Joel Garfinkle's Blog, page 16

Position Yourself for a Promotion & Prepare to Move Up the Ladder

“The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity.”

~ Ayn Rand ~

Tammy is good at her job, but her career doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. She has been in the same position for two years and is ready to move up to the next rung of the ladder. One of her co-workers was just promoted to the position she wanted, and now she wonders if she will be stuck in her current position forever.

Getting a promotion requires more effort than merely doing your job and being good at it. Supervisors want to see that you are qualified for the new position, not the one you are already doing. You must stay alert for opportunities to advance or to move laterally to broaden your skills and position yourself for future success.

If you are like Tammy—good at your job but not quite ready for a promotion—here are five tips to help you get out in front of your competition so you are the first person your supervisor thinks of next time there is an opportunity for promotion:

1. Express Your Interest 

Let your supervisor know you’re ready for new challenges and want to play a role in any expansion efforts. As companies look for growth opportunities, they will form task forces, study teams and interdepartmental committees. Tell your boss you want to be a participant, not a bystander.

2. Stay on Top of Current Events 

Stay alert of your company’s growth plans by reading its news releases and annual and quarterly reports. Get copies of executive speeches and reports from investment firms that follow your company. Then brainstorm how you and your skills can contribute to the success of these ventures.

3. Write Your Own Marketing Plan 

If you see an opportunity to market a new product or service, grow your company’s existing portfolio or increase client service, create your own marketing plan. Do your homework, crunch the numbers and write up a proposal to present to your boss or senior management. Even if you fail, you’ll reap dividends from the exposure and gain the reputation that you want to play a bigger role in the success of your organization.

4. Take Advantage of New Training 

As companies loosen their purse strings, they’ll also be investing more in training and development. Visit with your supervisor or human resources department to find out what new skills you need to improve your effectiveness and promotability.

5. Network, Network, Network 

Keeping your nose to the grindstone is admirable, but it will also pay to get away from your computer and stay actively involved with your network. Keep on top of what other departments and divisions are doing, what their plans are, and how you might fit in.

As your company gears up for growth, find ways to increase your visibility and to showcase your talents to decision-makers in your organization. When in doubt, look for problems to solve. That’s one of the effective ways to get noticed, appreciated and promoted!

If you really want to move up the career ladder quickly, a top-notch executive coach like Joel Garfinkle can help you reach your goals twice as fast. If you’re serious about getting ahead, sign up for executive coaching with Joel today.

Talkback:  How long have you been in your current position? Are you ready for a change? What do you need to work on to position yourself for your next promotion?

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10 Ways to Ease Your Workload and Reduce Your Stress at Work

“A round of golf is the ideal antidote to stress.”

~ Bruce Forsyth ~

Client Jordan Asks: My job has become overwhelming. My work load keeps increasing, and I find myself working long hours to get everything done. How can I take control of the situation and get my life back?

Coach Joel Answers: It’s not uncommon for job responsibilities to grow over time, especially when economic conditions prevent the hiring of additional help. Instead of adding employees, organizations expect individual employees to take on more and more responsibilities. However, there is a limit to how much one person can do. You must learn to create boundaries, or you will become overwhelmed by the additional work.

Here are a few ways you can reduce both your work load and your stress levels.

1. Prioritize. 

Focus on what’s most important and make sure high priority work gets done first. Also, make sure your priorities are consistent with those of your supervisor.

2. Schedule your day around those priorities. 

Write down your to-do list and don’t get distracted. If that means not answering your phone or checking emails just once or twice each day, so be it.

3. Learn to say no. 

There’s a fine line between being a cooperative “team player” and someone who is abused by taking on work that should be done by others or, perhaps, not even at all. Don’t be afraid to say no to projects that are unnecessary or unimportant. Sticking to your priorities and having a well-defined job description can help.

4. Don’t be afraid to negotiate. 

If someone asks you to do an extra assignment, say, “I’d be glad to it if you can get someone else to take the so-and-so project” or “Yes, I’ll take that on, but only if we push back the deadline several weeks.”

5. Dare to delegate. 

Is there a task that could be done more quickly or efficiently by a coworker?Learning to delegate effectively will help you reduce your workload.

6. Set boundaries (and stick to them). 

For example, make it a point to never work through lunch or to eat at your desk or take work home over the weekend. Setting boundaries will help you maintain a work/life balance that provides you enjoyment, peace and fulfillment in all aspects of your life.

7. Take advantage of time management training. 

If your company doesn’t offer it, look online or check out your local library. Learning to manage time more effectively and get more organized will help you get more work done in less time.

8. Get the tools you need to be more efficient. 

Are there tools or software programs available that can make you more efficient and thereby reduce your workload and stress?

9. Brainstorm with team members. 

If you’re overworked, chances are your coworkers are feeling in over their heads, too. Take some time to share ideas about how to cope, share the workload or be more efficient. But, stay positive! Don’t let your brainstorming session turn into a woe-is-me pity party.

10. Ask for help. 

If you’re feeling stressed or depressed about your workload then you owe it to yourself and your supervisor to voice your concerns. Don’t suffer in silence and let the pressure affect your work performance and relationships with those you care about at home. If your boss isn’t receptive, look for a mentor, colleague or trusted friend who can serve as a sounding board and help you find solutions.

One of the most important things you can do to reduce your stress is to learn how to get more done in less time. Joel’s book, Time Management Mastery, will help you prioritize and schedule your work more effectively. Get your copy today!

Talkback:  Have you been forced to take on more work? What are you doing to manage the extra demands on your schedule? What other actions could you take to reclaim control of your workload?

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How being indispensable is hurting your career

You’ve seen multiple colleagues promoted ahead of you, despite your better job performance. You have received nothing but praise and great reviews, month after month, but still, career advancement eludes you. You don’t have time to delegate, and can’t take a holiday without being bombarded with questions only you can answer. Any of this sounding familiar?

Too often, hard-working, intelligent managers are passed over for promotions because they have struggled to make the necessary transition from their current role to a strategic leader for the business. In fact, they have become too good at their role, and therefore made themselves an indispensable part of their team, inhibiting both personal and team growth.

However, there is a solution.

Richard Jolly, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour in the General Management programmes at London Business School, writes extensively on the topic of indispensability in his article, which has served for the inspiration for this post. There are several ways, he writes, in which effective employees can make the transition from being an individual contributor to providing strategic direction to the business and the team.

It is, firstly, important to see the dangers of being indispensable, and see that effective managers are not “irreplaceable”. Then, it is key to see how the second half of your career differs from the first, and what that means for relinquishing control, delegating, and educating your team to open yourself up for career advancement.

Indispensable asset or a bottleneck?

Indispensability is typically thought of as a desired quality, a goal even. It indicates you are a valued, respected, and knowledgeable member of the team, and it typically ensures job security.

So, why is being indispensable so dangerous to your colleagues and your career?

Being indispensable can create a poor work environment for yourself and others. It means you are the only resource for certain questions and tasks, turning you into a bottleneck rather than an asset. It can mean work stoppages when you are away on holiday or sick leave. It can mean you are required to respond to every email, and attend every meeting. It can create a culture of micromanagement, unnecessary work, and bureaucracy. And in the worst cases, it can create a false belief that no one else is competent enough to handle the job.

Indispensability holds back your own career as well. All of the above scenarios put undue stress on you. Additionally, they create a serious incentive for your superiors to keep you in your current role indefinitely, as the cost of replacing you would be too high.

Therefore, you must resist the urge to be indispensable. Strong managers do not make themselves irreplaceable. Instead, they surroundthemselves with impressive people that can handle any task. A well-run team could get along fine without a manager. Fostering a situation in which you, as the manager, are nearly unneeded means you are freed up to move on to a new role and colleague can step in to fill your shoes.

A change from the early stages of your career

Creating this environment is not the work of only a few days, however. It requires a change in approach to your current role, one that differs considerably to how you’ve approached previous ones.

Early on in your career path, your value to the company is determined by your productivity and efficiency. This is most easily measured by the volume of completed tasks. However, as you move up within a company, your value needs to shift from doing things to thinking about things. Effective managers provide strategic direction to a team who then executes strategy. Strategy is far less tangible than crossing of a daily to-do list, but it is no less critical and takes just as much, if not more time.

Less control, more trust

Becoming a strategic leader means providing guidance on projects, but relinquishing control over the details and process of production. Junior colleagues need to be given the opportunity to step up to prove they are capable of thinking critically, developing processes, and completing projects independently. The only way to know if a team member is ready to take on more responsibility is to step back and let them prove it to you.

Allowing this progression to happen doesn’t mean you will have less responsibility. You will still have astake in the final product, and its success or failure will still lie largely with yourself. However, you will be able to step back from the day to day tasks of the creation process, and put much more thought into the strategic direction of projects, and of the team as a whole.

Delegation lifts colleagues and yourself

Naturally, while shifting your role to become more strategic, the same amount of work needs to be done. To cover off the daily tasks that you’ve outgrown, delegation is key. An effective manager helps junior colleagues develop bygiving them more responsibility. Determine what some of the first regular tasks were that you were responsible for when you began your current role. These are the obvious candidates for tasks that should be delegated.

Creating a sense of ownership is key to delegation. Make it very clear that after a certain point, your junior colleague is the first point of contact for the tasks or project. Ensure this is communicated throughout the team, and to appropriate external contacts, to make the change stick. You will soon find that requests that used to clog your inbox and chip away at your time are now being effectively handled by a colleague that is eager to step up to the new challenge.

Educate to delegate

The delegation process will inevitably fail withoutproper education. If you are the only person that can handle a task, it is likely not because your colleagues cannot do it, but rather they have not been taught how to do it. And, since you may be the only person that knows how to do things currently, the task of educating your replacement falls to you.

The most important part of education is follow through. It can be frustrating to train someone on tasks that are second nature to yourself. Your own learning curve when you were first trained is easily forgotten, and therefore it is quite likely that your colleague will not learn as quickly as you expect.

However, when frustration sets in, do not give in to the temptation to do it yourself. This is a short-term solution, but in the long run, it will leave you, yet again, indispensable. Instead, plan more time into deadlines to allow for training. Ensure your colleague is taking good notes. And challenge them to step up and work through their own issues with the tasks. They may develop new ways of doing things that creates efficiency and works better within their style of working.

Becoming dispensable drives growth

When you’ve effectively trained a replacement, delegated most of your daily tasks, and freed up time to start thinking strategically about the business, the next step in your career will be much easier. Getting a promotion won’t mean leaving your team stranded.  The transition can happen seamlessly because you’ve already laid the groundwork that allows you to move on to more challenging tasks. You will be able to move from being a specialized individual contributor to a strategic leader that is guiding the group and driving the business forward.

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Be Carried to the Top: 5 Support People Who Can Help You Get Ahead

“There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.”

~ George Shinn ~

Client Dena Asks: In their book, The Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers, James Citrin and Richard Smith concluded that, “People with extraordinary careers do not claw their way to the top, they are carried there.”Where can I get the support I need to help me reach my career goals?

Coach Joel Answers: Support from others is a valuable commodity in any situation, but it’s a necessity when you navigate the corporate landscape. Without it, you risk being stuck in your current position indefinitely, overlooked for promotion and passed by others who are well connected and better supported.

How can you find others to help “carry” you?

Cultivate and take advantage of these five key resources:

1. Supporters 

Supporters show an interest in you and your career and invest the time to explain what it takes to advance within the company and get the job you want. They help you get ahead by providing resources, insights and knowledge. They also serve as role models for top-notch executive behavior and presence. Supporters can provide feedback, criteria and expectations to help guide you along a clear path toward success.

2. Confidants 

A confidant is someone with whom you are comfortable disclosing information about your experiences at work. Because these discussions often involve fears, frustrations and your innermost doubts and concerns, a confidant must be completely trustworthy. This kind of trust takes time to develop, but it starts with taking risks and being willing to share. Confidants are there to listen, to provide honest feedback and to support you as you face major challenges.

3. Mentors 

Like a supporter, a mentor provides specific information and guidance to help you improve your performance and productivity. You will, however, have a closer relationship with a mentor. This individual will take a personal interest in your career and play a more active role in helping you meet your goals for advancement and professional success. To ensure your mentor is unbiased, it’s helpful if he or she comes from a different department.

4. Advocates 

The difference between mentors and advocates is a matter of degree. Both can provide feedback, information and encouragement. However, a mentor will not necessarily get directly involved in promoting your career. Advocates, on the other hand, will actively champion your cause to their peers (and even supervisors) in the company. Advocates encourage your growth and challenge you to reach higher levels. They know your key accomplishments and are acutely aware of your potential for future success. Armed with this information, advocates campaign on your behalf, create visibility with senior management and directly assist you in advancing up the organization.

5. Executive Coaches 

In addition to supporters, mentors and advocates, another effective source of support is the executive coach. Executive coaches are to business professionals what master musicians are to aspiring performers: they guide the thriving careers of their clients to help them reach the peak of their abilities. Executive coaches have the expertise, techniques and tools to assist you in achieving what you most want in half the time. They provide honest and objective third party feedback and help you develop the skills and mindset you need to move beyond limitations, resistance and self-doubt.

They can help carry you to the top.

The obvious goal in seeking supporters, mentors, and advocates is to secure help with professional development and future promotions. But the underlying objective is to form alliances with those peers and superiors who want the best for you. In the process, they will encourage your growth and challenge you to reach higher levels within the company.

Are you building a support team to help you get ahead at work? Start by hiring a top-notch executive coach. Joel Garfinkle can create a cusomized executive coaching program that is tailored to helping you reach your goals.

Talkback:  Have you started building your support team? Who will help carry you to the top?

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How to Get a Promotion at Work: 11 Tips to Help You Move Up

“Financial rewards follow accomplishment; they don’t precede it.”

~ Harry F. Banks ~

A client of mine, Lance, has been with his company for ten years. He works hard and gets his work done. Management knows he is consistent, reliable, and loyal. They’re happy with the status quo. Unfortunately, my client is not.

He is ready to make the change. He’s tired of being taken for granted. He wants to get paid appropriately and get promoted. So he must overcome his current perception as a “reliable workhorse.”

If you’re like Lance, you can’t just hope that you’ll get the reward down the road for all your hard work. Instead, you must take control of your career and stop hiding out.

Here are some tips to get you started if you’re not sure how to go about getting a promotion at work:

1. Make a list of all the things you accomplished in the last year. 

For each accomplishment, try to assign a dollar amount on how it benefited the company. That way you’ll be able to prove your worth during your next performance evaluation or salary review.

2. Proclaim your achieved results. 

If you get good results and your clients like your work, it’s important to spend time proclaiming the achieved results. Even if it takes longer to document the results so the key people in management see what it took to get the results (effort, steps, process, details, etc.), they will appreciate who you are and what you have accomplished. The key is to not wish for more recognition, but to start being an incredible advocate for yourself.

3. Make your results more perceivable. 

Your results will become evident when they are communicated in an easily understood way. The more the break down the result into its many parts, the perceived value will be seen as higher.

4. Know how you are being perceived. 

Every time you communicate, think about how are you will be perceived – in meetings I attend, emails I create, conference calls, interact with client or upper management.

5. Be seen as a valuable resource and get others to appreciate what you do. 

Your company needs to know all the things you do and how each accomplishment provides something that benefits the company. If they don’t see the value in what you are doing when you communicate it, it isn’t relevant. The more they know, the more they appreciate the work you do.

6. Stop perpetuating the perception management has of you. 

Make a list of how you are currently being perceived by top management and your peers. For each negative perception, write down how you would like to be viewed. Then, carefully monitor your behavior at work to make sure you are reinforcing the positive traits, while deemphasizing the negative ones.

7. Educate your management about what you do and what your position is in the company. 

Often management just sees your position as a commodity that is replaceable. They take what you do for granted. Educate management about how valuable your position is and all the things you do in making your job work as well as it does. As you educate them, they will begin to alter how they view the entire position (e.g. marketing, sales, programmer, and project manager) of what you do.

8. Become a communication expert. 

Communication skills are one of the most important skills considered when determining who will be hired or promoted. Joining Toastmasters is a good way to improve your communication skills and get used to addressing groups of people with confidence.

9. Constantly think about how management will value what you just did. 

How will management value this? How will management hear this so they will recognize it contributes to the bottom line?

10. Stretch yourself to be different so you stand out. 

Management is used to you being who you are. Stretch yourself in ways that can impact perception. If you are used to being quiet at meetings, speak up. If you speak up at meetings, hold back and only speak when you have something really important to say.

11. Get clients to share how great you are. 

When you do something positive for a client, ask them to speak up on your behalf by writing what they appreciate and then sharing this with your management. You can explain how management isn’t fully aware of the work you are doing so it would be good for them to know what you did. If you can do this 4-6 times a year, it will start to influence how management views you.

If you’re ready to start working on that next promotion but aren’t sure how to proceed, Joel has a coaching program that can help. Sign up for Joel’s coaching for career advancement and implement the techniques Joel teaches to accelerate your career growth.

Talkback:  Is it time for you to move up to the next level in your career? What steps will you take to make it happen?

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5 Ways to Develop Executive Presence

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

~ Epictetus ~

When Connor walks into a room, all eyes turn toward him. He commands a presence that is unmistakable. He projects confidence, and people instinctively trust him. He speaks with authority.

Connor has executive presence.

As I describe the traits that Connor and other successful leaders possess, ask yourself: Where do I stand? What do I do well? What needs improvement?

If you have executive presence, you have an aura or magnetism or charisma that draws others to you. You’re a compelling force inside your organization or work group. When you speak, people listen, feel inspired and uplifted. You convey confidence, are respected as an authority, know how to create impact, provide value and know how to get noticed.

Think about your peers, your bosses, other executive leaders, famous people and your friends. Who has EP? Who doesn’t? Executive presence is your secret to your success. Exploit your potential. Your own greatness. It all comes from executive presence.

You can cultivate executive presence through training and practice. You’ll know you’re making progress when you:

1. See the Big Picture. 

You’re a strategic, “big picture” thinker who doesn’t become mired down in tactics. You think “outside the cubical” and take a whole company perspective when solving problems or seeking new opportunities. You’re able to communicate in financial terms to show your worth where it matters most – the company’s bottom line.

2. Are Willing to Take Risks. 

You capitalize on ambiguity and change. Leaders are revealed and careers are made for those able to navigate stormy seas. You challenge yourself and stretch your capabilities. You’re able to conquer self-doubt and break through self-imposed limitations by seeking out opportunities to move beyond your comfort zone.

3. Develop Strong Interpersonal Skills. 

You build confidence, trust and credibility by speaking clearly and persuasively. You think and act more like a leader than a manager. As a leader, you’ll inspire and motivate others by advocating what’s best for the organization, not just your work group. And, when you’re successful, you’re willing to share the limelight with others.

4. Focus on the Things that Matter Most. 

You improve your productivity, influence and reputation for high-level achievement when you focus on the things that matter most. Not only will you be a peak performer, you’ll maintain a healthy balance in your life.

5. Constantly Seek to Improve Yourself. 

You find personal fulfillment and professional success by capitalizing on your strengths and minimizing your mistakes. You encourage feedback to demonstrate your passion for self-development and desire to contribute to your company’s success. You increase your growth potential by investing in the most important asset you possess – yourself.

Developing your executive presence may seem like a daunting task. There is a lot of work involved, but it’s the kind of work that will have far-reaching, long-lasting benefits. You will become more motivated, you’ll learn how recognize and promote your own value and you’ll develop a meaningful and effective career plan. These are all things you can accomplish on your way to becoming a better leader.

If executive presence is something you need to work on, consider taking advantage of Joel’s executive presence coaching services, and start developing traits that will make you stand out in any leadership role.

Talkback:  Do you know someone whose presence makes them stand out? What about you? Is this an area you need to work on?

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Want to Achieve Balance? Make an Appointment With Yourself.

“The challenge of work-life balance is without question one of the most significant struggles faced by modern man.”

~ Stephen Covey ~

Recently a client, Jillian, confessed to me, “I find myself working 60 or more hours each week. I have no time or energy for anything other than work. I don’t see my family, I don’t have time for friends or hobbies and I feel completely overwhelmed. I want more time and fulfillment in my life. I would rather divide my time between work, nature, people in my life and travel as opposed to oozing out meager samplings of these between work.”

This is a common concern. People are working more hours than ever. They make a good income and are able to afford more material possessions, but at the expense of their happiness and satisfaction. The balance they seek is difficult to achieve.

As Jillian stated, she’s unhappy, exhausted and creatively starved.

What can be done? Here are six tips:

1. Begin by simplifying your life.

Look at all of the things that you tolerate that only serve to limit you and drain your energy. Make a goal to systematically eliminate them all from your life.

2. Make an appointment with yourself.

This week make an appointment by marking your calendar and keeping the appointment with yourself as you would an appointment with your most important client.

3. Examine what you want from your life and what is standing in your way.

Look at what unwanted energy drains you need to remove from your life to make this happen. Do you need to pay off credit cards? Do you need to simplify your living situation? Can you incorporate a more flexible schedule so that you can have more time for fulfillment? Can you take a time management or organizing seminar so that you use your time more effectively? Brainstorm and see what comes to mind. Make a plan with concrete action steps with deadlines and follow through.

4. Get support.

Talk to friends and colleagues to see if they are going through the same situation and help each other brainstorm solutions. Enlist the support of a coach to help you set and achieve practical goals and regain balance.

5. Celebrate even the small triumphs of your life.

We often become so absorbed in accomplishing tasks or to-do lists that we overlook opportunities to experience joy and satisfaction.

6. Notice where you focus your attention.

Carlos Castaneda once said, “The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” Take this quote to heart. Write is down and tape it to your computer screen or bathroom mirror.

Then, every morning, ask yourself: “What am I going to emphasize today?”

Why be miserable, when you can make yourself strong!

Need more tips to help bring your work and life into balance? Click here or contact Joel for some one on one coaching.

Talkback:  Are you sacrificing your home life to get ahead at work? What challenges do you face trying to find the right balance?

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Good News on the Salary Front: More Companies Plan Increases

“Asking what I considered an impossible salary when I didn’t want to work for someone has boosted my pay again and again.”

~ Ethel Waters ~

Will has been working the same job for three years without any raise in pay. Due to the downturn in the economy, his company claims that it just can’t afford to pay more to its employees.

I’ve got some good news for Will and for everyone else who has been working longer hours and hasn’t been rewarded with a bonus or an increase in salary.

That might be changing, according to Mercer, a worldwide consulting firm.

In their annual “employee attraction and retention survey,” Mercer found that more companies plan to focus on money – that’s right, cold, hard cash – as a way to retain and engage the right talent.

Because budgets have been tight during the recession, many employers relied on so-called “non-cash incentives.” These were such things as communicating the value of total rewards to employees, work-life programs, formalized career paths and special project opportunities.

But as the economy recovers, 25 percent of respondents say they’ll rely less on these types of rewards.

Instead, they will focus on base salary increases, short- and long-term variable pay and training and career development to retain and motivate their best people.

So as your employer’s purse strings begin to loosen, now is the time to proactively demonstrate your value to your organization. If you are like Will, still waiting for a long-overdue raise, I recommend doing the following.

1. Make yourself indispensible.

Volunteer to high profile projects that have the potential to affect your company’s bottom line.

2. Align your priorities with key company goals.

Focus on things that matter – to your boss, to his or her supervisor, to company executives and to your shareowners.

3. Eliminate or reduce your time spent “non-essential” work. 

Write down your top 10 priorities. Develop strategies to free up more time to spend on the top three and less on the bottom two-thirds.

4. Quantify and communicate your accomplishments. 

At the end of each week, write down your key accomplishments and try to assign a dollar amount to your specific contributions.

5. Capitalize on training or personal development opportunities. 

Continue to develop your skills and capabilities. That way, when your company begins to expand, you’ll be in a more competitive position (and your resume will be stronger, too, if you decide to venture outside your organization).

6. Don’t shy away from self-promotion. 

Think of ways to promote your personal “brand” at the office. There’s a difference between grandstanding and presenting the facts in an objective way.

Someone is going to benefit from this shift in employee compensation and it might as well be you!

Even if salary increases aren’t currently being offered by your employer, valued employees can find ways to negotiate for higher pay. Read Joel’s book, Get Paid What You’re Worth, to find out how you can negotiate a salary increase or a higher starting salary in a new position.

Talkback:  Last time you asked for a raise, were you successful? How long will you wait before trying again?

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How to Deal with Gossip at Work: 7 Steps to Dispel the Drama

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~

Client Jonathan Asks: Several of my co-workers like to spread stories without checking to make sure they are true. Recently, someone shared an inaccurate and favorable story about me. What can I do to mitigate the damage?

Coach Joel Answers: Everyone is susceptible to gossip stories at work. But what if the stories are about you? And, even more disturbing, what if they are erroneous and could harm your reputation? Chances are, this won’t happen to you. But, if it does, it’s important to take action.

Once unfavorable stories get created they often get cemented in as a permanent perspective of who you are. This perception becomes their reality and everything else you do reinforces how others see you.

You can have 50 examples of trustworthiness and one false representation and this one malicious example undermines everything else.

During your constant interactions at work it’s possible that things you do might get misinterpreted in a way that is not accurate.

For example, you might be seen as unreliable because you didn’t get something done ontime or be viewed as a loose cannon because you speak up and say things at client meetings that are not appropriate. Some of these stories might be true, but often they aren’t reflective of who you really are at work. The problem is one or two negative stories can cement a perception of you that is actually inaccurate.

Here is a seven-step process to help you deal with workplace gossip and change negative misperceptions into positive (or neutral) ones:

Step 1: Gather information about the unfavorable story.

Without getting emotional or defensive gather as much information as you can about the unfavorable story. This fact-gathering stage is key. You don’t want to fly off the handle, confront someone and make matters even worse.

Step 2: Dispel the unfavorable story.

Go to the source of the story – the person who believes or is communicating the misperception – and explain your situation. Discuss your perspective and what you felt actually happened. Provide enough information so the person understands exactly the truth from your perspective. You could say, “Hi, Carla. I hear you may have some concerns about what I said at the client meeting. Could you tell me about them?” And then, after hearing the other person out, provide your perspective of why you spoke out like you did.

Step 3: Ask about other misperceived stories.

Ask the person if they have any other stories that they would like to share. When you hear the new stories, explain what actually happened versus what was perceived. Provide greater understanding of how these stories could have been misinterpreted.

Step 4: Take responsibility for what you did.

Even though you may not agree with the misperception, you most likely can find some things that you can be accountable for. Show that you have learned a lesson and what you take from this situation. Come up with some examples of what you’ll do differently based on what you have learned.

Step 5: Share favorable stories.

When a person observes something unfavorable, this image gets stuck in their mind. Counter the negative perception by coming up with ways and examples of how you haven’t been that which they think you are. If they think you are untrustworthy, come up with three or four stories illustrating your trustworthiness. These other stories help balance out a one-sided and limited perspective.

Step 6: Ask the person to give you another chance.

Explain how you don’t want to be stuck in their view of something that happened in the past. You sincerely desire to be given another chance to prove yourself. It’s not fair for you to be punished by something that happened only once or it occurred years ago. Get the person to take a risk on you and let you try again. The risk is minimal with tremendous potential upside.

Step 7: Thank the person for their honesty and willingness to help you.

This is one of the best ways to enhance your reputation and clear up any misunderstandings.

Since your career advancement depends on other people’s perceptions of you, it’s important to take action quickly when negative stories about you surface. Get valuable feeback about the way you are perceived at work by completing the perception evaluation here.

Talkback:  Have you ever been the subject of unfavorable gossip at work? How did you deal with it?

Image courtesy of solgas / iStockphoto.com

7 Steps to Dispel the Drama appeared first on Career Advancement Blog.

Are You Annoying Your Co-Workers? Employees Share Their Biggest Gripes

“I’m aware that I can be annoying.”

~ Sandra Bullock ~

Client Eva Asks: As an HR professional, I hear a lot of petty complaints from various employees about their co-workers. Most of the time, the offending party has no idea that he or she is being annoying. How can I be sure that I am not inadvertently aggravating my own co-workers without realizing it?

Coach Joel Answers: Annoying co-workers are a common problem. Fortunately, most people realize that there are frustrating people everywhere, so unless the situation is severe, it is unlikely that they will leave over minor annoyances, especially if action is taken to correct the problem.

However, it is wise to be concerned about how your own behavior might be perceived. A survey conducted by Opinium Research asked people what annoyed them the most at work. Here are the top ten things that drive workers up the wall:

Grumpy or moody colleagues
Slow computers
Small talk or gossip
The use of office jargon or management-speak
People speaking loudly on the phone
Too much health and safety in the work place
Poor toilet etiquette
People not turning up for meetings on time or not at all
People not tidying up after themselves in the kitchen
Too cold, cold air conditioning

Now, you probably have little control over the speed of your computers, your office’s OSHA requirements or the setting of your thermostat, but you do have control – at least in terms of your own behavior – over seven of the top ten grievances.

How often are you guilty of these minor annoyances? Do you come to work with an attitude? Try being positive instead.Do you talk about others behind their backs? Stop! Do you use phrases like “think outside the box” or “get our ducks in a row”? Skip the jargon and strive for clear and effective communication. Are you tardy at meetings? Meetings can be a great way to increase your visibility, but you won’t make a good impression by showing up late. Do you neglect to refill the coffee pot when you take the last cup? Be considerate of your fellow employees.

By changing these small and seemingly insignificant behaviors, you can go a long way to make your work place more civil and enjoyable, as well as earning the respect and trust of your colleagues (and boss).

Do you have a habit that your co-workers might find off-putting? Identify the changes you need to make and implement an action plan to help you improve the way you are perceived by your co-workers through Joel’s 7-step executive coaching model.

Talkback:  Have you ever had an annoying co-worker? Tell us about him or her, but don’t name names!

Image courtesy of Dilbert / Dilbert.com

Employees Share Their Biggest Gripes appeared first on Career Advancement Blog.