Direct Your Career - The Professional Guide to a Better Career

Dress for Success

January 26, 2012

Several years ago, I was having a discussion with one of my staff. The conversation went all over the place, but he finally blurted out “You know, I just can’t figure out why I don’t get promoted. I am as good as anyone around here. I know more than a lot of them. How did you get to the top??” I feel pretty, oh so pretty!! His question surprised me a little bit. This employee, by his appearance alone never gave me, and I’m sure anyone else the impression that he wanted to be part of management. What I mean is that this gentleman was in his later 30′s, but looked like a throw back to 1965. He was bald on top, and what was left was long, un-styled hair that he pulled back into a pony tail. He had a very bushy mustache that never looked trimmed. He only shaved every two or three days, and had a perpetual five o’clock shadow. And lastly, he wore “ironic” tee shirts, faded jeans, and sneakers, canvas boat shoes actually everyday, that were well “broken in”. The irony was that this man was very smart and very talented at his profession. The

IT is hard, but why is Retail IT So Much Harder?

January 25, 2012

I have been in IT for my entire career, and I love it. Right out of college, after studying computer science at Indiana University, I got my first programming job in a hospital, and I loved that job. I loved writing programs and watching my users’ faces light up when I made their lives just a little easier. I loved a clean compile after days of cleaning up bugs and syntax issues. Yes, I love IT. Throughout my IT career, I worked in several different industries. I worked in healthcare, insurance, distribution, manufacturing, and retail. Mostly, retail. I held many different technical positions during my time, ranging from the help desk to programmer, and eventually to the top position, called the Chief Information Officer (read that while letting the words echo ceremoniously in your head). The CIO is the big cheese. Each industry in which I have worked, has its own challenges, and its own rewards. In healthcare for example, it seemed we had endless access to great doctors, nurses, and technicians. I remember once telling a doctor, while eating lunch in the cafeteria that I had a pain in my neck, and he scheduled me to come by that

When should I discuss compensation?

January 24, 2012

Yes, that is a tough question. You don’t want to be too forward and ask before you have even had an interview do you? No, of course not. You do want to seem assertive and show interest in the position, and asking makes you seem worldly, right? Well maybe, but not automatically. It can also make you seem inexperienced and greedy. The real answer is you don’t ask. You have to go on interviews without having any idea what the compensation is. Quite often there is a phone interview and your current compensation may come up as a question. If you must answer, then you must, but you should avoid it anytime you can. “But why oh guru of the job market? Won’t I be wasting everyone’s time if we are far apart?” you ask. Yes, it is possible that you are way over or way under the compensation for the job, but if that is true then someone made a mistake in qualifying you for in the first place, or you did in applying for it. A phone interviewer should determine from your current job title and level of responsibility if you two are in the same ballpark salary-wise.

I hate my job! (Choosing Your Career)

January 23, 2012

As a career coach and senior executive, I can’t tell you how often I hear people say “I hate my job. I just don’t know what to do with my life. I really hate my job. What do you think I should do?” That is a very tough question that I can’t answer for you. It is a completely personal choice based on a lot of factors. I can also tell you that that question does not always come from high school seniors or college students either. Many of my clients, men and women in the 40′s and 50′s still express the same concern. Their dilemma is very understandable since we really receive little or no actual guidance on this subject in our youth. High school guidance counselors are geared more to making sure you get into college if that is what you want to do. Most people simply trip into their careers, or have their careers chosen for them by their parents. What are you passionate about? Choosing a job is not that hard. Anyone can do it. Just look around you and say “I want to be that when I grow up.” But, choosing a career that you

What is the practical financial value of a college education?

January 22, 2012

As a career coach, I have had all types of clients. I have spoken to everyone from entry level people to the CEO’s of $1 billion plus companies. I have also spoken to many groups about career planning, business strategy, and even retirement. Most of the questions I answer are pretty traditional about compensation negotiation, interviewing techniques, and resume tips. But, recently a reporter asked me what I thought the true value of college education was to the long term success of a person’s career.

Get fit for a good career!

January 20, 2012

One of the secrets to charge-up your career is your health. I’m not talking about joining a gym, although that may be a good idea as well. What I am suggesting though is a three pronged approach to getting fit physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I love the reaction I get from some people when I mention the third prong. Physically fit simply means taking care of your body in the traditional sense. It means making sure that you aren’t doing things that will hurt you. It means eating food that is good for you, and not over-indulging yourself. You already know what that means; eat a balanced meal of mixed foods groups. It is so easy. I am not selling a diet here. I am saying do what mom said when you were a kid. Eat some vegetables, some fruit, some carbs, and some protein. You should snack very little and limit your sugar intake. Don’t use artificial sweeteners. Recently released research suggests that cancer cells are fueled by sugar. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell

A Healthy Dose of Job Paranoia is a Good Thing

January 19, 2012

Some years ago a co-worker and I were chatting. He was frustrated and complaining that he was tired of the way he was being treated. He had no examples of his alleged mistreatment, but told me that he was the best Financial Planner the company had, and he wanted some respect. He went on like that for about twenty minutes. When he stopped, he looked at me and said “What do you think?” No one is irreplaceable I thought for a minute and said “Brian, do you think if you got terminated today that the business would continue tomorrow?” He was confused and just a little stunned by my question. Because I rattled his confidence, he really struggled for an answer, but finally said “Of course not, but why would you say that? Do you know you something? Did Steve say something about me?” His sudden paranoia struck me. Gone was the arrogance or the complaints. He was suddenly faced with his own “professional mortality”. He was beginning to realize that being the best employee with a questionable attitude does not mean you are safe in your position. Having no humility or gratitude for what you have been given is

Why do you care so much about METRICS?!?

January 18, 2012

Have you ever heard the phrase “You manage what you measure”? Most have, but what do you think it means, and do you believe it? I think you should believe it, and I will try to explain why. I have met bosses that spend way too much time establishing measurements, or metrics by which to evaluate and beat up employees. They might measure the time you take for breaks, how long your lunch is, how many phone calls you get, or how much time you spend surfing the net. I understand why those managers do that, but it is a waste of time. Those are lazy managers. Sales, moolah, payola! There are some very important metrics that we do need to measure, like sales. Sales is a very important indication of how our business is doing. But, sales alone is not a good indicator of how successful we actually are. Sales by itself is just one indicator. For example, if I told you that we had $50 million in sales, you might get quite excited about that and think it a very positive metric. But if I told you that we did $75 million is sales last year and we

Thought words, giggling and other tells

January 16, 2012

I sat through a presentation yesterday that was actually very good even if the presenter was not. The presenter knew the subject, the information, and was an absolute expert. She had well prepared slides, a great speaking voice, and command of the audience, but she drove me crazy with her presentation. The reason she drove me crazy was that she had this little nervous giggle she did every so often. It seemed to accompany a difficult or potentially controversial point. After she made her point, sometimes quite forcefully, she would giggle. It was a defensive, reflexive giggle that lessened the significance of her point. In a nutshell, she sounded dumb. This woman is not dumb. She is smart. She is strong, and rather confident, and in smaller meetings she does not have this little “tell”. I have never seen her do this dumb giggle in meetings of fewer than 10 people. But, fill all of the seats, and her nerves kick in. No big deal you say? Bullshit. It is a very big deal. The lasting impression I and others have of her presentation is her dumb, nervous giggle. Another speaking mistake is what I have heard called the thought

More on emotions

January 15, 2012

As you may be able to tell from my postings, I am big on telling stories and big on controlling your emotions. My reason for doing so is that I have seen countless examples where people have said or done things “in the moment” that they wish they could take back. In many cases, the outcome was career limiting, if not fatal. Boxing I was watching boxing on TV one Saturday with my Dad as a young teen. That was a treat back then because it didn’t happen very often and there was no pay per view (or Don King!). The match was going along swimmingly for one boxer, when his opponent suddenly hauled off and hit him with a low blow. It looked intentional and hurts me now just to recount it. I honestly wince as I play back that cheap shot in my mind. After the affected boxer got his wind back, and his testicles descended back into their original anatomical position, the fight resumed. But something had changed. The boxer who’d been wronged no longer boxed. He came out throwing these hay maker punches all the while leaving himself defenseless. The other boxer easily avoided the punches

Do you always live your values?

January 14, 2012

Do you always live your values? Now that is a difficult question to answer. What are your values? Wikipedia says that values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes. As such, values reflect a person’s sense of right and wrong or what “ought” to be. “Equal rights for all” and “People should be treated with respect and dignity” are representative of values. Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior. For example, if you value equal rights for all and you go to work for an organization that treats its managers much better than it does its workers, you may form the attitude that the company is an unfair place to work; consequently, you may not produce well or may perhaps leave the company. It is likely that if the company had had a more egalitarian policy, your attitude and behaviors would have been more positive. Many people have two sets of books where values are concerned. One set of books contains the values they live with their family, in front of their spouse, and their children. They are “God fearing” people who have a clear sense of right and wrong. They live in a

Your boss’s dog house

January 13, 2012

Does your boss have a dog house? No, not the kind that he keeps his Black Lab in. I mean does he need to keep someone in the figurative dog house all the time – the one you go into when you are in trouble? Woof I have worked for several bosses that keep a dog house. They seem to need to keep someone in the dog house to stay focused. They target a person or an area of the business with all of their energy, and as long as someone is in the dog house, everyone else is just fine. Sit! I remember working for one such guy. He was one of the meanest people for whom I’ve ever worked. He was belligerent, insulting, and had a very short fuse. When he would get upset with anyone, they basically went in and stayed in his dog house until someone else messed up. I remember spending almost all of my spare time working to stay out of the dog house. What a waste of time, but it did make me better. So, how do you stay of out of the dog house? First, keep to your commitments. If you sign

Take charge and don’t name drop

January 12, 2012

I have been in business for some time now. I love business and I love management. I have had my fair share of challenges, but I have learned something from each one. Some years ago, as a new manager, I had a bad tendency to drop my boss’s name anytime I had to deliver bad news. I used to say “Ken said we need to work overtime” or “Ken said that we need to improve our quality.” In my mind, I was not the bad guy, so that would make my staff love me. I never had a problem delivering good news, only bad. One day, after a particularly tough meeting, a meeting I probably dropped Ken’s name 15 or 20 times so to avoid being the bad guy, I had a visit to my office shortly after the meeting had ended. Tena came in, sat down and sheepishly asked if I had a minute. I had a good relationship with Tena, so her visits were normally pleasant and I invited her in. I could tell from her body language that this was not a normal visit. YOU are the boss! She began by telling me that she really liked me, and enjoyed working with me, but… A

I need a new job!!!

January 10, 2012

In recent weeks, several of my clients have asked my help in finding them a new job. They each have different reasons for wanting to change jobs. Some just want more money. A few are not comfortable with the financial health of their current employer. And, I have one entry level client and one recently “outplaced” client that just need help getting started. Finding a job is not necessarily that hard, but finding the right job does take a plan. There was a time in the recent past when people would just shotgun resumes or respond to every job ad they saw. That method does work, but it is a lot more painful in terms of time, and success. If you think about it, you need to hit the right company at the right time looking for your credentials. Odds seem a little against you. So, it is best to create a plan of attack, and to work your plan. The first rule of thumb that people need to know in the job search is that, as non-scientific it may be, you should expect to spend about one month per $10,000 of salary hunting for that new job. If you

Career and Management