Ignite Your Career · Presentation to AIOP, 28 Feb 2013 Lois Keay-Smith, Career Wisdom ... all the...

Six Gears to Ignite Your Career

Presentation to AIOP, 28 Feb 2013 Lois Keay-Smith, Career Wisdom

www.careerwisdom.com.au © Career Wisdom 2012

Six Gears to Ignite Your Career www.careerwisdom.com.au 2

Dedication

In memory of Warren Scott Dew, who left this earth too soon, but not before showing and teaching many life lessons. Wazza’s philosophy was to live each day as if it was your last. One of his favourite sayings was:

Work like you don’t need the money Dance like no one is watching And love like you’ve never been hurt

‘Wazza’s Wisdom’ is sprinkled throughout this publication as a reminder of someone who built a stellar career, lived life well and contributed to others.

Snapshot of Six Gears to Ignite Your Career

1. Realise your Strengths

2. Get Uncomfortable

3. Stay Curious

4. Give

5. Communicate +

6. Connect


1. Realise Your Strengths

When you contemplate your experiences and life so far, you will find that there are certain strengths and abilities that stand out. The combination of your strengths makes you, uniquely you. Understanding and playing to these strengths can propel your career and make it even more satisfying. Begin, by thinking about your responses to: - What am I good at? - What is my "signature"? - What do I seem to be the "go to" girl or guy for, at work or with family and friends? - What seems to come naturally to me? If you are using your strengths you can play a better game - in sport, in work and in life. I've been astounded when coaching clients for interview preparation, how many people struggle to name even a few of their top strengths. One reason can be that they aren't as apparent to yourself, however you can spot strengths in others more readily. In that case, pick a group of people who know you well personally and in a work context, and ask them what they believe are your key strengths. Their answers may surprise you! Another way is to select your strengths from a range of named strengths. You can try the brief strengths test (free) at: www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu or do a Strengths assessment (at a cost) at www.cappeu.com. Wazza's Wisdom: After the collapse of Wazza's building company, he spent some time learning the art and science of sales. Being relational with an amazing ability to build rapport quickly with anyone, was one of Wazza’s key strengths. Adding learned technique and skill to this strength propelled him to great heights in his new career in new home sales (combining his love of building with his strength in gaining rapport and sales skills). So, play to your strengths. Combine your top strengths with your passions and add skills that will help your strengths be realised. You will go further, faster. And, importantly, you will find your work more enjoyable and satisfying.


2. Get Uncomfortable

Working with professional sportspeople allowed me to observe people at work pushing way past their comfort zones - into agony territory. No wonder the players used to refer to a tough training session as a "flogging". Interestingly, some of those same players found other comfort zones harder to push through – in the realms of further study or learning skills such as public speaking. Equally, those of us who train or exercise for wellbeing, rather than livelihood or the love of it can find that as our fitness improves, things start to get easier. It’s tempting to stay in that comfort zone or plateau – but we only get fitter and stronger by pushing more and challenging the body, not by slacking off (damn!). In your career, you will come up against comfort zones. As you learn and develop, something that at first may have seemed difficult becomes easier over time. It’s then your choice as to whether you decide to raise the bar so that you are still challenged and growing, or settle into the comfort zone for a little while, or longer. Moving beyond your comfort zone may mean moving from consulting to small business clients, to shifting to working with SME or larger corporations. It may mean raising your rates, or asking for a salary increase. It may involve further study or participation on committees or boards, which stretch you professionally. Or, when looking for your next role, you may choose to apply for positions that are more challenging and a bit of a stretch, rather than similar to what you have done before. Wazza’s Wisdom: Wazza always used to repeat the saying “better to live one year as a tiger, than 100 years as a sheep”. He lived life to the full, took risks, stretched himself and had fun. His untimely passing made this saying all the more relevant, as we never know how much time we have.

- What training course, program or project could you undertake that would stretch you mentally and give you more skills?

- What client could you take on to stretch you beyond your normal scope of consulting?

- Who could you ask to mentor you (someone that your perceive is unattainable as a mentor perhaps?)


3. Stay Curious

“Lifelong learning” is an oft-quoted mantra of the career development practitioner. If you aren’t continuing to learn, you are at best standing still, but more likely going backwards. Smart companies know to invest in their people’s development and learning opportunities. And, smart people know to take learning on board themselves, whether it is provided freely, or not. The key is to remain curious and wanting to know more. If you are a technical specialist, would it be interesting and helpful to know more about communication or business? If you work in a non-financial role and aspire to a board position or being a business owner, wouldn’t it be helpful to be able to read and interpret financial reports? The sticking point with lifelong learning can be the cost in both time and money associated with formal study at university or college. However, some of the best learning is done informally – through mentorship, short courses, even teaching yourself by reading and watching YouTube clips. Beyond initial qualifications, why not make the goal to be a lifelong learner – gaining new skills and knowledge rather than just pieces of paper. As the late Steve Jobs did, he followed his curiosity and informally did classes in calligraphy, which later influenced the fonts on the first Apple Macintosh. It is not hard to gain access to high quality information with the proliferation of online content and publications. Remember to keep updating your knowledge, whether that is done formally, informally or a combination of both. Wazza’s Wisdom: Beyond his building trade qualifications, Wazza didn’t pursue formal education. He was a lifelong learner though, and a 3rd Dan Black Belt in karate. Yet, he was forever curious and would ask questions, showing great interest in other people and what they did. He displayed a sense of wonder about people, places and things.

- What could you learn? - How could you creatively build on your knowledge? - What makes learning fun for you? - What education will you embark on formally - or informally, this year?


4. Give

Give. Your time, your money, your skills, through your work. I call it “careeranthropy”. It can be the key to a meaningful and highly satisfying work life. Leading companies work with a triple bottom line – people, planet and profit… shouldn’t we, as individuals, have a similar ethos when it comes to our own careers? Aside from being satisfying in making a difference to the lives of others, giving can increase your connections, develop your skills and open up new career opportunities. It can be a career enhancer and a personal booster. Giving money to causes you care about can be done via your work – many companies have workplace giving programs, where you also have contact with the organization you are helping, to see where the money goes and what it creates. If you are self-employed, you might decide to donate a portion of profits on an ongoing basis to an organization or charity you care about, that is aligned with your business and purpose. Pro bono work is well known throughout the legal fraternity. Perhaps less known, is the notion of “skillanthropy” – where you donate a specialized set of skills to benefit an organization or person/s. Perhaps you are a web designer and offer to set up a web site for a non-profit organization that you resonate with, at no charge. You may then train the staff on how to maintain and add content to the site themselves, or may offer to be an ongoing resource to them. Mentoring others is an excellent way to contribute in the development of people’s careers and often gives benefits to both the mentor and mentee. You can give your time through a formal mentoring program, or catch up informally over a coffee to discuss challenges, goals and offer support. Many leading companies offer corporate volunteering opportunities to their staff to work as volunteers, mentors and helpers in the community. The organization benefits from having employees engaged in activities that benefit the community and contributes towards their Corporate Social Responsibility agenda. Not only this, but in may cases employees learn new skills or develop an appreciation for other types of organisations, cultures and challenges, beyond their own office tower.


Giving time, whether it be volunteering on the weekend, corporate volunteering, skillanthropy, giving money or a combination of these can not only make your career more satisfying, you can build valuable skills and connect to people that you normally may not meet. For graduates, one way to separate from the pack is to have done some relevant work experience or volunteer work that can be added to the resume. Interestingly, LinkedIn now has a section on Volunteering, where you can add in your experiences in community work and volunteering. Wazza’s Wisdom: Wazza was very generous with helping others and acted as a mentor for many people aspiring to build businesses. From his role as a karate sensei, he had very well developed teaching and mentoring skills. He generously listened without judgment and offered support and friendship and was willing to share his mistakes and what he learned from them. Senior and emerging leaders often start their board careers by contributing in a voluntary capacity to not for profit boards, where they can contribute as well as learn key skills to further their knowledge and experience. - Who or what could benefit from your giving?

- What skills could you develop further, that would also be of benefit to others? - What causes inspire you?


5. Communicate +

Communication may be an obvious career booster – yet it is surprising how many underestimate just what high-level communication skills can do to help (or lack of, can hinder) your career. When you think of a successful CEO – they are usually someone who is adept at handling multiple stakeholder relationships - investors, the board, media, staff, key clients, customers, suppliers and government officials, the list goes on. Their communication skills need to be at a high level so that they can deliver an impactful message in a public forum such as an Annual General Meeting, TV interview or in negotiations for multi billion dollar deals. So, what’s their secret? Some of it is natural talent, charisma, or a combination of strengths that they possess and have developed. The rest is a commitment to constant improvement and the understanding that communication is as much about listening and understanding your audience – not merely about being a loudspeaker. As babies we learn to communicate, picking up cues from our parents and those around us. It’s a beginning that never ends. At a job interview I was asked about my earliest jobs (when I was still at school). The interviewer was impressed that I had worked in retail from 15 years old whilst at school – as she stated it is a great training ground for communicating with customers and dealing with complaints and ‘difficult people’! Likewise, hospitality is another wonderful training ground and opportunity to develop high-level skills in dealing with a wide range of people. Getting some sales experience, whether headed for a sales role or not, is important. It teaches you negotiation skills, dealing with objections and how to communicate in an influential and compelling way, as well as generally building confidence. Developing your social media nous and learning to communicate to an online audience is another high level communication skill. It is one that is becoming increasingly important to companies to engage with their audiences, making social media communications a highly sought after skill.


Learning to speak in public is another career booster. In fact, for anyone looking to be of influence, this skill cannot be overlooked. Seek expert tuition and practice, practice, practice. If your work doesn’t provide opportunities for you to practice and hone your skills, consider joining a club such as Toastmasters or Rostrum. Wazza’s Wisdom: Wazza earned the nickname “The Chameleon” as he could communicate with absolutely anyone – from an 80 year old, to a 20-year old surfer, to a senior banker. He listened and showed interest and subconsciously ‘mirrored’ the person he was with in terms of energy, volume of speech etc. (Unaware of this being a key principle of “neuro-linguistic programming” or NLP, he did this naturally and authentically). - What communication skills can you learn and develop, at a higher level? - What public speaking opportunities will you pursue this year?


6. Connect!

Relationships are developed and nurtured through connection. The relationship flourishes when both quality of contact and quantity of contact are optimal. What is optimal?

Well, certainly most would agree that person-to-person contact is better than email, telephone contact is better than text, and all of the above are better than “posts” to social networking sites, which are not personal or targeted. However, in our busy working lives, a blend of these can hit the mark in building and maintaining business relationships.

The main thing to remember is that it matters not what your preferred contact type and timing is – it is the preferences of your clients that count.

One of the very best business books that I often recommended is “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. Actually, it is a communication and relationship handbook for personal relationships, but I think it’s relevance to the business world in terms of building and developing relationships is huge. Now, there’s a new version of the book released called “The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace”, by the same author. I highly recommend this one!

In my career counseling work, I have come across many clients who expressed dissatisfaction with their boss or the culture of the organization they work for, as they were never shown any appreciation. Their ‘love language’ may in fact have been “Words of Appreciation”, yet instead they were given gifts or more money, which left them feeling unappreciated. I urge you to get the book/s. Apply what you learn in both your personal and business life. It could be the most important step you take this year.

A wonderful tool to get connected and stay connected in the virtual sense is LinkedIn. I have found LinkedIn highly effective in being found and finding others.

Not only that, it’s an effective and efficient way of keeping in contact with people. When someone moves to another company, this renders their


previous business card contact details obsolete. Providing they update their profile, you are able to stay in contact (and perhaps send them a congratulatory note on their new job!)

Like any relational tool, the key is to be interested in others and listen (which in a virtual sense means reading posts and updates, “following” companies of interest and joining relevant groups) so that you are able to assist others.

Networking is a key career skill. The oft-quoted adage is “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” Actually, it’s not even who you know… it’s who knows you! With tools like LinkedIn you can grow your network and be found. My preference is to connect with people with a short message sent through LinkedIn – “Hi Peter, It was great to meet you at the Company Directors’ workshop on Friday. I invite you to connect on LinkedIn” rather than just adding people with the standard non-personalised message.

An aspect of LinkedIn that I personally enjoy is seeing opportunities to connect others who may be of help to one another. It’s a powerful tool – get on board and watch your career networks grow.

Wazza’s Wisdom: Wazza was never big on technology. He connected in person, always made time for his family and close friends no matter how frenetic his schedule. Having fun and stopping to “smell the roses” and connect with others were part of Waz’s personal philosophy that I learned to emulate.

May you build great relationships in your career and life - and keep things in perspective, as per this quote: "As a Fire Fighter/Paramedic, I never once heard anyone at their final moments in life say things like, 'I wish I had spent more time at the office,' or 'I wish I had more money.' These things simply did not seem important at the time." ~ R. Jeffery Maxfield, Simple Wisdom: Game Plans for Joyful Living


Thank you for taking the time to read this Six Gears e-book. I hope that you are able to take on board the key messages and make some significant strides in your career this year. Take a moment if you will, to jot down 1- 3 actions in each area that you can take this year to shift your career. 1. Realise your Strengths …..…………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… 2. Get Uncomfortable ….………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… 3. Stay Curious ...………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… 4. Give ..…………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… 5. Communicate+ ………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… 6. Connect ………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… Please feel free to forward this e-book to friends, colleagues and family, providing it is not altered or added to. This e-book remains the copyright of Career Wisdom, 2012. I welcome your enquiries regarding presenting on this theme to your group, company / association and can be contacted at [email protected] I wish you well with your career journey. Ignition, On! Best regards Lois Lois Keay-Smith Director, Career Wisdom

Ignite Your Career · Presentation to AIOP, 28 Feb 2013 Lois Keay-Smith, Career Wisdom ... all the...

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