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Imagine a giant billboard on the side of the highway, broadcasting how you show up at work. What would it say? How would others describe your professional brand in one or two sentences? Would there be any “buts” in that description?

“She’s smart, but doesn’t follow through.” “He’s our best salesperson, but he’s a jerk with internal partners.” “They meet deadlines, but I wish they were better at problem-solving.” “She has great ideas, but doesn’t always execute.”

When it comes to managing your professional brand, the “buts” matter. You may be doing all the hard work, but if there’s a lingering “but” in how people describe you, it could be holding you back.

Defining Your Professional Brand: No More “Buts”

For more see this VIDEO on building your professional brand.

If the work you’ve put into improving your “but” isn’t yielding the results you hoped for, it’s time to take a step back and address the perceptions that others have about you. Start by defining your aspirational professional brand.

Complete this sentence: “I want to be known for…” or “I want to be remembered as a teammate who…”

This exercise will give you clarity on how you want to show up in the workplace. Once you’re clear, it’s time to get some honest feedback.

Want the Truth? Go on a Listening Tour

One of the most powerful exercises in our leadership development programs is encouraging leaders to go on a listening tour, what we call a DIY 360.  This involves asking a few trusted colleagues for honest feedback on what’s working well and where you could improve.

You can do the same. Choose one aspect of your professional brand where you’d like feedback and craft a few open-ended questions. For example:

• “When you think about our work together, what are two or three words you’d use to describe me?”
• “What is one element of my professional style that positively impacts our team?”
• “If you could suggest one way for me to show up differently, what would it be?”

By gathering these diverse perspectives, you’ll gain insight into any “buts” you may need to address.

Let People Know What You’re Working On

Once you’ve gathered feedback and identified areas for improvement, it’s important to let others know what you’re working on and why. Changing perceptions takes time, but when people are aware of your goals, they’re more likely to notice your positive changes.

Consistency is key. Show your colleagues that you’re actively working on improving your professional brand.

Own Your Mistakes and Keep Going

No one gets everything right all the time. While you’re working on improving your brand, old habits may slip back in. If that happens, the best thing you can do is acknowledge it.

A simple “I’m sorry, I screwed this up” goes a long way toward building trust and credibility. Don’t hide from your mistakes or pretend they didn’t happen. Your teammates will notice, and it’s far more powerful to own up to them.

Finally, don’t give up. Improving your professional brand takes time and effort. Stay focused on consistently doing the right thing, and over time, those “buts” will disappear.

For more on building your professional brand, you won’t want to miss our recent interview with Marshall Goldsmith.

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I get frustrated and sad when I see highly qualified people unable to sell themselves in a job interview– particularly when they seem to be so qualified.  It happened again, perhaps you know someone who can benefit from this story and the actions that followed.

Meet Me in St. Louis

The sweet woman next to me on the flight from Denver to St. Louis shared her story about her frustrating series of job interviews.

She had a masters in education and yet kept piecing together teaching assistant jobs to make ends meet for her and her 7-year-old son. This meant no benefits and often waitressing on the side. She couldn’t seem to get hired in a permanent gig. “I just don’t seem to be what they’re looking for.” She had a job interview that afternoon for a “real” teaching job. Game on.

When I asked her about what “they were looking for” in previous interviews, the conversation led to rubrics and curriculum and other teacher-y words. Her lack of experience drained the confidence from her explanation. “I keep trying to figure out what they want, and I think that makes my answers fuzzy.”

So we had a quick impromptu coaching session over a couple of cranapple juices and a bag of snack mix.

I asked.

Why are you passionate about education?  What makes you unique as a teacher?

Seat 14 B suddenly radiated new energy. She told me stories of raising her son bi-lingual and how she incorporates that into the classroom. How she’s an artist and how she combines art history with reading and writing in interactive field trips in the park. She shared her proactive efforts to learn at conferences and share with her peers.

And so, I asked the obvious question.  Have you ever shared any of that in a job interview? 

She stopped. “No.”

They Don’t Know They’re Looking For You

In an effort to be what “they” want in a job interview, she was masking her gifts. They can’t possibly think they are looking for a bi-lingual artist, with a master’s in teaching, and a passion for making reading fun. It doesn’t mean they won’t jump when they see that. I would want my first grader in her class.

Teacher’s Homework

The flight was ending so we outlined an approach for her next job interview.

1. Identify the 3 gifts that differentiated her as a teacher (Art, Languages later I found she knows more than 2) and Teaching Reading.
2. Practice the starting statement here’s what I’m about (she needed an elevator speech)
3. Prepare examples that highlight her 3 gifts (specifics, with outcomes and results)
4. Anticipate the tough questions, and weave in her gifts
5. End with confidence (and avoid self-sabotaging words)

Another Important Tool to Nail Your Job Interview

How to Make an Even Better Career Elevator Pitch

What’s One Piece of Advice You Wish You Learned Sooner

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Do you ever think of exactly the right thing to say — your perfect career elevator pitch — the moment you walk away from the conversation?

Do you want to make a better impression when you have only a few moments to share your ideas or ask for something you need?

Today on Asking for a Friend, we go old-school and talk about a very practical, and easy-to-implement technique for getting people’s attention and making an important first impression. This can help create clarity around the importance of your work. 

Ok, so the story I share with you in this video is seriously right on point. It’s so relevant that it’s almost hard to believe it happened! I actually had the opportunity to give my two-liner, power-packed elevator pitch to a senior-level executive – on an elevator – immediately following a team training about communication. 

This moment in my career helped launch me into the next level of leadership at the company I worked for. It’s like all the pieces fell into place, right when I needed them to…

And I was ready with my elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is something I imagine many of us wish we had mastered earlier in our careers! And guess what? You don’t actually need an elevator. Watch the video for my tips on how to prepare for that moment…the one that could potentially change your career and your life so you can become the leader you want to be. 

Try This Simple Technique for a Better Career Elevator Pitch

Step 1 of your elevator pitch is to give the person you’re talking with context that they can relate to…choose a question that they know the answer to!  For example, I could start with something like, “Have you ever had a bad boss?”  

Step 2 of your elevator pitch helps position you in that process that they already know the importance of…and will make it really clear to them the VALUE of what you do. For example, after someone is nodding their head profusely to the question, “Have you ever had a bad boss?” Then, I could say, “I provide practical tools and techniques to help you be the leader you want your boss to be.”

Big picture…they don’t need to understand the HOW of what you do…and there are a lot of complex details that you don’t need to share. You want to communicate with confidence the importance and value of what you do. 

Then your career elevator pitch will be memorable and worthwhile.

What would you add? What’s one way you help people show up confident, credible, and ready to ask for what they need — when they only have a few moments?

P.S. This video was filmed just outside the amazing Leadership Institute in Beaver Creek, Colorado where we were working with a fantastic group of human-centered leaders at East West Hospitality. 

Related articles about communication, confidence, and leadership:

Presenting to Executives: How to Have More Confidence

What’s one piece of career advice you wish you had learned sooner?

Leadership Skills: 6 Core Competencies Let’s Grow Leaders (letsgrowleaders.com)

How to Get Your Boss Excited About Your Great Idea

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You want to help your team with career development, but time is limited. How do you support your team?

Today, on Asking For a Friend, I talk with Julie Winkle Giulioni, author of Help them Grow or Watch Them Go, about how managers can support development when there is pitifully little time. And, ensuring that every member of your team has an active career development plan as part of your talent strategy.

How to Help Your Team with Career Development (With Limited Time)

A few highlights:

1. Avoid taking on too much responsibility. Help your team member take charge of their own career.
2. Encourage them to bring a “plateful of feedback” to the conversation.
3. Look for quick opportunities for development in the context of your regular cadence of work (10 minute, bite-size coaching or mentoring moments).

Development Discussion Planner

An important part of many of our longer-term leadership development programs is to ensure that managers have a robust development plan in place for every team member.

More information on our development discussion planner here.

Ask your employee to reflect on both their current and desired future roles and answer the following questions.

What strengths would you like to leverage and grow?

In what strategic relationships would you like to invest?

What challenges are you looking to overcome?

Which skills would you like to learn or improve?

What support do you need?

Your turn.

What are your best practices for helping your team build a career development plan when time is limited?

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You’ve been offered a promotion at work, but you’re a bit scared. Makes perfect sense. That frightened feeling means you’re about to stretch and grow. Even if you don’t feel ready for a promotion, you’re probably more prepared than you think.

In fact, if you don’t feel like you’re flying off a trapeze, you’re probably playing it too safe.

Karin, I just don’t feel ready for a promotion.

Everyone thinks I’m ready for this promotion at work but me. My boss, my mentor, my peers … People I respect say I’m a natural for the gig. But I just don’t see it. I’m worried that my fear will cause me to fail. Should I take this job? #AskingForAFriend

How to Succeed at a Promotion at Work (Even When You’re Scared)

1. Get real about what scares you

It’s easy to let fear derail your confidence.  When you can name and acknowledge your fears, their grip loosens and you can go from being stifled to making a plan.

Are you scared of letting the team down? Check in with what they need.

Scared of the learning curve? Prioritize what’s most important to know in the first thirty days, and learn that first.

Read more about our research on psychological safety and courage.

2. Leverage your strengths

Take a deep look at your past success. What skills translate well to the new role?

You don’t have to lead like the last guy. In fact, that’s almost never the right approach. Own your past success and figure out which talents and skills will work best in your new role.

When I took over a 2200 person sales team, I had never sold a thing in my life. But what I did know was how to craft a compelling vision; the art of rallying a team around an audacious goal;  attracting, developing, and retaining talent. And it turns out that, coupled with a talented team, was more than enough.

3. Admit what you don’t know

I’ve seen “fake it till you make it” derail more than a few careers. If you don’t know what you’re doing in a certain arena, don’t try to fool your team. If you’re showing up confident and leveraging your strengths in other areas, your team will deeply respect you when you tell them where you’re still learning.

4. Partner with your peers

On the first day in my contact center director role at Verizon, our biggest customer had a huge network outage.

Having spent my entire career in HR up to that point, I didn’t have a clue how to talk to their IT Vice President about the root cause. I called my peer Dan for help. He said, “Conference me when you call him back and I’ll instant message you what to say.” I got through the call and we got the problem fixed. Then Dan said, “Now to return the favor, why don’t you come to Brooklyn next month and help me with some employee engagement initiatives?”

Perfect, back to leveraging strengths.

5.  Maximize the talents of your team

Not knowing what you’re doing can actually be a real advantage for leading a team. Including your best people in decisions becomes a matter of survival. You’ve got to trust your team. You’ve got to ask a lot of strategic questions and learn from them. All of which turns out to be great approaches for building high engagement.

Your turn.

What advice would you have for this friend who’s scared to take this promotion?

See Also:

You’re Not Ready For A Promotion? Take it Anyway

Overlooked for a Promotion Again Now What Should I Do?

How to Be a More Courageous Manager

Asking For a Friend

Do you (or your friend) have a leadership or career question that you’d like me to answer?

Check out our Asking For a Friend Page and share your question.

Click here to learn more about the book

We’ve written a new book on being a more courageous leader, building courageous cultures, and fostering courage and innovation in your team.

You can download a FREE chapter of the book and the foreword by Dr. Amy Edmonson or order it from Amazon here.

The post How Do I Succeed at a Promotion at Work (Even When I’m Scared)? (video) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Career Development May Mean Career Disruption

We’ve seen it time and again. The products and services that we loved yesterday are old news today… and obsolete tomorrow. It plays out in everything from our voracious appetite for new features and phones to the revolving doors of food providers who ride the taste-of-the-moment waves from cupcakes to fro-yo to poke.

That’s why most organizations rank innovation among their top strategic priorities. They know that the only way to survive this challenging and unpredictable reality is to continue to evolve products and services to stay ahead of (or at least even with) their customers’ fast-evolving and frequently fickle expectations.

But for many, mere incrementalism may not be sufficient to thrive – or even survive. So, disruption or radical change has now become the new normal. Organizations can certainly choose not to proactively disrupt; but, in that case, they’d better prepare to be disrupted themselves.

Even the employment landscape reflects this disruptive dynamic. The workplace of the past was almost completely populated with full-time employees. At present, full-timers only make up just over 50% of the workforce and the rest is a patchwork quilt of badge types and employment forms –part-time, contractor, consultant, intern, extern … and the list goes on.

This dynamic business landscape has introduced a range of challenges when it comes to career development. Gone are the days of predictable progression through pre-determined paths. The corporate ladder has toppled. Learning has morphed from formal, organizationally-driven training initiatives to organic, embedded experiences and self-service access models.

A VUCA Guide to Career Success in a VUCA World

Environments characterized by all of this disruption are frequently labeled ‘VUCA’ – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Making the most of these factors and thriving in today’s environment requires a disruptive approach to career development as well – one that comes with its own brand of VUCA. Because 21^st century career development must be:

Versatile – Career success today demands an unprecedented level of flexibility, adaptability, and versatility. ‘Multi-purpose’ is the name of the game. Becoming a multi-purpose player. Developing multi-purpose skills. This helps one add more value while keeping pace, shifting gears, and responding fluidly, nimbly and quickly. Versatility supports career disruption, preparing employees to remain in a perpetual state of readiness to perceive and pivot toward possibilities. This is the secret sauce of sustainable success.

Uplifting – For career development to get the attention it deserves (and to break through the din of organizational priorities and noise) it has to mean something. Employees won’t put forth the discretionary effort required to pursue plans and goals if they don’t have an emotional connection to them. As a result, powerful development includes an affective dimension … with activities and elements that leave people inspired, energized and uplifted.

Choice-filled – In the past, career development was guided by static maps or career paths. But what happens if there’s a roadblock, accident, or just the desire to take a more scenic route? Career development in today’s disruptive environment requires dynamic GPS systems that offer current data about changing conditions and options for moving forward. The best career plans are the ones with many decision points, options, and possible roads in the right direction. These choices, teamed with versatility and adaptability, allow for real-time rerouting to take advantage of evolving possibilities as they present themselves.

Active – Gone are the days of employees being passive consumers of organizationally-driven career development services. Today employees and leaders actively partner to co-create opportunities for growth. But employees must really own their development. It must be a conscious choice, a personal priority and a deep commitment that plays out every day.

Today’s business environment requires employees to be ready, receptive, and resilient. Whether people come out feeling vulnerable or victorious depends largely upon one thing: their willingness to disrupt themselves and their careers.

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You’re looking for a great place to work; with people you admire and where jerks don’t survive. A place where you can get results, without losing your soul.

A great place to work where you can learn and grow; where your work makes an impact.

In this economy, if you’re good, you’ve likely got choices. So how do you decide if this is the right place for you?

How do you figure out if your prospective employer is truly offering a great place to work or a shiny veneer with a foosball table and a clever recruiter?

A Practical Guide for Building Career Security

Whether you’re wrestling with a greener grass dilemma or just starting out, take time to dig a bit deeper and ask yourself these questions.

C- Cause

Do your homework on the mission, vision, and values of the organization. Dig around their website, do a Google search, talk to others who work there—be sure you understand what matters most and how it aligns with who you are. Just because this is a great place to work for someone else, doesn’t mean it is for you.

• Does the mission of this organization light me up?
• Are people here doing work I believe in?
• Is this how I want to be spending my time?

A- Admiration

Do what you can to find out a bit about the people who work here. Ask open-ended questions during the interview process to learn more about their motivations and leadership styles. Then ask yourself:

• Are these my people?
• Are there leaders here who I admire—people I could learn from and perhaps even emulate?
• How did they treat me in the interview? How did they treat their assistant? How did they show up when they ran into others walking down the hall?

R- Rigor

Do what you can to see how work gets done. Ask to talk to some people doing similar roles. It won’t feel like a great place to work if you can’t get anything done.

• Do they have the tools they need for success?
• Is there a culture of accountability and collaboration?
• What gets in the way and slows them down?

E- Energy

As you look around, tune into the energy level. Most great places to work have a vibrant feel.

• Do people seem engaged and excited about what they’re up to?
• Are the breakrooms filled with lonely people staring into microwaved Tupperware with little connection, or are they smiling and engaged in upbeat conversation?
• Start in the parking lot. What would it feel like to walk through those doors every day?

E- Expansion

Think past job security to career security. A great place to work will leave you better than they found you.

• How will you grow professionally and personally from working here?
• What new skills will you acquire?
• Will there be opportunities for lateral moves and special projects?
• What is the typical career path for someone in this role?

R- Risk Taking

This may be the hardest to tap into, but it’s worth trying. If you get a chance, do a bit of job shadowing or at least talk to people in the role you will be taking on.

• Is this a culture full of FOSU (fear of speaking up) or do people feel like they can tell the truth—up, down and sideways?
• What happens if you make a mistake around here?
• Are innovation and new ideas encouraged?

If you’re looking for a great place to work, it’s worthwhile to take the time to go a level deeper to learn as much as you can about what you’re getting into.

The post A Practical Guide to Finding a Great Place to Work appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Do you have a terrible boss? Do you feel like it’s taking every ounce of your energy just to survive?

I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but approach this temporary situation in your life well, and you’re in the best leadership training program money can’t buy.

How to Survive a Terrible Boss

Observe your jerky boss’ actions and the impact.
Repeat.
Keep your comments to yourself.
Repeat (the hardest part.)
Seek out role models of better leadership.
Repeat.
Try some.
Refine.
Repeat.
Keep your boss informed of your progress.
Take a deep breath and thank her for her support.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Watch the A players flock to be on your team.
Ask them for their ideas.
Repeat.
Develop a strong network of peer relationships.
Repeat… go deeper this time.
Be as helpful as possible.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Address performance issues of the stragglers–set a higher standard (don’t skip this part or you’re just a nice guy, not a leader). 
Repeat.
Notice improved behaviors.
Repeat.
Ask for what you need.
Repeat.
Recognize upward trends.
Repeat.
Thank your boss for his support.

See also 5 Stages of Manager Soul Loss infographic 

The post How to Survive a Terrible Boss (with video) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Working for a new boss often feels like a tight rope. If you’ve got a new boss, you may be experiencing that nauseous feeling that comes from walking a fine line. That’s good. You need to be paying attention.

My best advice for teams and new bosses? Try switching up the metaphor. View the tight rope as a Double Dutch jump rope instead, and you’ll be a lot more productive, successful, and save yourself a heck of a lot of time.

False Security

If you’re the welcoming committee, it’s easy to assume that life will continue as usual. After all, you’re making progress and your old boss was happy. Of course she put in a good word. (Even if she did, it’s likely not enough.) Here’s how to  take it up a level–to find a higher gear.

If you’re the new boss you likely feel the same way. You’ve seen this movie before in a different theater. You know what works, and after all, they brought you here for a reason… this team needs help.

The biggest problem I see with folks welcoming the new boss is that they believe they’re the ones with the well-cadenced jump rope and it’s the boss should adapt. They’ve got this and can’t wait to show ’em how good they are.

The biggest mistake I see new bosses make is ignoring that the intact cadence has value, and slowing down enough to notice the magic.

So here’s my advice for jump-ropers on both sides of the cadence.

Consider your next boss-team switch-a-roo like hopping into a jump rope game already in play. You’ve got to watch a few turns before rushing in, otherwise you’re going to get smacked in the face.

A Few Guidelines

Pay attention to how others are interfacing, and what seems to excite her or drive him crazy. Learn from the mistakes of others.

When jumping into a spinning scene, stop and notice. Who’s in control? Are there subtle moves causing even the best players to trip?

Ask questions. Not tons of “How do I do this ?” questions, but strategic questions like “How can I be most helpful?’ “What’s the best way to communicate with you?” “How do you like your coffee?” (Just kidding.)

Understand the Need for Data  This is where I see many style conflicts get most into trouble. Trying to win an analytical boss (or team) over with an emotional argument will make you lose credibility—fast. Similarly, overwhelming a big picture thinker with a ream of spreadsheets may leave them with the impression you’re “Just not that strategic.”

Some additional thoughts that will help

How to PERSUADE your boss (goes both ways) 

The DARN method:  How to give your boss bad news (could go both ways, but many bosses struggle with this) 

And of course there’s my book: Overcoming an Imperfect Boss: A Practical Guide to Building a Better Relationship With Your Boss You can read the latest review by Jane Anderson here.

Call me. I can help. 443-750-1249.

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