Are You Working "In" or "On" Your Career?

The book, "The E Myth," played a significant role in helping me understand a vital skill to succeeding in business ownership. I never intended to start my own company. It happened because I saw a big problem nobody was fixing and felt I had to do something about it. Early on, I made all the classic mistakes outlined in this book.The biggest one was working "in" my business too much when I should have been working "on" it.

"In" Versus "On"

When you work "in" your business, you are neck-deep in the day-to-day activities. You are putting out fires, supporting customers, doing the accounting, etc. It feels productive and you are definitely busy, but it doesn't leave time and energy to determine how to stabilize and grow the capabilities of the business. When you work "on" your business, you step back from the day-to-day and construct a strategy for making the business stronger and more capable of doing all the great things you want it to do.

Career Strategy: In + On = Success

In my experience, career success also comes from paying attention to the amount of time we spend working "on" and "in" our careers. When we don't find the right balance, we struggle, or even worse, we have professional set-backs. Here are a few examples of what can occur:

1. Work "in" a job for years, keeping your head down and staying under the radar only to be laid-off without working "on" any new skills that can be leveraged in the current job market.
2. Spending 2 months working "on" your resume while not engaging in a single activity that will actually get you "in" a job.
3. Dreaming of the day you'll get a promotion and/or better job by focusing "on" meeting people who are at that level already, while ignoring the need to build and display key skill sets "in" your chosen field of expertise that are needed for the role you seek.

I could list many more, but you see my point: we're all businesses-of-one. That means, we all need to work both "on" and "in" our careers to get what we want. More importantly, we have to pay attention to the balance so we don't negatively affect our progress.

[original article]

Career Lessons from The Apprentice

This week we saw the start of the 2013 series of The Apprentice here in the UK. The popular and award-winning reality TV show sees 16 business-hopefuls compete to become Lord Sugar's apprentice. Each episode we see candidates fighting for survival by competing on business tasks. Over 12 weeks we will see one after the other being fired until one is crowned 'The Apprentice' winning a £250,000 investment into a potential business venture as well as the opportunity to work in partnership with business tycoon Lord Sugar. I love the show!

Why do I like it so much? It's like being a fly on the wall in an assessment centre for three months. Candidates are split into two teams who then compete on tasks to demonstrate their business skills such as leadership, organisation, financial acumen, negotiation and sales. Tasks vary from selling a container load of different products for the most profit, to setting up a shop or developing a brand new product. The winning team is rewarded with a treat (helicopter flights, meals out, cocktail parties, etc.) while the losing team has to face Lord Sugar in the board room for a ferocious grilling. Ultimately one of them gets fired. This continues each week until a handful of candidates remain and those lucky souls are treated to some 'interviews from hell' with Lord Sugar's most trusted aides.

Watching 16 candidates trying to make a good impression while fighting for survival is not only very entertaining (there are lots of tantrums and personality clashes) but is also great for picking up dos and don'ts for your own career or business venture. Here's what I've gleaned from previous series:

1. Don't be overconfident - There are few people that have succeeded in their careers without a sound level of self-confidence. However, being over-confident can be detrimental. Candidates on The Apprentice are given every opportunity to sing their own praises and do so with great gusto! They are always the best negotiators, the best financiers, the best presenters... I remember (with a slight smile on my face) a candidate saying 'As a salesperson, I would rate myself as probably the best in Europe.' Whilst entertaining for the viewer there are serious lessons to be learnt. Their exuberant confidence often leads to over-promising on tasks, it makes them less likeable and they often find it difficult to listen to other people's ideas (even if they are better ideas). What we can learn from the show is that those who succeed have an air of confidence and conviction about them without being overbearing and that the line between confident and smug is thin.

2. Be a team player - Success in your career nearly always depends on your ability to be an effective team player. It is important to recognise that sometimes you have a specific role to play within a team. Sometimes you might be required to lead and sometimes you will be asked to work in the background organising things or delivering specific sub-tasks. On The Apprentice we see time and time again individual candidates who ignore their designated role and instead aim for a leadership position. This often causes tension and friction within the team and can have a negative impact on task delivery . A good team player can lead when required but ultimately puts the team's objectives above their own.

3. Pull your weight - People that are successful in their career make sure they pull their weight and contribute effectively to any task they are involved in. In each and every series ofThe Apprentice we see candidates that just stand back or hide in the background hoping they won't be noticed. For some candidates it's part of a game plan i.e. not to stick their neck out in the fist 2-3 episodes and therefore avoid being blamed for any failures. This strategy has backfired in more recent shows with candidates being fired for not contributing enough. It is key that we get involved in tasks, take on some risk and responsibility and get noticed for our input.

4. Be likeable - Candidates that get promoted and move up in their careers are generally well liked by others. It is much harder to fire someone you really like and have built a relationship with. Each year on The Apprentice we see one or two candidates who rub everyone up the wrong way. It's often their downfall, especially when it comes to confronting Lord Sugar in the board room - fellow candidates gang up on the ones they don't like, even if they have performed well. It's crucial to form good relationships with your colleagues. Be friendly, helpful and interested in other people... and not just those in management but colleagues performing different roles across the organisation.

5. Speak up - If you think something is not going right or could be done better then say so - don't just watch your team fail in silence and then lay blame. Make sure you put your point across but accept it if the team decides to go in a different direction to the one you think is best. On The Apprentice we see candidates fired for claiming (after the event) that they would have done things differently. It's important to contribute your opinion while there's still a chance to influence the outcome. However, if you can't convince the other team members that your idea is a good one then take it on the nose. Sometimes you have to admit defeat and just continue to be a great team player regardless.

6. Don't forget the task at hand - Successful candidates remain on task - they always have the team objective at the forefront of their minds. Those who take their eyes off the ball and focus too much on promoting themselves or standing out from the crowd often end up getting fired because they failed to focus on the important issue and got side-tracked with less important or even trivial or counter-productive elements of the task. Many tasks on The Apprentice involve making more money or profit than the other team - the candidates and teams that make decisions always with this objective in mind normally do very well.

7. Don't lie - Every year on The Apprentice we bear witness to candidates who have 'stretched' the truth in their application forms and CVs... e.g. the candidate who went to university (but only stayed for four months). There is sometimes a fine line between creatively promoting yourself and telling blatant lies. In my opinion honesty is the best policy as a little bit of digging and one or two phone calls will very quickly reveal the truth.

[Original article here]

14 Signs You Love Your Job

1. You don’t talk about other people; you talk about the cool things other people are doing.

“I hear Mary is heading up a new project. What are they working on?” “I’d love to know how Mike managed to rescue that customer relationship.” “Sherry developed a new sales channel; is there some way we can leverage that?”

When you love your job you don’t gossip about the personal failings of others. You talk about their successes, because you’re happy for them – and because you’re happy with yourself.

2. You think, “I hope I get to…” instead of, “I hope I don’t have to…”

When you love your job it’s like peeling an onion. There are always more layers to discover and explore.

When you hate your job it’s also like peeling an onion – but all you discover are more tears.

3. You see your internal and external customers not as people to satisfy but simply as people.

They aren't numbers. You think of them as real people who have real needs.

And you gain a real sense of fulfillment and purpose from taking care of those needs.

4. You enjoy your time at work.

You don't have to put in time at work and then escape to life to be happy. You believe in enjoying life and enjoying work.

When you love your job, it’s a part of your life. You feel alive and joyful not just at home – but also at work.

5. You would recommend working at your company to your best friend…

In fact, you can't stop talking about how cool your company is and the awesome work you're doing even when you're away from work.

6. You enjoy attending meetings.

No, seriously, you enjoy meetings. Why? Because it’s fun to be at the center of thoughtful, challenging discussions that lead to decisions, initiatives, and changes – changes you get to be a part of.

7. You don’t think about surviving. You think about winning.

You don't worry much about losing your job. You're more worried about not achieving your potential. Not being as impactful as you can.

8. You see your manager as a person you work with, not for.

You feel valued. You feel respected.

You feel trusted.

9. You don’t want to let your coworkers down.

Not because you’ll get in trouble or get a bad performance review, but because you admire them – and you want them to admire you.

10. You hardly ever look at the clock.

You’re too busy making things happen. When you do look at the clock, you often find that the time has flown.

11. You view success in terms of fulfillment and gratification – not just promotions and money.

Everyone wants to be promoted. Everyone wants to earn more.

You definitely feel that way too… but somewhere along the way your job has come to mean a lot more to you than just a paycheck. And if you left this job, even if for a lot higher salary… you would still miss it.

A lot.

12. You leave work with items on your to-do list you’re excited about tackling tomorrow.

Many people cross the “fun” tasks off their to-do lists within the first hour or two.

You often have cool stuff – new initiatives, side projects, hunches you want to confirm with data, people you want to talk to – left over when it’s time to go home.

13. You help without thinking.

You like seeing your colleagues succeed, so it’s second nature to help them out. You pitch in automatically.

And they do the same for you.

14. You don’t think about retirement… because retirement sounds boring…

…and a lot less fulfilling.

How many of the above statements apply to you and your job?

If you said:

0-3: You may want to find a new job. Life is too short.

4-6: You don't hate your job... but you don't love it either. What can you do differently?

7-10: You really enjoy your job and the people you work with

11-14: You are deeply, madly in love with your job! (and your friends are jealous!)

 

[original article posted here]

10 Things to do Every Workday

by J.T. O'Donnell

I’ve always been focused on performance. I’m a list person. I love the feeling of crossing things off. It makes me feel productive. Plus, consistent productivity has the wonderful byproduct of accomplishing more. Jeff Haden’s recent article on Linkedin summarizes the value of having a daily to-do list beautifully: You don’t wait to do the work until you get the dream job - you do the work in order to get the dream job.

I’ve never shared this list with anyone until now.

It’s the list of ten things I try to do every workday. Yes, there are days when I don’t get them all done, but I do my best to deliver. It has proven very effective for me. They are:

1. Read something related to my industry.
2. Read something related to business development.
3. Send two emails to touch base with old colleagues.
4. Empty my private client inbox by responding to all career coaching questions within one business day.
5. Check in with each team member on their progress.
6. Have a short non-work related conversation with every employee.
7. Review my top three goals for my company that are focused on its growth.
8. Identify and execute one task to support each of my top three goals.
9. Post five valuable pieces of content on all my major social media accounts.
10. Take a full minute to appreciate what I have and how far I’ve come.

This list could be longer. BUT...

If it was longer, I wouldn’t be as good at getting them all done. This list is manageable to me. Of course, I do more than these ten things every day. But, these are the ten I choose to do with consistency. Why? Over the years, they’ve proven the best way for me to grow my career and my business. The collective results have made completing these tasks consistently; even when I don’t feel like it, well worth it.

What things do you do every day to advance your career or your business?

P.S. If you want to learn more about me and my work, I run this career site,CAREEREALISM, and this Job Search Accelerator Program (JSAP). Plus, to keep myself busy, I just launched this site for executives, C-Suite Insider.

9 Steps to Ignite [Job] Motivation

by Shala Marks for recruiter.com

Let’s be honest: Sometimes work can be redundant. Even those areas you’re passionate about can become menial and dull if you do them for eight hours a day, five days a week and 52 weeks per year (give or take a few holidays and vacations).

The same task can quickly become boring and leave you feeling uninterested and unmotivated. According to Towers Watson’s 2012 Global Workforce study, only 35 percent of the 32,000 full-time workers polled were highly engaged. Lack of engagement, loss of interest and motivation are key reasons people decide to leave a company, change career paths or even start their own businesses. We need to be excited and inspired with the jobs and/or careers we pursue. Once that spark is gone, sometimes it’s difficult to relight it before simply deciding to jump ship.

Below are nine tips for increasing motivation. Whether it’s your office position, novel you began writing, going to (or back to) school to receive further education, or that idea for a start-up you concocted, using these suggestions can help you strengthen the necessary motivation for the boring and routine moments along your path.

Challenge yourself

Often times we lose interest in our work or tasks because we’ve mastered them. There’s no fun if there’s no challenge. Find ways to challenge yourself with the work you need to do. Try putting a new, creative spin on something. Ask for more assignments or for projects you aren’t used to handling. Step outside of your element and comfort zone to try a new concept, a new approach or a new method. Challenges are helpful because they not only increase your motivation and build interest, but they stretch your potential.

Set small daily and weekly goals

We have a goal: write a book, start a business, implement a new program. But many people desire to quickly reach the end without fully accepting the process that comes in between start and finish. Every process takes time, so to not lose focus during this time, set small goals for yourself. Set a few daily goals and only focus on them. Then work your way up to weekly goals. By breaking down your workload into smaller tasks you will 1) stay productive and 2) maintain your interest because you know each goal is bringing you steps closer to the end.

Use past work success for future motivation

If you find yourself bored on the job now, think back to a time (or times) when you were successful. Think about what you did, how it made you feel and how it affected where you are today. No one wants to just have accomplishments from years and years ago; people are always looking to see what an individual has achieved recently. Remembering past successes can help motivate you to continue working hard so you can have future success as well.

Think about the bigger picture

Although the task at hand may seem redundant and trivial now, it is a part of something larger. Focus on your role and the part you play in helping ensure the bigger picture comes together. What you’re doing in necessary and realizing this will help build back that desire to complete your tasks.

Remind yourself of your reasoning

Sometimes we lost our motivation because we don’t think about it (or them). Take out some time to remind yourself of why you decided to do this in the first place. Why did you apply for this job and who was depending on you to get it? Why did you want to work for this company? Why did you set that goal? Why do you have this desire? Remembering our whys will put things back into proper perspective.

Find what inspires you

Perhaps you just need a small fire lit beneath you to get you going. What inspires you? What makes you think, laugh or smile? What gets your blood pumping and your heart racing? I enjoy reading quotes whenever I need a boast of inspiration, especially encouraging quotes pertaining to your situation. Seek out that which inspires you.

Make goals visible

Similar to not thinking about what motivated us in the first place, many times we become bored because we lack visuals. Write out your goals (you can even add a photo) and hang it on your desk, in your office or any place you will see it each day. Look at your goals every day and read them to remind yourself of what you’re working toward.

Choose positivity

It’s easy to become negative, disgruntled and disengaged. Choose to remain positive in all situations. If you’re getting bored or are becoming restless with a task, combat negative thoughts with positive ones.

I am so tired of doing this over and over and over again but repetition is good for increasing my skills in this area.

What I am doing is so boring, but I know it is a necessary step to reaching my goals and it will not always be like this.

I just don’t feel like doing this work, but I know no one is going to hand me success. If I want it I have to work for it.

Be grateful

You have a job and millions of others don’t. You’re getting paid to complete a task. Millions of people are homeless. You have the opportunity to follow your dreams and the resources to do so (college education, money, time), while others are not as fortunate. If we step back and take a good look at where we are and where could be we should be grateful for the work we must do. Being appreciative reminds us that we could be in worse situations and motivates us to not only maintain our current positions, but work to improve them.