Career: liking what you do every day (Strategy: Every day, use your strengths. Make sure you are aware of your strengths!)

Social: having strong relationships (Strategy: Make time every month for individuals you care about.)

Financial: a well-managed economic life (Strategy: Set financial goals annually.)

Physical: Having good health and the energy to get things done on a daily basis (Strategy: Get 20 minutes of exercise every day you can and 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.)

Community: A sense of engagement with the area where you live (Tip: Identify how you can contribute to your community or neighborhood.)

While 66% are doing well in at least one area, only 7% are thriving in all five. If we are struggling in any of these areas, as most of us are, it damages our wellbeing and wears on our daily life. Stress can affect us in so many ways but often we do not address the stressors. In my own private practice I have seen how important stress management is for my clients and notice a direct correlation in their career success depending on how resilient they are.

Our wellbeing will not improve unless we make a conscious decision to do so. I often hear from my clients that there is just not enough time for exercise and time with friends. We have to make our wellbeing an objective just like a career objective. We need to have our own personal development plan so we have the energy needed for the success we want! 

Small changes can have a huge impact. It also helps to have someone making you accountable. In my full day career class I have everyone leave with an action plan. Not every person will be meeting with me as a follow up, so I have them identify someone who can check on their goals. This one step will greatly improve their goal success.

September is a great time to focus on your wellbeing. There is something about the start of a new school year that makes setting new personal goals exciting and more realistic. Think about the five areas above and how would you rate yourself in those areas. Then pick one to set a specific goal in for September. Set up a file or get a journal and write down your wellbeing goal! We sometimes focus too much on getting things done and forget that we need to energize first so we have the energy needed to accomplish our goals!

Lots of organizations are doing research on engagement. The latest study by BlessingWhite in 2011, found some interesting findings:

• Fewer than 1 in 3 employees worldwide (31%) are engaged. Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) are actually disengaged.
• Despite the challenges of the economic recession, engagement levels around the world remained roughly stable when comparing early 2008 and mid – 2010.
• Yet more employees are looking for new opportunities outside their organization than they were in 2008, suggesting that 2011 may be a challenging year for retention.

Consistent with other findings, two factors top the list of satisfaction drivers for employees in nearly every region across every engagement level: “career development opportunities and training” and “more opportunities to do what I do best.” Individuals also want a better relationship with their manager. This supports the drive of companies and specifically managers to spend time and really understand what drives your employees and provide regular feedback to develop and enhance trust. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to facilitate career discovery and development trainings in progressive organizations. These companies are ahead of their time. By supporting your employees to become clear on their interests, skills and values you are providing a key development strategy. The greater fit a company can have with their business needs and the employee’s strengths, everyone is going to benefit!

Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Baxter International, Harry Kraemer, has written a back to basics book on value- based leadership: From Values to Action. He presents four interconnected principles that are key ingredients to effective leadership.

The first principle is self-reflection. “If you do not know yourself, how can you lead yourself? If you cannot lead yourself, how can you possibly lead others?” Self- reflection makes it possible to answer key questions like, what is most important? and What should we be doing? This provides clarity and makes sure you’re in line with your strengths and values and organizational goals. Leaders need to be clear on their Myers Briggs personality type so they are aware of their natural strengths and opportunity areas.

The next principle is balance and perspective, being able to understand all sides of an issue. Kraemer says, “My task was to recognize when a particular perspective offered by one of my team members was the best answer.” He uses the term life balance over work-life balance because it’s not an either or proposition. The leaders that have the magic know how to focus on balance in their career and personal life as well!

The third principle, true self-confidence is knowing what you know and what you don’t know. Leadership is not about always needing to be right. The final principle is genuine humility. Genuine humility helps you recognize that you ought to respect everyone equally and not treat anyone differently just because of a job title. I learned this skill from my Dad who always respected every person he encountered in such a positive engaging way.

Kraemer describes a leader well: “Self –reflection increases self-awareness. Balance encourages the individual to seek out different perspectives from all team members and to change their mind when appropriate in order to make the best possible decisions. With true self-confidence, they easily share credit with their team. Genuine humility allows them to connect with everyone because no one is more important than anyone else.” These principles can be applied to individual contributors or individuals in leadership roles and the magic will appear!

The first strategy is to determine your unique strengths that make an impact in your career. Are you prepared to answer the often asked interview question: “What are your top strengths that you would bring to this position?” We should always be prepared for this question because it is important whether we are working or job hunting. A great way to find your unique strengths is to get feedback from colleagues, customers, your Manager and anyone that sees you in action. Many companies have 360 tools and many times I recommend that my clients create their own mini feedback survey or if comfortable ask the individual for feedback.

The second strategy is developing an online presence. Too many people wait till they are out of a job to focus on social networking. Having a connection plan is key to your success! Being able to develop relationships with others needs to be a proactive plan. Connecting face to face is most effective but we cannot underestimate the power of the internet. I often ask during training sessions, “how many people in the room are on LinkedIn?” Many professionals think LinkedIn is another version of Facebook. I am clear to my clients that LinkedIn is a professional business networking site than can have an enormous impact on your career. Make sure your profile reflects your brand. Add updates so individuals know if you are attending seminars or professional conferences. This is an important second step in your brand journey.

The third strategy Is ongoing professional development. Make sure you spend the time to stay updated on the competencies that are key to your brand. Even with our busy schedules it is so important to make sure you are taking time to sharpen your skills. There are many positive outcomes from taking a day to attend training. In addition to helping you recharge, it is important to stay up to date with the latest strategies and initiatives. It also gives you a time to connect with others and share your brand. I will be attending in October, Career Directors International Conference in San Diego. It is an opportunity, I look forward to every year to learn the latest career development trends for my clients and to continue to refine my brand. My branding journey continues…

The fourth strategy is focused awareness. It is so important to realize that what can energize one colleague can stress another. Be really clear on your behaviors that energize others but also create conflict. This key step is crucial because by having awareness of your personality style and how you problem solve can make a huge impact on your work success! By having heightened awareness you can also present your brand to others so you stand out and are better than the best! In the song “Its my Job” written by by Mac McAnally and covered by many musicians including Jimmy Buffet, he shares his brand of being better than the best as a street sweeper. If you get a chance, listen to this song…it will change how you face your day tomorrow!

You can assess from a one to ten how your presently are doing on these strategies and then you will know where to focus your energy.  The first strategy to focus on is social media.  At a minimum, the site I would like to see you focus your energy on is Linked In.  I have dozens of stories on how clients have landed great interviews and even job offers from managing their Linked In site professionally.  The strategy I recommend is to either spend five minutes on Linked In a day or 30 minutes once a week.   I cannot emphasize enough that you should know everyone you connect with and feel that they have integrity and a good work ethic.  This will assist you to keep your Linked In operating in a very professional manner.  To develop a free profile go to www.LinkedIn.com.

The second strategy I want you to focus on monthly is tracking your achievements!  How often it is time for your performance review or time to update your resume and you are completely overwhelmed trying to remember your specific accomplishments!  Once a month schedule 30 minutes where you record three achievements for the month.  If you have three months in a row where you realize you do not have anything to record that is a clue that you need to get involved in more challenging projects.

Professional development is the third strategy.  When was the last time you took a training or teleseminar to develop a competency?  We get so caught up in the craziness of our job that we forget how important it is to develop ourselves.  Focusing on professional development is going to keep you up to date and recharged.  There are lots of free one hour teleseminars and webinars that you can get involved in without leaving your office.  What will you be doing this quarter for this strategy? 

Do you have a mentor or are you involved in a worthwhile professional organization? Strategy four is getting extra support from getting involved with a mentor or professional organization.  The goal of having a mentor is that you have someone that is not your boss who you can trust to get career insights and feedback.  Sometimes individuals are in situations where having a mentor does not work.  Plan B is to join a professional organization in your career area to keep up to date with the latest trends in your field.  I belong to two national coaching organizations and it has provided me with incredible resources that I share with clients on a daily basis.

Strategy five is asking for feedback.  Do not wait for your annual review.  You want your employer to see how motivated you are and that you are open for both positive and negative feedback.  Even if you are an entrepreneur, ask for feedback from your customers.  How can we improve if we do not get feedback? 

Do you know your brand?  Strategy six is to focus on your personal brand.  What makes you different from your colleagues?  If you have never done work in this area, a great resource to use is a Career Distinction by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson.                 .

Strategy seven is improving your resiliency.  It does not matter what kind of career environment you work in.  Workplaces are busier with fewer resources.  You need to be able to function at  100% capacity and have the energy to do it!  I often ask my coaching clients what they are doing to recharge themselves.  We really need to think about our energy like a battery.  How do we recharge?  I want you to list three ways you recharge yourself during the week.

I will be offering a free one hour teleseminar on May 12th at 12:00 noon ET on “Your Lifetime Career Development: 7 Strategies for Success”. It is a free preview to an exciting new teleseminar class, that I will be teaching beginning in June called “Get the Job Now! Learn Job Search Strategies That Work!”

Click here to register.

Beth

In my own life – 2009 had some major career changes which allowed me to develop my business in different and exciting ways!  I am completely recharged and have the energy that I need and want to drive my clients to their success!  One small change I made was to sign up for an exercise morning boot camp.  This change has provided me with such a recharge and has had a positive impact on my life and career.

William Bridges, a famous change expert has a model to explain how we deal with change.  We all go through three key phases.  The first one is the ending phase when we really have to say it is over.  The second phase is the neutral zone.  This is when we wake up and feel like our life is just a bunch of chaos.  This is usually when I get a call from a client who needs some assistance.  If we do not get the support we need in the neutral zone we cannot make it to the new beginning phase.  The new beginning phase is when we can really focus, make good choices and explore our best life!

On March 18th I will be holding a 5 week teleseries ” Find Your Best Life”. To read more about it click here.

I am also holding a preview on February 23rd and hope you will join me.

Beth

Let me show you:

*  How to market yourself, know what your skills are and how to go about developing a job search strategy during challenging economic times

*  How to create a vision of your own success in any economic environment so that you can set goals that lead to greater happiness and more energy

*  How you can dramatically increase the chances for your success by taking the ideas and insights from this audio conference and using them to formulate your own unique personal action plan

Click here to learn more!

The number one career question of 2009 is, how well are you managing your Linked In profile?  The two key areas are the Summary & Experience.  In your Summary you should write in the first person and in short paragraphs or bullet points.  Hit the highlights and keep it interesting!  In your Linked In Experience section do not include everything from your resume.  Write 1-3 sentences highlighting some key achievements.  If your new to Linked In and need some more information our presenter Jason Alba is a great resource.  Check out this website www.LInkedInForJobSeekers.com.

As we know the competition for more traditional jobs are becoming more and more competitive.  Individuals really need to have a multifaceted job search and think outside the box.  Exploring Federal jobs may be an option for some.  Federal agencies fill their jobs like private industries do, but the application process is more complex.  Most federal job vacancies can be found at www.usajobs.opm.gov.  There is even a website for Senior Leadership Positions, www.seniorleaders.gov and for college students www.studentjobs.gov. You can check out how many openings are available in your state and notice there is no shortage of federal jobs.  If you need a referral to a professional resume writer that focuses on federal resumes..let me know.

My final point is that with 78% of couples in the United States being dual income earners, companies need to provide flexibility to their employees or they are going to lose their top performers.  On a positive note many companies and their HR departments are realizing the strategic and economic edge that addressing work – life issues can give them in the competition to attract and keep employees.  Work – life balance is not a trend that is going away.  The data shows that employees, both men and women, at all levels want the flexibility to manage their needs while still meeting the needs of the organization!

A Career Coach Can Help You!

Working with a career coach you can check-in and give your coach updates on your search. Your coach will  provide tips on how to get through each step of your search from a resume review to providing Interviewing skills.

Staying positive and focused is one of the toughest career challenges you face when you are in a job search and a career coach can help you do that.

To ask questions and learn how coaching would work for you, set up your complimentary telephone meeting today. Your success awaits you!