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Browse published articles attributed to Jane Cranston, with full-archive search.
We’ve all had our share of poor or mediocre bosses, but what qualities do most great supervisors seem to have? I would argue three of the essentials are transparency, flexibility, and leadership. Here’s what they look like in action.
I’ve never understood why it is so difficult for some people to say “thank you.” It begs the question, “Are we really grateful?” and, “For what and whom?” And most important, “Can we admit it to ourselves and share it with others?”
Over this past weekend, I had my annual “lunch on the lawn” party, big long tables in the garden laden with fresh food from the local farms and the ocean. It is an event people look forward to, so no one ever turns down the invitation. Note to readers — invite people to lunch on weekends. They are rarely booked, more relaxed, eat less, drink little, and stay for no more than three hours. It's also memorable because no one else does it.
My first kindergarten assignment was to go home and find out the family home phone number. The next day we practiced memorizing those digits. As I recall the teacher helped us put the number sequence to some kind of rhythm not dissimilar to those 800 ads that help you remember where to buy a mattress or donate your car to charity. To this day, I still remember the Longfellow Street number.
As most of you know, I’m a strong advocate of everyone having an updated resume and bio. It prevents you from being placed in the embarrassing situation of being asked to “shoot me over your current resume” and having to say you don’t have one or lying and scrambling to create something. The bonus of this discipline is you are forced to reevaluate your job and career on a regular basis as well as update the document’s format to meet ever-changing standards.
Have you recently observed the steam coming out of the ears of a few women over forty? Not sure what’s up and what started it all? Let me clue you in. It’s a reaction to a just published McKinsey & Company report in conjunction (some would say cahoots) with The Wall Street journal. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit I am a WSJ subscriber and have been quoted by the publication a number of times.
Turnover, voluntary or forced, is part of the workplace cycle. As in nature, some changes take place a leaf at a time while in other instances a hurricane performs the serious pruning. This article addresses some things you should consider when an employee enters your office and says, “I quit!” Let’s start off with a bit of prevention.
Executive coaching clients wanting to enhance their role and impact in their current workplace continuously ask me, “How do I get greater recognition?” “Make sure my boss doesn’t get all of the credit?” “What’s the best way to be found by potential employers and thought leaders in my field?” My answer is often “brand yourself.”
I came upon a survey by Universum, a global employer branding company. They asked more than 65,000 college students to list what they considered to be the top 250 employers. No surprise Google ranked #1. Consulting companies such as McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting were high on the list as were brand names such as Coca-Cola, Disney, and Proctor and Gamble. Just like workers in other age and education groups, the students rated job security and an ability to advance in their careers as very important.
I recently had the opportunity to invite a friend and her grandchildren to a local fair. I’ve been going to the event for years and like the predictability and tradition; plus it supports a good cause. The carousel is always in front of the big house, the face painting under the elms, and you can count on the stampede to the rummage sale and vintage clothing tent. There is something remarkably calm about the entire experience and the kids, young and old, love it.
Money is tight everywhere. Even people doing well are feeling the impact of local, national, and global slowdowns in the economy. That said, it doesn’t necessarily mean no one is getting merit increases, promotions, and salary adjustments. Whether you work for a company that has a very structured compensation review process or are employed in a more entrepreneurial setting where salaries are handled in a less formal manner, you have to have a strategy and approach to making sure you are getting what you have rightfully earned without jeopardizing what you have.
s I see it, there are really three places you can exist in your career--Comfort, Growth, or Fear zones. Let’s assess where you are. Think of a work issue, your current status, or even take a bird’s eye view of the recent past. Ask yourself “Where am I?” “Am I operating mostly in my comfort zone?” You know the comfort zone—the place where there are no surprises, few challenges, not too much pressure, and a tolerable pace. Before you scream “I wish!” Think about it as a day-in, day-out routine.
Malcolm Gladwell made a name for himself by writing three bestselling books “Blink,” “The Tipping Point,” and now “Outliers.” His latest is currently number 5 on the bestseller list. The word outlier refers to “a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from others of the sample.” Gladwell’s focus is on extraordinarily successful people (Bill Gates, the Beatles, NHL players to name a few), and what it is about them, their environment, and the luck that made them what they are today.
The April 2013 issue of Inc. features Tim Ferriss, the author who brought us “The 4-Hour Workweek” and other productivity books, blogs, and seminars. Ferriss’ 80/20 rule says that “eighty percent of one’s productivity comes from 20% of one’s efforts and likewise 80% of your wasted time comes from 20% of the possible causes.” I started to look at the twenty-percent possible causes. 1. Support system has not grown or flexed. When I speak of support system, I am referring to many factions.
Recently, my assistant, Naomi, shared a TED lecture with me. The speaker told an incredible story of a childhood riddled with extreme poverty, homelessness that was saved by love and encouragement. He spoke of taking bold moves to create an adult life of true abundance, contribution, and intellectual stimulation and financial reward. The word he constantly used was “bold.” When I was growing up one of the worst things you could be called was bold. It implied brazen, outspoken, bucking the system, and not a team player. It was alien to my culture, gender, and family messages.
It’s just a fact of work life -- not everyone has the same amount of dollars to invest in opportunities or challenges. In today’s economic environment the numbers with less is accelerating and even those with resources appear to be hesitant to spend. This is true especially when it comes to the hiring, promoting, and rewarding of employees.
When a loved one, friend, neighbor, or co-worker has a loss, most people feel compelled to say something. The question is “what?” Having lost some very important people in my life as well as attempted to console friends and colleagues who have had to deal with death, here are my suggestions as to what you might say. Keep it Simple: “I am sorry for your loss” is a very good start and many times the only thing you have to/should say.
You probably know the work of Matt Richtel, though his name may not be familiar to you. Richtel won the Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting for the New York Times for his series titled “Driven to Distraction.” The series, where he addressed the impact of multitasking, texting, and phoning while driving, and how work requirements are sneaking into leisure time, received more comments than any other article in the newspaper that year (2009). In fact, his work is credited with the enactment of hundreds of laws, throughout the country, regarding the use of technology while driving.
I’ve been thinking about, and sharing with my executive coaching clients, the idea of validation. What I mean is the need of almost all of us to be told, in word or reaction, that who we are and what we contribute is relevant, valuable, and special. People on the job interview circuit generally get more rejections than offers and most of the nos come without explanation or regret. Are there many things harder than speaking with a series of people, believing you could do the job and perform well, only to hear nothing back?
In good and bad employment times, it seems certain people can locate, attract, and select the best. Whether they’re looking for a new CEO, to fill a line position, or searching out the best childcare worker, some employers seems to get the right results. Why is that? Are they just plain lucky? I say it has nothing to do with luck. What is critical is to avoid a few common mistakes so many of us make. Here’s a few you might be guilty of:
I was in the Container Store watching what seemed like hundreds of people buying all sorts of plastic containers to put their “stuff” in. It got me thinking about the types of clutter we have, particularly in the workplace. While I don't, nor do my executive coaching clients, partake in the pathological amassing of trash you see on reality shows, we all have “stuff” and excuses for holding on to it. “My office is not immune.” Here's what I call executive office clutter:
About eight years into my first career (as many of you know I’ve had a few), I ranked high enough to have access to files. As any good snooping executive would do, I looked at my folder. To my surprise there was almost nothing in it. Okay, yes, there was the usual tax forms, my original applications, and some outdated references but what was obviously not present was all but a very few performance evaluations. For a moment, I thought it was some kind of trick or joke, and then it dawned on me that I hadn’t had a written evaluation in years. Why?
My vacation strategy! I can hear the cries already, “I have to have a strategy for vacation as well? Isn’t a career strategy, a life plan and an investment direction enough?” I’ll say “maybe” but mea “no.” While I have written much about the value and importance of work, I am a devout believe in taking time away from the office, in fact, away from almost everything. I also subscribe to the idea that if you don’t plan it, someone else will get the long weekends, prime weeks, and extended holiday breaks. And guess who is left holding down the fort?
I’ve helped people advance their careers, switch jobs, and change employers most of my work life. It is over a year since my husband passed away and recently I’ve decided to test the dating waters. Within weeks of navigating the dating scene it occurred to me that looking for a date and searching for a job have more in common tha I could have ever imagine or thought could apply. When looking for a career or your soul mate, follow these simple suggestions.
We will discuss, exclusively, chronological resumes. They are the most common, generally preferred by HR pros, and if you know how to create them, the easiest to write. They’re not well-suited to career changers, people with gaps in work, and possibly recent grads. We all need to remember a basic tenet. Your resume is your marketing piece; your cover letter is a sales pitch. Keeping that in mind sets the tone of each document and helps you decide where to put what.
Constructive conflict is an essential part of any team, group, or partnership dynamic. If people do not disagree or come to the table with a variety of perspectives and their unique set of values, battles would eschew, new ideas would not flourish, and creativity would be stifled. When facilitating team building in a workplace setting, I often use the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument as a data-driven jumping off point. The TKI is easy to administer and interpret, and powerful in the feedback it provides.
Who wouldn’t like to get more done in less time, have excess hours and energy to devote to family, hobbies, and rest? If you looked at the actions and habits of the average worker, you would wonder. We seem to be increasing productivity to levels formerly seen as impossible, lengthening our commutes and expanding our hours in the office at a price of 25-40% less sleep than our grandparents. Are we healthier or happy because of it, studies says “no.”
Each of us, at some time in our career, dreamed of “designing” the perfect boss. You know what I mean. Type in the specifications and out would come exactly who you needed to get your job done with none of the flaws we’ve all tolerated in mere mortals. The question is “what would you want in a boss?”
Watching the news coverage of the commercial airplane’s emergency landing into the river in New York I found myself curious about the captain. Who was he? What did he know? How had he learned it? Was it instinct or training, skill or luck? So what does this have to do with you, your career strategy and maybe your job search? Probably plenty. Captain Sullenberger had important elements of a successful career – deep passion, aptitude, high-quality and continued education and commitment.
When working with my executive coaching clients, or presenting to a group of leaders, I am struck by how often people identify with what they do versus who they are and what they have to offer. In the extreme they spend more time selling their employers than themselves. Good for Company X, bad for aspiring worker. I created a list of areas where you can enhance your brand to promote yourself, or should. It's what I call Aspects of Personal Branding in the Workplace.
Whether you call it laid-off, downsized, or losing a perfectly good position you love, being told you no longer have a job is not fun. While not totally preventable. it is possible to do things, or not do them, to lessen your chances of making the expendable list. Here are some of my suggestions: - Have customers. Employees with a book of clients are generally the last to go whether in sales, the law, or wealth management. Customers are not happy to see relationships end and companies are not willing to lose clients. Work on building your book of buyers.
Whether you are leading a major initiative, trying to get your team to the next level, or attempting to corral a group of volunteers, there are three important steps every leader needs to apply to ensure a positive outcome and invested participants. They are the 3 Fs — fuel, focus, and feedback. Let’s look at each.
Time off gave me the opportunity to read and listen to more news and pop culture media than usual. The myriad of suggestions is staggering. I have chosen a few I found interesting and doable. Try some and you will be well ahead of the curve. In 2011 I will: - Backup personal data as regularly as my office work. - Start and end with veggies. - Begin each day with a visualization of how I want the day to end. - Drop a toxic person in my life. - Nurture a friendship. - Book all prevention medical appointments for 2011 now.
Here is the second part of “Resume Essentials.” In this section, we’ll discuss some of the nuances of a resume and how it can attract the right people to you and your work history.
There is a myth circulating in the workplace and neighborhoods. It goes something like this “Networking during (fill in the blank, Thanksgiving, Christmas, August, end of quarter, bad weather… ) is a waste of time because no one is around.”
At its essence, networking is connecting with people. It can be individuals you know, want to know better, or are considering bringing into your sphere. As social beings the behavior is not only normal but instinctual. So why when I put “business” or “career” in front of networking do many of my executive coaching clients suddenly panic, plead ignorance, or express “hate”? My guess is they’ve never really tested, had a bad experience and/or don’t know the how tos.
Having been on both sides of the layoff table I can tell you with great confidence that few employment decisions are based strictly on contribution or goal attainment. Don’t get me wrong, making money for the firm is important, doing superior work is essential; however, there is that less tangible side, which often determines what column your name gets placed in. This article’s tips address some of those softer, less obvious issues.
When I say NUTs I am not referring to some of the crazies my clients tell me are hanging around their workplace. I mean Nagging Unfinished Tasks. You know what I’m talking about, those things you are going to file (electronically or physically), the calls you should make, the networking you should do, the recertification courses you plan on taking, the upgrades, clean-up and ramp-ups you have on some list or swimming in your brain. They are not complete and truthfully driving you nuts.
Are you a renter or an owner? The question is generally asked about living space or maybe an office. Today, I ‘m asking about it with regards to your job and/or career.
For nine consecutive years, info marketing guru Dan Kennedy had been a presenter at the number 1 seminar tour in the US. You only have to be around Dan an hour to observe his certain kind of genius as well as understand that maverick is not an understatement. Despite his eccentric behavior he manages to hold on to some very sensible pearls of wisdom.
If you want your resume to get noticed, open doors and land you the job you want and deserve … 1. State accomplishments - what have you done in past positions that has made the company money, saved them money, found them time, saved them time or brought prestige to the organization or the brand? Do Now! List your three biggest accomplishments.
How does a company, firm, or individual determine if they have, want, or are striving toward the competitive edge? Questioning “what is professional success?” is a good first step. For many, the easy answer is money and status. But, when these are attained (or lost) it is surprising how ethereal they were. On the other hand, if success has more to do with an ability to express oneself and be heard, engage with a passion and interact with equally motivated people, then the target moves.
“Liars, Bigger Liars and d’em that figure.” An uncle often used this expression when knocking politicians and accountants. This week his words resonated with me as it seems everyone is accusing everyone else of either not telling the truth or lying by omission. The political debate is more about denying what is not true than defending it. Wall Streeters and their customers are accusing financial leaders of painting a rosy picture based more on hope than fact.
Watching the news coverage of the commercial airplane’s emergency landing into the river in New York I found myself curious about the captain. Who was he? What did he know? How had he learned it? Was it instinct or training, skill or luck? So what does this have to do with you, your career strategy and maybe your job search? Probably plenty. Captain Sullenberger had important elements of a successful career – deep passion, aptitude, high-quality and continued education and commitment.
Sound golf advice. I can think of a few applications—fat heads often have trouble with finesse and close-ups; bigger isn’t always better and there is the right tool for almost every task. When I think of applying the idea to challenges in the workplace I am drawn first to bullying. Some time or another all of us have probably done a bit of bullying. For many people it is their MO. Are you a bully? Do you tolerate this type of behavior in those who work for you? Do you allow yourself to be pushed around by someone larger, louder and more aggressive than you?
Social Networking gets your job search noticed When I speak of social networking I am referring primarily to Facebook.com (growing the fastest) LinkedIn.com (I call it the Facebook.com of business), My Space.com (huge globally) and Twitter.com (getting the most buzz). Not to say there are not other locations but if you used only these you would be well into the game. Why would a sane adult want to enter into the social networking arena, during a job search?
Top 4 Resume Writing Mistakes Smart People Make (and how to avoid them) 1. Underselling Accomplishments. You would be amazed how many people either forget or minimize their achievements. Some managers are too quick to give, rather than take credit, and often couch their successes in qualifying terms such as “possible,” “assisted,” “worked with,” “generally.” Solution: Work with someone who can help you harvest those accomplishments. Keep files throughout the year listing contributions and results. It is easy to forget and or assume everyone knows.
People who are afraid to speak in public think nothing of writing everything about them self on line either in blogs, personal web sites, through social networking or e-mail. You could buy a billboard in Times Square and fewer people would have access to your information than if you posted on many popular social networking sites.
If the 80s was the decade of the manager (remember The One-Minute Manager?), and the 90s focused on leaders (sometimes more like celebrities), the 00s is the time of team leadership. No longer are companies relying on a single person to drive the vision. The risks are too high, the talent thin. The needs demand depth and breath of knowledge as well as skills. Only a highly qualified leadership team can meet the challenge. In addition, evidence shows that successful teams produce greater results and happier employees.