advancing your career unit 5 south-western quick skills series

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Advancing Your Career Uni t 5 South-Western Quick Skills Series

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Advancing Your Career

Unit 5

South-Western Quick Skills Series

Getting Ahead

– Hard work– Consistent demonstration of

100% effort– Proven Competence in the

field– Strong interpersonal skills– Sensitivity to the company’s

bottom line– Demonstrated leadership

ability– Assertiveness as a self-starter

• Other factors– Managing conflict– Appreciating the value of customer

loyalty– Accepting and supporting change

•Employers list the factors they look for in employees that are being considered for promotions

Assessing Your Value1. I’ll be valued at work if I excel at the tasks listen in my job description; I shouldn’t be expected to do anything more.

Agree Disagree

2. No one listens to employees’ suggestions for improving the bottom line; that type of suggestion has to come from management.

Agree Disagree

3. “Managing your manager” means letting your boss know when he or she makes unrealistic demands. Agree Disagree

4. It’s never okay to tell your boss you disagree with him or her. Agree Disagree

5. Leadership positions are given only to employees who have been with their companies for years. Agree Disagree

6. Leaders should make all of the decisions for their group-that’s one of the responsibilities of a leader. Agree Disagree

7. The best leaders master a particular leadership style and use it effectively in all situations. Agree Disagree

8. If you want to advance in your company, you should work hard, act ethically, and steer clear of office politics.

Agree Disagree

9. Change is something that happens to employees; they don’t have an opportunity to influence it. Agree Disagree

10. The best way to implement change s to give orders, since involving others in developing the plan for change leads to confusion.

Agree Disagree

11. If a customer complains, always search for the solution that is least expensive or difficult for the company.

Agree Disagree

12.Avoiding conflict is taking the easy way out and should never be done. Agree Disagree

13. If you take the time to carefully plan your career before entering the workforce, you should be able to use that plan to guide your actions for many years.

Agree Disagree

Being a Star Performer

• Consistently Work Hard• Volunteer• Be Your Own Press Agent• Maintain Balance

Consistently Work Hard

• Perform your job better than your supervisor expects

• Do more than is in your job description

• Ask for more responsibility• Focus on making your boss

look good• Keep your effort in line with

the goals of the company• Beat deadlines and budgets• Show enthusiasm

• Be known as a problem solver

• Keep your boss informed• Be a team player• Be dependable and punctual• Eliminate negative work

habits• Be eager to learn• Ask for more

Know What is Important to Your Company

• Higher Sales• Increased Productivity• Improved Service• More Innovative Products• Decreased Costs• Profits

“The only place where success is before work is in the dictionary.” – Vidal Sassoon

Get Noticed

• Volunteer– For teams and important

projects– For jobs that no one else

wants to do

• Be Your Own Press Agent– Keep a list of your

accomplishments to go over at performance reviews

– Get featured in the company newsletter

– Participate in company events

Constantly Upgrade Your Skills

• Researching Developments– Read industry trade journals– Attend meetings of local

organizations dedicated to your profession

– Visit web sites that provide information about your industry

– Attend lectures, workshops,and seminars.

– Network with others in the industry

• Develop Your Skills– Participate in every training

your organization offers– Take classes– Acquire related skills

(language, 2nd degree)– Become an expert in some

aspect of your job– Form a mentoring relationship

with someone in your company

Be a Creative Thinker

• Explore new possibilities• Take initiative• Brainstorm with others• Think outside the box• Present ideas with

confidence• Try new ideas• Be willing to take a risk

• UCLA study says– 5 year olds engage in

creative tasks 98 times per day and ask 65 questions per day

– 44 year olds engage in 2 creative tasks a day and ask 6 questions a day

Characteristics of Entrepreneurs

• Initiative• Willingness to accept

challenges• Accountable for their actions• Self-confidence• Strong desire to succeed• Love what they do• Strong work ethic• Adaptability• Tolerance for uncertainty

• Continuous learning• Strong thinking and planning

skills• Optimistic• Determination and

persistence• Creativity and curiosity• Strong communication skills• High standards

Act Like an Entrepreneur

• Look for opportunities to improve productivity, boost sales, improve service, or enhance the work environment and act on them

• Do what needs to be done• Stay positive

Pitching Your Entrepreneurial Ideas• Make eye contact and speak clearly• Smile and show enthusiasm• Demonstrate confidence• Introduce your main ideas up front• Avoid “hesitation” words like ‘um’, ‘uh’, and, ‘you know’• Keep things simple and direct• Pay attention to the non-verbal cues of your audience• Listen to comments and feedback• Conclude with a brief summary of the main points of the

idea and what the next steps would be.

Manage Your Manager

• Develop intuitive skills to know what your boss wants• Plan for upcoming work• Deliver information to your boss they in their preferred

method• Understand your boss’s personality and compliment

his/her preferences• Match your boss’s level of professionalism• Make your boss’s priorities your priorities• Keep your boss in the loop

Being a Leader

• Lead by example• Inspire the group to support

the group’s goals• Share leadership• Empower others• Communicate effectively• Treat coworkers with respect• Recognize other’s

accomplishments

• Solve problems and produce results

• Demonstrate courage• Embrace change• Request feedback• Manage conflict• Show resilience

Three Types of Leadership

• Autocratic– Leader makes all decisions

• Democratic– Lets team have a degree of say in solutions

• Laissez-faire or “hands-off” – Manager explains the problem and lets the team

come up with the solution

Steps to Problem Solving

1. Define the problem2. Decide how you will know when the problem is

solved3. Identify the options4. Evaluate the alternatives5. Select the best option

Decision Making Strategies

• T-chart– List pluses on one side of the T and minuses on the

other side of the T to give you a visual aid to analyze.

• PMI Chart (Pluses, Minuses, and Interesting Points)– Use this method for uncertain or complex points

Analyzing a Situation

• View every situation as unique• Ask questions• Separate relevant from irrelevant• Weigh and interpret the evidence• Consider others’ interpretations

– Make sure their own bias isn’t clouding their judgment• Use all available information to make the decision.

Managing Change

• In 1981 2,700 new products hit the grocery shelves. By 1996, that number had swelled to nearly 20,000. That’s a new product every half hour.– The Power of Corporate Kinetics

Reacting to Change

• Initial Reactions to Change– Fear– Confusion– Uncertainty– Helplessness– Pessimism– Anger– Resentfulness– Excitement– Anticipation– Feeling off balance– Feeling energized

• Steps to dealing with change

1. Remember you have a choice

2. Believe that the change may be a good idea

3. Change negative thoughts4. Avoid resisting5. Figure out how you fit into

the change process

Maintain a Balance

• Keep work at work and home at home and don’t neglect either

• Try new things at both work and home• Value your time and your companies time

equally

Customers First

• To the customer, you are the company– Build customer loyalty– Develop a partnership with the customer– Build a relationship based on trust and good feeling– Welcome complaints – Exceed the customer’s expectations

Building Customer Loyalty

• Loyal customers:– Purchase repeatedly from your company– Buy a large variety of items– Refer others to your company– Resist “deals” other companies use to lure your

customer away– Understand the procedures of your company– Have faith in the company and will stand by it

65% of sales come from returning customers and it costs 5-10 times more to acquire a new customer rather than retain an existing one.

Develop a Partnership With the Customer• Welcome the customer

– Learn and use the customer’s name– Be pleasant and care about the customer’s need– Never let the customer feel like an interruption

• Give your undivided attention– Realize the customer’s question or request is unique– Try to learn something new from each customer– Think of each customer as your companies biggest

client– Attempt to make every customer’s day better– Limit distractions

Develop a Partnership With the Customer, cont.

• Listen Attentively– Listen without interrupting– Ask questions to be sure you understand– Paraphrase what the customer has said to show

you’ve been listening and heard correctly– Summarize what the customer wants to make sure

you are accurate

Build a relationship based on trust and good feeling

– Patience– Respect– Attentive listening– Sincerity– Good manners– Honest– Genuine interest

– Accurate knowledge– Responsiveness– Eagerness to help– Desire to create win-win

solutions– Strong communication

skills

•Customers want to have a relationship with people who treat them well.

Welcome Complaints

• Realize that complaints alert you to problems that need to be fixed. These problems affect not only the customer complaining but others as well

• Take ownership of a problem even if you didn’t cause it. Then fix it.

Complaining customers are a blessing. Most unhappy customers never say a word but they also never return

Exceed Expectations

• Make your customer feel like you are on their team

• Take questions serious no matter how trivial they seem to you

• Stick to the customer’s agenda

• Under-promise and over-fulfill

• Follow up to check for satisfaction

• If there are problems, apologize and fix them quickly

• Stay in touch with the customer

Internal Customers

• Within your department• Other departments• Managers• Subordinates• Temporary Employees• Project based employees

Soothing the Upset Customer

1. Let the customer vent2. Stay calm3. Acknowledge that

you’ve heard the customer

4. Use active listening to clarify the problem

5. Empathize with the customer

6. Apologize7. Find a solution that

satisfies the customer8. Fix the problem9. Practice Service

Recovery (something extra)

Take Responsibility for Your Career

• Stay up-to-date on your industry and trends

• Keep up on technological advances

• Show that you are flexible

• Take initiative in advancing yourself

• Be a lifetime learner• Promote yourself• Ask your boss how you

can improve• Ask for promotions

Making the Most of a Performance Review

• DO– Prepare for the review– Provide input during the

review. Offer evidence indicating ways your work has benefited your department and company

– Listen attentively and show that you’re approachable

– Use what you learn to guide your efforts following the review

• Don’t– Get defensive or angry– Show a negative attitude– Say nothing. If you disagree

with a comment made, say that you disagree and ask if you can explain why.

– Disregard what you learn at the review

Make a Career Action Plan

• How well does my job satisfy my personal needs?

• Does my job fit well with my personal values?

• Does it take advantage of my natural talents and skills?

• Do I need further training?

• Where is the industry headed?

• What are my short-term goal?

• What skills will I need to reach these goals?

• How do I get to my goal?

Networking

• Internal– Mentoring programs– Volunteering

• External– Professional organizations– Friends and family– Previous co-workers/jobs

An estimated 70% of jobs

are found through

networking. Fewer than 25% of jobs

are advertised

Recovering From Job Loss

• Try not to let layoffs take you by surprise

• Keep a positive attitude• Understand that your

feelings are normal and deal with them

• Decide what/if any part you played in the decision to let you go

• Use your network to get back in the job market

• Prepare a new Resume• Have an answer ready

when a potential employer asks why you were let go

• Follow up on all job leads

Recovering From Job Loss, cont.

• Keep reasonable standards for a new position

• Don’t speak badly about your previous employer

• Explore opportunities for free-lancing

• Remember that most interviews end in rejection, it’s not just because of your past experience

“Every exit is an entry somewhere.” – Tom

Stoppard