10 Leadership Lessons from Starbucker. A couple more from me.

I love this post from fellow blogger and pal Terry Starbucker called, My 10 Favorite Leadership Lessons. This post is brilliant and helpful, please go check it out now. Terry's day job is that of a senior leader and he walks his talk.
I think Terry covers a lot of great ground in this post - I agree with all his points. Two additional lessons of mine that come to mind are"

• We are dragon slayers. Dysfunction and disorder - the guck and muck of management - are the dragon.
• Anyone can be a great manager if he/she gets it why he/she exist. Managers must, everyday, seek to make things better for people, processes, and organizations.
• OK, one more. Being a manager is a privilege. We have been handed a piece of the organization to run and this is a tremendous burden and privilege. Even front line supervisors have this burden and should feel some sense of awe at what they have been handed in terms of opportunity.
• OK, one more. People join companies, leave managers. We create the culture and we can lead improvements or breakdowns in culture.

Check out Terry's post. What lessons would you add?

Source: http://www.managementcraft.com/2009/07/10-leadership-lessons-from-starbucker-a-couple-more-from-me.html

Punk Rock HR’s Best Advice for Job Seekers

I want to thank you for giving us your best advice for job seekers. You guys are awesome. Seriously, the list is an amazing collection of tips from HR professionals, recruiters, job coaches, and regular old joes.

My best advice? Stop being needy.

• No one is doing you a favor by interviewing you.
• When you are speaking to a potential employer, remind yourself that you don’t need the job.
• If you really needed a job, you would work at Wal-Mart.

Work is an exchange of goods & services. Your company exists to make a profit, and you work to earn money so you can support the things in life that have the most meaning for you.

Too many of us are involved in co-dependent relationships with our previous employers. We bring that psychological baggage into our interviews. There’s no bigger turn-off than a clingy, needy, desperate candidate who lacks confidence and self-awareness.

If you lack meaning in your life, and if you feel disconnected from the ones you love, a job will not fill that void. Dump those insecurities, re-prioritize your life and think about why you’re working, and engage each potential employer with a sense of determination and confidence.

I know you can do it.

Source: http://punkrockhr.com/best-advice-for-unemployed/

What is your Personality type?

Following are the set of questions indicated to know your preferences in an attempt to explore your personality type. Therefore there are no right or wrong answers to any of the questions mentioned below, so base your answers strictly in accordance to your natural instincts. 

1. You are almost never late for your appointments
   YES   NO
   
2. You like to be engaged in an active and fast-paced job
   YES   NO
   
3. You enjoy having a wide circle of acquaintances
   YES   NO
   
4. You feel involved when watching TV soaps
   YES   NO
   
5. You are usually the first to react to a sudden event:
   the telephone ringing or unexpected question
   YES   NO
   
6. You are more interested in a general idea than in the details of its realization
   YES   NO
   
7. You tend to be unbiased even if this might endanger
   your good relations with people
   YES   NO
   
8. Strict observance of the established rules is likely to prevent a good outcome
   YES   NO
   
9. It's difficult to get you excited
   YES   NO
   
10. It is in your nature to assume responsibility
    YES   NO
    
11. You often think about humankind and its destiny
    YES   NO
    
12. You believe the best decision is one that can be easily changed
    YES   NO
    
13. Objective criticism is always useful in any activity
    YES   NO
    
14. You prefer to act immediately rather than speculate
    about various options
    YES   NO
    
15. You trust reason rather than feelings
    YES   NO
    
16. You are inclined to rely more on improvisation
    than on careful planning
    YES   NO
    
17. You spend your leisure time actively socializing
    with a group of people, attending parties, shopping, etc.
    YES   NO
    
18. You usually plan your actions in advance
    YES   NO
    
19. Your actions are frequently influenced by emotions
    YES   NO
    
20. You are a person somewhat reserved and distant in communication
    YES   NO
    
21. You know how to put every minute of your
    time to good purpose
    YES   NO
    
22. You readily help people while asking nothing in return
    YES   NO
    
23. You often contemplate about the complexity of life
    YES   NO
    
24. After prolonged socializing you feel you need
    to get away and be alone
    YES   NO
    
25. You often do jobs in a hurry
    YES   NO
    
26. You easily see the general principle behind
    specific occurrences
    YES   NO
    
27. You frequently and easily express your feelings and emotions
    YES   NO
    
28. You find it difficult to speak loudly
    YES   NO
    
29. You get bored if you have to read theoretical books
    YES   NO
    
30. You tend to sympathize with other people
    YES   NO
    
31. You value justice higher than mercy
    YES   NO
    
32. You rapidly get involved in social life
    at a new workplace
    YES   NO
    
33. The more people with whom you speak, the better you feel
    YES   NO
    
34. You tend to rely on your experience rather than
    on theoretical alternatives
    YES   NO
    
35. You like to keep a check on how things
    are progressing
    YES   NO
    
36. You easily empathize with the concerns of other people
    YES   NO
    
37. Often you prefer to read a book than go to a party
    YES   NO
    
38. You enjoy being at the center of events in which
    other people are directly involved
    YES   NO
    
39. You are more inclined to experiment than
    to follow familiar approaches
    YES   NO
    
40. You avoid being bound by obligations
    YES   NO
    
41. You are strongly touched by the stories about people's troubles
    YES   NO
    
42. Deadlines seem to you to be of relative, rather than absolute, importance
    YES   NO
    
43. You prefer to isolate yourself from outside noises
    YES   NO
    
44. It's essential for you to try things with your own hands
    YES   NO
    
45. You think that almost everything can be analyzed
    YES   NO
    
46. You do your best to complete a task on time
    YES   NO
    
47. You take pleasure in putting things in order
    YES   NO
    
48. You feel at ease in a crowd
    YES   NO
    
49. You have good control over your desires and temptations
    YES   NO
    
50. You easily understand new theoretical principles
    YES   NO
    
51. The process of searching for solution is more
    important to you than the solution itself
    YES   NO
    
52. You usually place yourself nearer to the side
    than in the center of the room
    YES   NO
    
53. When solving a problem you would rather follow
    a familiar approach than seek a new one
    YES   NO
    
54. You try to stand firmly by your principles
    YES   NO
    
55. A thirst for adventure is close to your heart
    YES   NO
    
56. You prefer meeting in small groups to interaction
    with lots of people
    YES   NO
    
57. When considering a situation you pay more attention to
    the current situation and less to a possible sequence of events
    YES   NO
    
58. You consider the scientific approach to be the best
    YES   NO
    
59. You find it difficult to talk about your feelings
    YES   NO
    
60. You often spend time thinking of how things
    could be improved
    YES   NO
    
61. Your decisions are based more on the feelings
    of a moment than on the careful planning
    YES   NO
    
62. You prefer to spend your leisure time alone
    or relaxing in a tranquil family atmosphere
    YES   NO
    
63. You feel more comfortable sticking to
    conventional ways
    YES   NO
    
64. You are easily affected by strong emotions
    YES   NO
    
65. You are always looking for opportunities
    YES   NO
    
66. Your desk, workbench etc. is usually neat and orderly
    YES   NO
    
67. As a rule, current preoccupations worry
    you more than your future plans
    YES   NO
    
68. You get pleasure from solitary walks
    YES   NO
    
69. It is easy for you to communicate in social situations
    YES   NO
    
70. You are consistent in your habits
    YES   NO
    
71. You willingly involve yourself in matters
    which engage your sympathies
    YES   NO
    
72. You easily perceive various ways
    in which events could develop
    YES   NO

Please Note:In order to process your results further please do send across your answers in the order of question numbers with the following details NAME, LOCATION, OCCUPATION, EMAIL ID and we shall be gald to send you with your personality analysis absolutely free.

4 dumb e-mail mistakes HR should avoid

A New Zealand company recently made headlines after it fired an employee for sending an e-mail in all caps. That’s unlikely to happen at most organizations, but e-mail blunders can still do some damage.

At best, the sender is just a little embarrassed. At worst, an e-mail mistake results in a serious miscommunication, leaked information or an (unintentionally) angered recipient.

Here are four of the biggest e-mail mistakes — and how they can be avoided:

1. Sending “flame mail”

It’s easy to get snippy or sarcastic when you’re not actually talking to someone face to face.

Solution: Don’t send anything when you’re mad. Save a draft, come back to it in a half hour and see if you still really want to send it.

2. Coming off as angry and annoyed

Another problem with e-mail: Without the benefit of tone and body language, what’s written can easily be misinterpreted. Something meant to be innocuous or playful can be read as insulting or angry.

Solution: Avoid sarcasm and re-read the message to imagine all the ways the recipient could read it.

3. Forgetting to attach a file

It happens all the time: Someone will write an e-mail saying there’s a document attached and forget to add the attachment. Usually the sender doesn’t realize until he or she gets a response saying “Umm.. there’s nothing attached.”

Solution: Attach the file before you start writing, when it’s fresh in your mind.

4. Misusing urgency

It’s doubtful anyone wants to see an e-mail from HR saying “Come to my office ASAP.” If they don’t already know what you want to talk about, they’ll likely be expecting bad news.

Solution: Briefly explain what you need, or find a gentler way of getting someone’s attention — such as by using the phone or stopping by someone’s desk.

Six Simple Yet “Must Do” Tips While Preparing For a Job Interview

Job search isn’t easy. There is searching for jobs, narrowing the jobs that you want to apply for and then desperately waiting for a interview call. However, once you get to the interview point, you know that you are a step closer to landing a job. The thing with job interviews is that many people make it too complicated. Of course, it’s not easy to appear at an interview and be as calm as one could be, but it is something we all need to master. There are many job interview tips floating around on the web and some of them are way too complex to even understand. It doesn’t have to be that hard. Sometimes the solution to the toughest things come in simplest ways. Here are six interview tips that are simple but key to making sure the interview goes the way it should.

1. Who Is The Interviewer

Surprises are nice but not when it comes down to a job interview. If you are called for an interview, don’t hesitate to ask who the interviewer will be. Most companies will give you this information. This will help you learn a little more about the individual by researching on the internet or through your network. Even if you can’t find out who the interviewer will be, a good research should give you possible answers on what to expect and who to expect. This will give you some idea on what kind of person you will be dealing with during the interview, and will also give you a sense of what kind questions you will be facing.

2. Contact Your References

You may already have permission to use someone as references, but make sure to connect with them one more time before the interview date. It’s always a good strategy to make sure things are still the same. Once you have finalized your references make sure to put them all down on a piece of paper. A neatly compiled list of references with their name, address, phone number and the company they work for would be an added bonus when you are at the interview. If the interviewer asks for references, just get the paper with all the information out and hand it to them so they have a copy and can do the necessary digging.

3. Don’t Rely So Much on The Web

This tip is in regards to finding address. I personally use many different web tools to find addresses and more often than not the results are wrong. Although this might not be the case for many, it still is a good thing to ask for direction when you are called for an interview. Sure, you can use the web to verify the address, but make sure to ask location and direction to the place when you are called for an interview. no one else but your potential employer can give you the best direction towards finding the interview location.

4. Research, Research and Research

Many of us know that this is critical to ace an interview but still most fail to realize it. Make sure you research on the company that you are going to a job interview for. Finding more about the company will not only help you answer questions easily during interview, it will also give you a sense of confidence. And confidence is key when it comes down to an interview. Make sure to use different platforms on the web and print media to do the digging on your potential employer. The more information you have, the better.

5. The Mirror Approach

I know many people may find this silly but it can work wonders. The mirror approach is where you stand infront of the mirror and answer questions that you have prepared (based on your research of the company and interviewer). Although the questions may not be exact, it’s always better to have some kind of idea. Simply grab the questions, prepare your answers and get in front of a mirror and start answering them. Looking at yourself while answering questions gives you an idea of how well your answers sound (not that you can hear), your body language and other things you see in the mirror can help you hone your answers and body posture, etc.

6. Take Your Resume With

It’s essential to grab a few copies of your resume just in case the interviewer doesn’t have one on hand. A lot of time interviewers will do this on purpose to see if the job applicant has brought copies of resume along. Make sure to grab a few copies of your resume, not just for the interviewer but just in case there are others who would like to see your resume as well. It’s always better to be well stocked than not to have any.

Do you have any other simple yet “must do” tips as far as preparing for a job interview goes? If you do, please feel free to share.

8 Ways To Show Gratitude In A Job Interview

As job losses mount and poor economic news can seem overwhelming, it is important that we keep in mind that American workers still have the talent and ambition to grow this economy. One of the simplest ways to inspire a hiring manager to extend a job offer is also one of the most easily overlooked and that is to express gratitude.

“There is more hunger…for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” - Mother Teresa

Whenever I drive my car in the morning, I have gotten in the habit of recognizing at least 10 things I am thankful for before I turn on the radio. I may express gratitude for my family, for my job, and for the beautiful morning. I also express thanks for what has yet to happen. I may give thanks for a safe and timely commute, for a productive project meeting that morning, and for the completion of a report that day. I don’t just think about what I am thankful for while I am in the car, I say it out loud.

This routine not only gets me in a positive frame of mind at the start of the day, it also gets me in the habit of expressing gratitude throughout the entire day. I look for opportunities to give thanks for every situation I encounter by myself or with other people. It makes for very rewarding days.

On one occasion, I tried to count how many times I said thanks during the day. I counted every spoken thanks in the car, every email I closed with the word thanks (which is all of them), every thank you I uttered to the person holding the door, and so on. By 5 pm, I had said thank you at least 92 times.

I no longer try to count, but I target at least 100 expressions of gratitude every day. When I am in a bad mood, I am stressed out, or things are not going well, I know my thank you count is well below the 100 mark.

People love to be recognized every day for their hard work, for their patronage, and for their simple acts of kindness. When you interview for a job, you must be very mindful and appreciative of the amount of time and effort people have put into your interview. Multiple people invest their valuable time reviewing your resume, setting up an interview schedule, coordinating your visit, and speaking to you directly. These individuals are taking the time to assess your fit into their organizational culture. Their internal culture is an important part of their lives and it is near and dear to their hearts.

If you show gratitude throughout the entire interview process, you will have a more positive experience, and your positive attitude may easily inspire someone to hire you.

So how can you express gratitude during the interview?

Here are some simple but effective tips:

1. Dress professionally regardless of the internal attire norms of the organization.

2. Express thank you in person to anyone who does something for you (e.g. holds the door open for you, greets you at the front desk, gives you directions, brings you a glass of water, purchases your lunch).

3. Address each person you meet with the appropriate professional designation or courtesy (e.g. Dr., Mr., Ms.). Continue to do so, until given permission to address someone by their first name.

4. Give a firm but not crushing handshake and look the person in the eye when you shake his or her hand.

5. Initiate the interview by thanking each person for taking the time to meet with you.

6. Smile during the interview.

7. Conclude each interview by thanking each person again for taking the time to meet with you.

8. Send thank you notes after the interview is concluded to every person that was part of the interview process especially the person who coordinated your visit.

Let us remember the significance of expressions of gratitude, positivity, and recognition - be they merely for a lovely day, a kind word, or a small act of courtesy. It truly is the “little things” that can make or break our attitudes, and it is our attitudes, which can so often determine our success.

Your thoughts and suggestions?

Author:

Brent Peterson is the founder of Interview Angel (www.interviewangel.com), a comprehensive guide and toolkit to executing near flawless job interviews. The goal of the Interview Angel Team is to bring out the very best in every job seeker. Discover customer testimonials, upcoming events, and media interviews at www.interviewangel.com.

8 Reasons To Avoid Making A Video Resume

A video resume, if used correctly, can be a powerful tool in the job applicant’s arsenal.  But if made without proper awareness or preparation, can lead to disaster.

1. You will be judged on quality.  Unlike a standard online application (or even a paper resume), simply having a video resume is not necessarily a good thing.  You will have to make sure the picture, sound and overall quality are high, as well as finding unique and interesting ways of presenting yourself.  A bad video resume can hurt you more than help you.
2. You probably shouldn’t email it.  Many employers will scan through the bodies of emails, but due to a fear of viruses or other digital nasties, might not open attachments.  And given the size of a video file, it might take too long on both ends to send and receive the file.
3. It can’t go up online.  Most online applications do not have an option for you to upload a large file, such as a video resume (if you are permitted to upload anything at all).  And despite the allure of doing so, it’s not a good idea to put your video resume up on YouTube or other video hosting sites.
4. They might not want to watch it.  Whereas a resume can be scanned into a program to search for key words and phrases, a video resume must be watched.  And since they are usually at least several minutes long, an employer may not have the time or inclination to sit through the video.
5. They might not be able to legally watch it.  Many companies are equal opportunity employers, meaning that they do not employ people with a bias towards race, gender, age and so on.  By showing yourself in your video resume, you will be showing them what you look like, which could open the door to legal problems for the company.
6. It’s not always worth what you put into it.  Unless you’re sending in the video resume because it actually pertains to the job you’re applying for (video production or TV commercial development, for example), having a video resume might not make that much of a difference in employers’ decision-making processes.  And given the time it would take to plan, shoot and edit the video, you might be getting a lot less back from all of your efforts.
7. It might cost more than you care to spend.  The monetary costs for the camera, editing software and storage (like CD-Rs, DVDs and flash drives) might be more than you can afford.
8. You might get the opposite response from what you had hoped.  See exhibit A.

But then again, you could have a masterpiece like this.  So if you plan to make a video resume, plan carefully!

Survey: Employee talent hard to find

According to Charlotte Business Journal it says that

It might appear managers have their pick of qualified candidates as an abundance of professionals seek work amid the recession. Not so, according to a study of 500 hiring managers by Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE:RHI) and CareerBuilder. The survey found 44 percent of résumés presented to hiring managers are submitted by unqualified applicants.

Almost half of the managers cited under qualified applicants as their most common hiring challenge.

More than two-thirds of managers said they were willing to cut pay, hours and benefits to avoid losing talent through layoffs, while 36 percent said they would rehire people who were laid off.

About 61 percent said they are willing to pay for qualified candidates and would negotiate higher compensation if that meant getting the right person for the job.

While the job market remains highly competitive, more than half of the managers said they plan to hire full-time employees in the next year.