the results will come sooner than you think.
Set clear expectations.
This should include everything from your expectations for their administrative activities to your vision for the team. Doing this early on aligns your vision with the group and the individual players. Once everyone has a clear picture of your expectations, the next question naturally becomes, “How do we get there?”
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
This means regular meetings with both your team members & your direct manager. Clear expectations raise the bar, but frequent communication holds everyone to them.
Give praise and recognition regularly.
Reinforcement of a job well done is one of the cheapest and most impactful motivational tools at your disposal. Making the effort to show you see and appreciate the little things can make the difference between a positive action being repeated or forgotten.
Focus on what is important, not just what is urgent.
This applies to managing up as well as down. Take the time to speak with your manager about the most critical issues they see for you in your role. Be clear as to the expectations from both sides and keep these in mind at all times.
Learn to delegate.
Failure to delegate is the most common failing point of new leaders. For managers, there are two key aspects to successful delegation:
- Having people to whom one can delegate, and
- Selecting the most appropriate tasks to delegate
Not only does delegation take things off your plate, but when done properly, delegation will foster the “initiative to take action” so that your people learn to develop their skills and knowledge to their full potential.
Continue to build your network.
Just because you’ve been promoted doesn’t mean you have to stop networking. Now more than ever the importance of networking and building coalitions will become apparent. Not only are you setting yourself up for personal success, but a strong network enables you to better help your employees. Everyone inside or outside your direct area of business provides value.
Find a mentor.
No good manager does it alone. Find someone who is or has been a successful “people” manager. Without a doubt, the most successful managers have told me that they have one person or a group of people that they often consult when faced with a new challenge. Meet or talk regularly with them to discuss your issues, challenges and ways that you can learn and develop.

There were many more powerful tips that I will undoubtedly talk about throughout the series, but these jumped out as some of the most prevalent. If you have a crucial step that was left off, feel free to add it as a comment and I will gladly work it into future posts.

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You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself

Published

Anthony

on October 4, 2008

in Book Reviews, Personal Branding and Personal Development

. 2 Comments

Fitting in with the personal branding theme, I recently finished reading You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself, by Harry Beckwith and Christine Clifford Beckwith. In a nutshell, You Inc. is an easy and enjoyable read that covers off on all the basics from cultivating your personal image, to providing tips on delivering a ten minute speech. Each “lesson” makes up about two pages and is presented with stories and anecdotes that make them easy to follow and understand. The authors not only reinforce the importance of selling yourself before anything else, but also provide tips and real world examples on how to do so. Though you won’t find any one earth shattering lesson among the pages, the combination of many small concepts create a very powerful presentation. In a way, Harry and Christine have created a quick reference guide for both the eager reader and the seasoned veteran when it comes to building brand you. To give you an example, a few of the quick lessons in include:

People value - and pay more for - the way your make them feel.
The first thing to plan for is your first impression.
Tricks and shortcuts: There are none.
Simplicity gives people certainty, and certainty they can deal with.
In your sales story, put the audience, not you, in the hero’s shoes.
After you write something, be sure to hear it. (Read it out loud.)
Listening makes you captivating.
Don’t impress them. Move them.
Visual aids regularly diminish everyone’s understanding of the material.
Be yourself. It is easier to remember, for one thing, and works dramatically better.
Never try to fool anyone.

Overall, You Inc. is excellent read for those looking to reinforce many of the basic concepts in selling yourself and therefore is among the top on my list when is come to personal and professional development.

Secrets of Great Leaders

Published

Anthony

on September 14, 2008

in Leadership and Thought Provoking

. 0 Comments

lincolnmemorial Secrets of Great Leaders

As Election Day approaches, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the hype that’s conjured up by the media. Each day mistaken words, abridged interviews, and campaign ads attempt to influence the millions of voters that will be heading to the polls. Attempting to cut through the nonsense, one historian urges Americans to consider the leadership strengths of our most successful Presidents when deciding to cast their ballots this November.

“Focusing on the qualities that have made some of our leaders exceptional provides a better perspective on our current candidates than what’s so often reported…” - Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin, a renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner, is featured in Parade, this week with her article entitled, “The Secret’s of America’s Great Presidents.” Using the lessons of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt as her guide, she attempts to identify 10 leadership attributes that distinguish truly great presidents.

Though her full article goes into much greater historical detail and is worth the read, the following is a summary of the 10 key attributes that Goodwin identified.

The courage to stay strong. A leader needs the ability to withstand adversity and motivate oneself in the face of frustration.
Self-confidence. Good leadership requires you to surround yourself with people of diverse perspectives who can disagree with you without fear of retaliation.
An ability to learn from errors. To lead successfully, you must be willing to acknowledge and learn from your mistakes.
A willingness to change. Conditions change and Presidents must respond.
Emotional intelligence. A President must encourage his closest advisers to give their best and remain loyal.
Self control. Great leaders manage their emotions and remain calm in the midst of trouble.
A popular touch. The best presidents have an intuitive awareness of public sentiment, a sense of when to wait and when to lead.
A moral compass. Only strong leaders have the courage and integrity to follow their convictions when the risk of losing popular support is great.
A capacity to relax. FDR held a White House cocktail hour every evening. Its cardinal rule: Nothing was to be said of politics or war.
A gift for inspiring others. One of the key qualities of a great President is his ability to communicate national goals to the people and to educate and shape public opinion.

Regardless of the Presidential connotation, her aforementioned attributes are clearly applicable to great leaders in any capacity. Each attribute seamlessly builds on the next, yielding a leader poised for success. How does your leadership approach compare to the list?