What’s Your Brand?

With the passing of Steve Jobs, hundreds of articles emerged highlighting his contributions to the world. Steve Jobs created a brand that is the envy of companies the world over. The Apple logo stands for innovation, for being cool, hip, visionary and delivering what people do not even know they need. While we might not create another Apple, we can develop our own personal brand.

There are lots of benefits to having a strong, personal brand, such as

• Setting yourself apart with potential employers. Being clear about who you are demonstrates confidence and clarity.
• Bringing new opportunities in an existing work environment because people identify with your attributes and understand your strengths.
• Guide you in your career decisions as well as what training, skills or knowledge you would like to pursue.

How do you develop your brand?

Assess you unique attributes – Your brand should be authentic, so you need to spend time assessing what you have to offer. Ask yourself: “What qualities do I possess that can set me apart from others?” “What skills or knowledge do I have that might be valuable Publish Postto an employer or customer?” “What am I passionate about?” Consider your strengths, your accomplishments and your relevance to others.

Have an online presence – Try LinkedIn, a business-oriented networking site. Consider creating a personal website that showcases your accomplishments. You can try Twitter to connect and communicate with a wide range of people. If you like writing, create a blog to get your views out.

Be part of the conversation – Once you are comfortable with your brand, find ways to communicate it. You can share your view on discussion forums and blogs. You can identify opportunities at work to communicate your strengths and attributes.

Here’s an example of a one sentence brand statement that I developed for myself: I am an experienced, passionate senior executive, driven to achieve outstanding performance while creating an inspiring, innovative environment.

Spend some time creating your very own brand.

Speak Up!

This week I was in Las Vegas, speaking at the American Home Care Conference. In a few weeks I will be speaking at the Canadian Home Care Conference. As a leader in the home health sector, these speaking opportunities boost my credibility, expose me to new people and force me to stay current and relevant.

Why Speak?
In addition to giving you credibility and expanding your network, public speaking is a great way to build skills. You enhance your ability to compile a strong presentation, drawing on your experience and expertise. You improve communication skills, directly through speaking but also through listening to the audience and working with the energy in the room. Speaking will enrich your confidence by forcing you to overcome fears about being in front of an audience.

How do I get started?
If you are early in your career, you can ask your boss or a colleague who has to do a presentation if you can help with it. You can help to prepare the presentation, help present part of it, or just set everything up and sit in and listen. If you are more experienced, you can proactively seek speaking opportunities through your work related associations or submitting abstracts for upcoming conferences.
Tips for being a good public speaker:

Listen fully Take the time to learn about your audience and think about what is important to them. An audience of young professionals has totally different interests than one of senior finance personnel.

Keep Improving Speaking is something that you improve with practice. You sort out what works and what does not. Making mistakes is part of the process.

Be genuine This means being open to your audience, sharing your personal stories and experiences and speaking from the heart. People do not remember facts and figures, they remember the impression you made. Stories are a powerful way to leave that impression.

We can get all tied up in knots about speaking- but it is not about us. Remember that speaking is about the audience, who needs the information, education or inspiration that you are offering...so speak up!

Bridging Transitions

This weekend, my sister and her daughter moved to Toronto from our home town. A good friend of mine dropped his daughter off at university, four hours away. My cousin had her first baby.

Life is full of transitions.

Sometimes they are well planned and executed, like when we seek and secure new employment. Sometimes they hit us cold and hard, like when we are told our job has been restructured. Every transition has its unique set of possibilities, emotions and risks. This summer I walked across the Carrick-a-Rede bridge in Northern Ireland. There is a small hike to get there, and then you see the rope bridge and the gorge underneath. It is pretty frightening. I really needed to pry myself from the safety of where I was. Then you start walking along and before you know it you have made it across. Once you get across, the scenery is beautiful; scenery that I did not see or fully appreciate when I was on the bridge.

Transitions remind me of that bridge. There is grief or sadness or trepidation of what you are leaving behind, and uncertainty or excitement about what you are moving toward. You cannot really see the full potential of where you are going but it is there waiting for you. Transitions are not easy, but they are essential for personal growth and learning.  

Tips for Bridging your Next Transition

Acknowledge how you Feel -There are a many, often conflicting emotions when we are in a transition. Acknowledging our various states of mind helps us stay aware and receptive to what is happening.

Be Patient – There is a natural order to transitions and you cannot skip steps. Sometimes this can be quite painful, because you are learning something new, or your environment is changing. Be patient with yourself and those around you. Time is your ally. 

Appreciate the Milestones – Most of us do not like discomfort of any kind. We want to move quickly to the destination, whether that is feeling comfortable in our new job, or comfortable in our new city or comfortable in our new situation. The milestones along the way are also valuable. Remember to enjoy the journey.  

Stay Positive – We have control over our attitude. Staying positive and keeping a good sense of humour will help you tremendously in getting through any transition (and people around you will appreciate it!)

Just like crossing the Carrick-a-Rede bridge, every transition will one day be just a memory. 

Seeing Our Patterns

Last month I spent a week in a meditation retreat. It started at 7:30 in the morning and ended at 8:30 at night. Our group meditated, did yoga, prepared meals and ate together. For three days during that week, we were silent.  We did all our activities in silence. The purpose of this is to quiet everything around you so that you can notice what is going on in your mind. When you cannot speak, you really notice why you want to speak- to defend yourself, to assure someone else, to seek assurance, to explain yourself, to take control. This last one is what I noticed in myself, a pattern which also happens at work. The idea is not to judge what you notice, but to be more aware of what is happening. This gives us insight into our patterns of thinking and patterns of behaviour.

Here are some common patterns at work. We may experience any one of them in different situations. Interestingly, it is always easier to point these patterns out in others, but much harder to see them in ourselves.  

Need to Control – If we fear the loss of control, we speak and act in a way that helps us regain that control. We might react to the loss of control with anger, disappointment or resentment.

Being Right – I am a Virgo and true to my sign, I am a bit of a perfectionist. I like things done in a certain way. This can be totally irritating to others, who of course do things in a different way or do not need the degree of structure and order that I find comfort in.  

Being Liked - If we care about being liked, we tend to seek assurance for what we do and say. We try to please others, even when it does not feel true to us.

Keeping the Status Quo – When we are afraid of change, we grasp at trying to keep things the way they are. When a change is being implemented at work that impacts us, we may become upset, seeing only the negative aspects, unable to see the possibilities.

Seeing our patterns gives us knowledge about our own triggers. If we can see these, we have a better chance to react in a new way.

Career Summer Cleaning

Summer is a great time to get organized and ‘clean up’ a few career related tasks.

Update your résumé:
It is important to have an up-to-date résumé, particularly if you are feeling you need a change from your current role. Even if you are not planning on changing jobs, a résumé might be necessary if you are interested in an internal job posting or internal transfer. A shorter version, in the form of a curriculum vitae (CV) or bio, is also helpful to have on hand. A CV or bio may be required for clients, speaking engagements, inclusion in a proposal, etc.

What is missing?
If you are taking the time to update your résumé, you can take a few minutes to review it and see what is missing from a skills or experience perspective. What do you need to do to gain the skills or experience that would enhance your résumé? Another item that can strengthen a résumé is identifying your successes and results in tangible terms e.g. you increased sales by 10%. What data do you need to obtain or track in order to update your résumé with your accomplishments?

De-clutter:
Are you holding on to material that you don’t need anymore? If you haven’t used it in the last six months, you probably never will. Get rid of anything that you do not need. This is true for electronic files and your email. I love using the delete key to de-clutter. I feel more at ease when I have a manageable amount of information to handle in my email files. Try and permanently delete as much as you can from your electronic and email files.

Plan your Networking Activity:
Do you have any particular networking objectives? Now is the time to plan what you want to accomplish in the coming months. Are there potential clients or customers you want to target? Are there internal co-workers who you would like to build a better working relationship with? Is there a department that you want to learn more about? Consider what you want to accomplish and who you need to connect with. Start planning now for how you will make those connections.

Enjoy the summer!

Career Expert Voice

Students face so many challenges as they transition from school to work.

The economic downturn released a lot of credible candidates into the market.

I was recently hiring for two positions and was inundated with resumés – both over- and under-qualified.

It is a tough market out there, especially for a young graduate with a fairly light resumé.

It is a catch-22: You can’t get experience without a job and you can’t get a job without experience.

Here’s my advice for students and recent graduates:


Advertise Yourself – Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job, in case something comes up in their workplace or in case they hear of something. Be able to succinctly articulate the kind of work you are looking for and the skills you have to offer.

Find Door Openers – Ask family and friends to connect you to people in their networks. You will still have to ‘close the deal’ if an opportunity arises, but it is a huge help if the door to an opportunity is opened for you.

Be Creative – Consider how you can find and meet with specific people who you would like to work for. Find ways to get noticed such as writing an article, organizing a seminar, posting your work online, asking for information interviews, etc.

Persevere – Looking for a job can be a lot of work. Commit to spending the time and energy that is needed. Don’t get discouraged by setbacks.

Be Open-Minded – There are many jobs that may not fit your initial criteria but that could provide experience and an opportunity to develop skills. In some ways, there is no ‘wrong door’ to starting your career. All learning is valuable.


And for all the employers out there:

HIRE OUR YOUTH! Once I started getting more senior roles, I promised myself I would hire a student or new grad every year. Even if I did not have a job opening, I created one. It is amazing the things that can get done, especially with the energy and can-do attitude of a young person.

I believe strongly that as employers, we have an obligation to help build the skills and experience of our young people. They are our future and we need to mentor and inspire them to succeed.

Network, Network, Network

A friend of mine went golfing three times this week – work-related of course. Ah huh. It doesn’t hurt that she loves to golf. Golf is a great way to network, especially since you are spending several hours with your golf mates.  When I worked in a professional services firm, numerous deals were initiated or firmed up while on the golf course. I am not advocating golf as the panacea of networking; personally I would rather go to the spa for four hours. But we digress. Networking is an essential part of your career. It is about creating relationships that can be levered to create new customers, new partnerships, and new opportunities for you.

Here are a few networking tips:

Make an effort – The benefits of networking are not always obvious but it pays off if you take a proactive and organized approach. Know what you want and what you have.

Create a target list – I am just in the process of creating a target list of people and companies I want to meet with over the next few months. I am creating it based on my desired goal of seeking growth opportunities for my company. Then I will cold call away!

Try new resources – Are you on social networking sites, such as LinkedIn or Facebook? Check out other sites like Meetup, TweetUp or Eventful.

Use the summer months – Everyone tends to be more casual and relaxed. It is a great time to meet people outside for food, drinks or activities.

Networking is about building relationships. Be genuine and most of all, have fun!

Becoming a Legend

I was at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event in Toronto last weekend with a friend. It was epic. As a martial artist, I deeply appreciated the skill, endurance and tenacity of the fighters. In the program, I read a quote from Georges St-Pierre, who was in the title round. He said “I want to fight to become a legend in the sport.” This really stuck...wanting to become a legend. Maybe we can’t all be a sports legend, but we can aspire to be great at what we do, no matter what that is. We can aspire to create a great company, do a great job or be a great boss.

Lessons from champion George St-Pierre on stepping into legendary:

Train Hard

It takes a whole lot of work to make something look easy. This applies as much to work as it does to sports. Training at work includes continually seeking learning opportunities and working hard to achieve great results. 

Be Disciplined

Discipline evokes a sense of control and structure, but discipline is also liberating. Discipline at work helps us shed what we do not need, allows us to see past negativity and empowers us to accomplish our goals. 

Focus

Having a clear line of sight to what we need to do in order to finish a task, move a project forward or move up in our career gives us clarity. We need to de-clutter frequently in order to keep this clear line of sight. 

Set Your Sights High

Ask yourself “What would it take for me to be great at this?” Consider what greatness means for your company or your role. How can you measure that success? 

I left the event energized and pondering the question, which I encourage you to ask yourself: “How can I become a legend?”

Bloom Where You Are

As we embrace spring, “bloom where you are” is a great adage to contemplate. We may not be in the perfect job or the perfect company or have the perfect boss. Actually, we probably never will. Change is so rapid and certain in workplaces, that we can be chasing an end point that may never materialize. A year ago I wrote about starting my current job and how much I fumbled in the first few weeks. To turn things around I didn’t try to change anything externally, I reached in. I literally said to myself, it is time to bloom right here, right now, right where I am. This mental switch was very powerful. It allowed me to feel more grounded so I could access my strengths.

Here are a few tips to help you bloom where you are:

I am unique: Remember that you have unique skills, strengths and style. Have confidence in this and learn to draw on your unique qualities at work. 

Check in with your attitude: Having the intention to do a good job and to contribute to the organization, even amongst challenges, will help you stay more focused and positive. 

Look around: Consider what skills or knowledge you can acquire from your current job or situation. Find ways to get the skills or knowledge, including speaking to people in your organization who you can learn from, attending courses, asking to work on a particular project, etc.

Seek the positive: If that is difficult, at least do not contribute to the negative. We can have a huge impact on others in our workplace, both good and bad. Choose how you will impact others.

Build relationships: Do you have relationships at work that foster trust and respect? If not, what can you do to improve this? Your network stays with you for years and is important throughout your career.

Bloom where you are – try it today!

Finding Balance

On Friday I took a day off without pay. I was feeling overwhelmed with work and all the personal things I needed to get done. Days without pay are one way I manage my work life balance. It is my solution to not using up vacation days or calling in sick. It has a financial impact, but it is only one day every few months, so I don’t really notice it. Staying balanced in life requires consciousness and openness to our environment and effort to adopt as required.

How do we stay balanced?

Take Stock: Where are you spending your time? We need to take stock of our activities on a regular basis as our lives change and evolve. Where is your time going now versus where do you want it to go?

Keep Things in Perspective: Work has a natural rhythm to it; sometimes it is busy and chaotic and other times more routine. Be open and flexible to move with this rhythm, understanding that there may be peaks where you have to work harder but also valleys where work is less intense.

Prioritize: Our workplace moves quickly, with new elements that can shift priorities. Check in with your boss and/or clients to make sure you always know what is most important to do now. 

Get Help: We may hesitate to ask colleagues or our boss for help, but the situation will be worse if we miss important deadlines or under-deliver on something we promised. 

Say No: We say yes because we do not want to disappoint people, or perhaps we feel guilty or awkward. Saying no and setting boundaries are great ways to manage your time and manage other people’s expectations.

Take care of your body: Eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep are simple steps with profound results.

Know what recharges you: We need to be proactive about seeking out the things that rejuvenate us and give us energy. When I feel a little down, I put on some of my favourite music and dance around my living room (luckily no one can see me!).  Dancing always gives me a quick pick up.

What will you do this month to help you stay more balanced?

WOW them with Initiative

I love when people show initiative. Recently I received an email from a staff member who not only identified a gap in a process, but provided a suggestion of how it could be fixed and volunteered to make it happen. I thought “WOW, this is great!” Taking initiative gets noticed, especially when done in a collaborative way. How can you show initiative at work?

Contribute: Are you social? Join the social committee, or create one if it does not exist. Participating in events or committees demonstrates interest and commitment in your workplace. 

Bring forward a new idea or suggestion for improvement: No one likes to listen to problems; however, bringing forward a problem with a suggested solution is constructive. Provide your boss ideas for projects or improvements or volunteer to bring a group together to solve a problem.

Put your hand up: Be the first to say ‘I’ll do it’ when help is needed. Take initiative to do even the smallest things such as taking notes at a meeting. Putting yourself forward will open up more situations for you and you never know what will expose you to new people or important clients.

Ask questions: Sometimes we feel awkward asking questions, but it is better to be clear about what we need to do. Asking questions gives you an opportunity to learn. Having a sense of curiosity and humility will help you learn from your boss, colleagues and clients.

Do some research: Knowledge really is power. Take the initiative to learn about your industry or sector. Find the important associations or professional groups that are connected to your work or your clients and learn more about what is going on in the external environment.

What will you do this month to demonstrate your initiative?

Make Friends on the Inside

We all know the importance of networking. Usually what comes to mind is external networking; the relationship building with new people or those outside of our own organization. Internal networking is also important in order to be successful in your role and for a successful career. By building good relationships with colleagues and key departments, you build a foundation that will help you get funding, assistance, advice and other valuable resources.

Identify your internal network: The first step is to identify who your key internal stakeholders are. Consider who you deal with most closely or who has significant influence on your job, your team or your department. Start to connect with these internal people by making personal contact. Introduce yourself and find out more about the person, his or her role and what projects she or he is working on.

Understand your colleagues: Right now, I can tell you what each of my peers is working on and what his or her key challenge is. This gives me valuable insight into what is motivating my colleagues and therefore how I need to adapt my communication and timelines. Get to know what your colleagues are working on and worried about.

Make friends with key departments: The finance department is an essential resource in any organization and usually leaned on for guidance by the head of the company. Finance has a strong voice in decision-making and allocation of resources. The human resource department is another key area in an organization, particularly if you need assistance with recruitment or help with performance management. Take the time to build relationships with people in key departments that influence your area. 

Building a strong internal network and having people on the inside will help you succeed now and build a solid foundation for continued success in the future.