becoming your best self
TRANSCRIPT
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I created this document over time, as doors opened, and I discovered the
secrets of what managers really want.
The one employer until retirement rule was the reality of my Grandparents.
However, as a Gen Xer, I have grown up with the expectation that, more
than likely, I would not remain at one corporation my entire working life.
Gen Xers witnessed the disintegration of corporate loyalty to employees
and a move to pledging lives and souls to the bottom line. We witnessed
Baby Boomers lose their jobs, if it was not feasible to maintain them.
Hierarchal structures came crashing down and middle management got thesqueeze. Streamlined automated processes reduced the need for human
capital, and outsourcing meant a reduced need to build competencies
internally. Finally, the allure of cheap overseas labor continues to cause
constraints for hiring in an educated American workforce.
As a product of this environment, I needed to know what it all meant to me
and my future. The world is ever shifting and discerning how the various
factors help or hinder in meeting goals is not a simple algorithmicequation; it takes time.
Desiring to be successful, I chose to be proactive as opposed to reactive in
my quest. The chapters in this document are a result of this journey,
written over a three year period of engaging leadership, talking to
managers, attending seminars, obtaining my masters, identifying mentors,
and asking myself the tough questions, What do you want, Why do you
want it, and How are you going to accomplish it?
I went about learning the ropes, and perhaps by reading my shared
experience it will help someone else learn the unwritten rules for thriving
in any work environment.
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Have an Objective..1
Master the Soft Skills.5
Maintain Your Work-Life Balance7
Balance Likeability and Integrity..9
Find a Mentor and Coach..11
Build and Maintain Networks...13
Update Your Expertise.15
Never Lose Yourself and Purpose17
Sustain Professionalism...19
Be Prepared to Walk Away..21
Resources.23
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Chapter 1 Have an Objective
Have an objective or become a tool for someone elses objective.
If you do not appear to have a plan, expectations or objective, it becomes easy for people
to forget about you or place you wherever the
business need may be, without consideration of
personal goals or development needs. To avoid this
outcome, have a 2-5 year plan when you step in the
door of a company or pitch your business plan.
Deliver positive results on a consistent basis and
develop a project portfolio, so that you always have
demonstrable performance. Utilize S.M.A.R.T.
goals, (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic,
tangible), in creating your objectives, so that they
are easily comprehensible to others.
Ensure exposure of your strengths and prevent the highlighting of your weaknesses.
What do I mean prevent the highlighting of your weaknesses? It is most respectable to
readily admit when a mistake was made and to correct it. However, it is detrimental
when others can focus on a fatal character flaw in order to hold you back from
promotional opportunity. It is better to proactively identify your weaknesses and develop
a plan for overcoming them.
Our ears are well attuned to
what we are trained to hear.
Employers have targetableobjectives for staffing, process
improvements, and costreductions.
Therefore, it is most beneficial
to speak the language they areaccustomed to by having your
individual goals similarly
structured.
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Have an Objective
Whenever possible, connect your job to the bottom line and have a quantifiable bullet on
your resume for each position, e.g. reduced cycle time by _%, increased efficiency by
_%, increased profitability by _%, know your options and your value based upon your
skill sets.
Creating a S.M.A.R.T. Goal
Specific:To create/implement/streamline to accomplish________________
by__________(date).
Measurable:Accomplish Target 1 _____________________by:____________________(date)
Accomplish Target 2 _____________________by:____________________(date)
Accomplish Target 3 _____________________by:____________________(date)
Attainable:I will achieve this goal by engaging/employing/obtaining/changing _________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Have an Objective
Realistic:This goal is realistic because I am willing and capable of __________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Tangible:This goal is tangible because I will be able to see reduced cycle time/ increased
efficiency/increased profitability by ________%.
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Chapter 2 Master the Soft Skills
Image matters!
What people see and hear is what makes you palpable to other human beings. This
provides the basis from which judgments are made. Therefore, you receive payoffs,
tangible and intangible, for managing your image. Mastery of the soft skills is an integral
part of image management.
Communication, interpersonal, management
and leadership skills are essential at every
career level in order to create effective
workplace relationships. Social and emotional
intelligence ensures that you remain aware of
yourself and the environment. Confidence,
self-leadership, presentation skills and the
ability to work on teams ensures that your
supervisor or client can count on you in a
variety of situations, enabling them to provide
you valuable positive exposure. The ability to work autonomously, complete projects on-
time, construct effective proposals and emails makes you a valued organizational
resource.
The same manner in which Itook care in providing anattractive presentation of thismaterial is the same care and
attention we take everyday inthe presentation of ourselves.
Every action that you take is adirect reflection of you - the
impression that you leaveothers with.
Lets leave them with a greatimpression and get you to
where you need to be.
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Master the Soft Skills
Globalization and downsizing have made the job market more competitive today than
ever. For this reason your mastery of the soft skills could be the deciding factor in
whether or not you land the job. For example: If a hiring manager has interviewed two
individuals whose qualifications are identical, but one has conveyed mastery of the soft
skills, on paper and in the interview, the individual who has mastered the soft skills is the
candidate who is more likely to land the job. Individuals perceived as having good soft
skills, are the ones employers want to hire as they complement required technical skills
and broaden the scope of where the company can see the individual fitting into their
companys landscape, now and in the future.
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Chapter 3 Maintain Your Work-Life Balance
A positive attitude goes a long way!
When you maintain a positive attitude you are
able to get more done and keep your personal
and professional relationships on track.
However, in order to preserve a positive attitude
you must first discern negative stressors and
energy drains from positive stress. Positive
stress can be exhilarating, increasing your energy
level to complete tasks. A negative stressor may
derail your train of thought and drain your
energy by focusing on petty issues.
Establish boundaries and be flexible. No, this not an oxymoronic statement. For
example, if you are married with children and your work day ends at 5:00pm: as much as
possible, stop working by 5:00pm and spend quality time with yourself, friends and
family. If you are single, the same advice still stands. This is boundary setting, ensuring
that you recognize the needs of the whole person. One venue cannot fulfill all of your
needs nor the needs of others.
Attitude is the energy signal
that you send to others.
Positude, or positive attitude,
sends the signal that I am alert,I am capable of identifying
opportunities and I am willingto apply my knowledge toidentify solutions, as required.
Negative energy connotes:
downer,pessimism,andlack of coping skills.
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Maintain Your Work-Life Balance
Being flexible means that even the best laid plans can experience a glitch or require
revamping. For example, you have a project, at work, which requires you to work
overtime. Youll probably have to stay at work until 9:00pm for approximately one
week. Inform and make arrangements with and for your family and complete the project,
without guilt. Your family should be supportive during this period, and you can return to
your normal schedule the following week. Or, perhaps you have permanent added
responsibilities at work. The added monetary income is beneficial to your family, so by
all means, take the extra time to master the task or skill, (flexibility), and eventually,
manage the added work to fit into your required schedule, (boundaries).
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Chapter 4 Balance Likeability and Integrity
Likeability is your It Factor while Integrity is the Predictability Factor.
Likeability includes your demeanor, your ability to express yourself and educated
opinions without disrespecting or disregarding others, to hold meaningful small talk and
to effectively engage across the organization and industry. Visibility and likeability are
important. This is what gets you noticed and your name in the minds and on the lips of
people who can help to make things happen for you.
The likeability factor plays a role in how
leadership views you, promotability, e.g.
what types of positions they envision you
fitting into. It impacts your ability to get
things accomplished, in team situations,
from your assistant, your suppliers, your
customers and obtaining critical information
for job performance.
However, you should never compromise your integrity in the process. Doing so wont
win you respect and can wreak havoc on your mental and emotional well-being. Integrity
includes being value and principle based and creating a clear and established personal
It is evident that likeability plays alarge part in success, e.g.
Hollywood, sports, and politics.
Likeability is also a keycomponent of success in theworkplace.
However, like any other arena,you must also be good at what youdo and have establishedboundaries or moral guidelines.
Without boundaries, guidelines,
or integrity you cannot be takenseriously. You may become fun
to be around, yet not a trusted a
role model.
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Balance Likeability and Integrity
identity that neither you nor others disrespect. These factors provide boundaries for
engagement, keeping tensions low and positive, value additive behaviors high. For some,
your integrity will actually increase your likeability factor.
Both likeability and integrity are required to achieve true success in the business world.
To progress, others will have to sense that you embody both qualities. Therefore, it pays
to know yourself and be aware of others perceptions to ensure that you send the message
that you are a well-balanced individual, stable, approachable, and trustworthy.
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Chapter 5 Find a Mentor and Coach
Everyone requires someones help at one time or another.
Valid feedback will help you to stay on track. Awareness of peer, supervisory and
familial perceptions is a requirement for building
successful relationships within these strata. A
time may arise when you need help in discerning
the validity of a perception:
Is the feedback Ive received valid,
constructive and objective? Has there
been a recent environmental change that
has caused a negative change in
perception and relationships? Is there
something within my control to change?
A good mentor and coach can help you to answer these questions. They can also help
you to determine what your next best step should be in the situation. Your job is to
communicate honestly and openly with this individual(s), be receptive to the feedback,
and willing to alter old behaviors that no longer work. To ensure the effectiveness of a
mentorship you should also be open to accept mentors who are not necessarily the same
You could not possibly know itall, no matter how intelligent,
confident, or resourceful you
may be.
Experience counts. This isreason organizations ask their
seasoned employees to train,guide, and mentor newemployees.
Dont miss out on the
opportunity to learn fromothers in both your personaland professional life. Take
advantage of the human capitalthats right at your fingertips.
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Find a Mentor and Coach
race or gender. Those who have the capacity, knowledge and compassion required to be
good mentors and coaches may not always come in a preferred package.
The difference between a mentor and a coach is that a mentor focuses on the
development of the individual while a coach is more performance focused. A mentor can
be almost anyone you choose while a coach generally gets the position due to the position
they hold. The sources of each role differs however, both roles work toward the same
purpose, from different angles, to enable you to become the best human being possible in
your chosen field of expertise.
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Chapter 6 Build & Maintain Networks
Be involved and engaged.
Networks, formal and informal, can provide a sense of safety, security, support and
assurance. They are spaces where you are readily able to find people you relate to and in
turn can relate to you. The ability to maintain relationships with people who can provide
good solid advice, a helping hand, or whatever may be required at any given time is
invaluable. Therefore, the returns on the time you invest in maintaining your internal and
external networks are invaluable.
The importance of these relationships is
that they form a space where you have
the ability to have open communication
across a broad range of topics, to
receive honest feedback, direction,
mentoring, coaching, and to have an
individual or organization in your
corner that may be your life-line one
day.
Establishing professional network
relationships may still be particularly difficult for women and minorities. Although
Along the same thought as the
previous chapter: expand yourworld and take advantage of theopportunities that are right at your
fingertips.
Yes, some opportunities require amonetary investment; however, there
are many low cost and freeopportunities as well.
In todays environment, everyonerecognizes the benefits of social
networks. Happy workers make thebest employees. Therefore, manyemployers reimburse for
professional networking and providetime for internal networking.
Dont miss your opportunity.
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Build and Maintain Network
the environment is changing, lasting change occurs slowly.
Women are traditionally trained to concern themselves more with matters of family, than
with networking for business purposes and traditionally, minorities have not held many
decision-making positions. To aid networking success, consider every event as an
opportunity to meet new people for forming beneficial relationships.
Corporate Diversity Networks and Affinity Groups are a good place to begin. These
networks generally serve as a retention strategy for the corporation, in recognition of the
difficulty that is often experienced by minorities. Furthermore, they can put you in
touch with others of the same culture or ethnicity, providing a comfort level. Individuals
in these networks can in turn put you in touch with trusted sources outside of the
network, who have the care, concern, and authority to enable you to be your best.
Engaging in networks specific to your professional function is an excellent place for
expanding your network, no matter who you are or where you work. If you own your
own business, then engaging in networking opportunities provided through industry
memberships is especially beneficial.
There are many strategies for obtaining the support that you need; and as a best practice,
be proactive in your engagement.
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Chapter 7 Update Your Expertise
The average technology turnover is every two years.
Certain professions require that you attend continuing education courses to maintain your
certification. There are also many professions do not have any such requirement. Either
way, continuous learning is invaluable to
ensuring your continued credibility. Continued
education, conferences, workshops, and
seminars all help to keep you up-to-date in your
chosen field and ensures that you maintain the
status of being a valued resource in the
workplace.
The degree to which you maintain yourself up-
to-date may correlate to where you are in life as
well as your chosen goals and ambitions. To
use an analogy: if you consider yourself a low-
tech technology then perhaps attending a conference once every two years will suffice.
Perhaps you are at the end of your career, thinking more about retiring to your beach
house, and you just want to maintain your current position. Keeping your ear attuned to
current trends and issues at significant junctures with managements acknowledgement
helps to ensure that you maintain a position as a valued resource.
Are you low-tech or high-tech?
Not only should you maintainyour networks you must alsomaintain yourself in order tomeet your objectives.
Thinking of yourself as a
technology helps to depersonalizethe issue and to maintainobjectivity concerning what youneed to do in order to meet yourobjective(s).
Low-tech means low maintenancerequirements; it has already been
proven. High-tech means highermaintenance requirements as it is
still growing.
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Update Your Expertise
However, if you consider yourself a high-tech leading edge technology, desiring to
progress your career, you will need to keep your ear attuned to current trends as well as
increase your mobility factor by attending the conference, attending industry seminars,
obtain course credits, and lead a committee or engage in the community in some
significant manner. Progressing your thought and behavior is what enables you to be an
integral factor in moving a company forward.
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Chapter 8 Never Lose Yourself and Purpose
Your primary responsibility is to fulfill your lifes purpose.
Can you name the three most important principles that you live by? Can you name the
three most important things you want to accomplish in life? Can you name the three most
important reasons that you work?
If you cannot answer these three questions then you have not discovered your purpose to
begin fulfilling it. The happiest and most productive workers are workers who feel
fulfilled by their profession.
To discover your purpose, get to know
yourself. What are your strengths and
weaknesses? What activities make you
happy? What do you value the most?
To begin to fulfill your destiny enable
yourself to engage fully in the activities that
you value and enjoy the most. These
activities will strengthen your strong suits
and help you to overcome your weaknesses,
in the domains that have the most value and
It is easy to be derailed fromyour own objective if you make
the objectives of others yourfocal point.
A corporation has its mainobjective, and it is not you.
You are responsible to and foryourself - A primary self-careprovider.
To bridge the gap, it is a bestpractice to negotiate to a win-win situation concerning yourneeds and that of youremployer, your family, your
friends, etc.
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Never Lose Yourself and Purpose
thus, the greatest influence in your life. Reinforced learning makes the mechanics of
knowing your purpose unconscious so that you can fulfill your destiny on a daily basis.
The importance of this is immeasurable, as you may encounter people in your business
and personal life who will attempt to redefine you.
As discussed in Chapter 1: Have an Objective, you must have your own objective or risk
becoming a tool for someone elses objective. This goes hand in hand with knowing and
fulfilling your destiny. If you are lost to yourself then you are not fulfilling your purpose
and are open to becoming solely the tool for someone elses purpose and objective.
Knowing who you are establishes your self-identity for you and for others. It enables you
to know what path is right or wrong for you, so that you may continuously experience the
greatness specifically designated for you.
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Chapter 9 Sustain Professionalism
Professionalism is a mode of existence - a way of being.
A professional is an autonomous being, utilizing their independent judgment to carry out
their professional responsibilities in an ethical
manner. They are socially adaptive,
maintaining extensive networks, engaging,
sharing their knowledge and learning from
others.
A professional being harbors characteristics
such as honor, integrity, respect, altruism,
accountability, responsibility, and
compassion.
Image is another important component of
professionalism. Your first impression is based upon the image you present to others
your dress as well as your verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Well-fitted
clothing, well-groomed hair, well poised with an internal comfort level, and well attuned
ears that allow you communicate successfully will take you a long way.
Professionalism can beappreciated by all rational
human beings.
Professionalism does not meanbeing aloof or persnickety. Itrequires the individual to be
fully engaged; attuned to whothey are as well as receptive to
others.
A professional is sought after
for many reasons; mainlybecause they are perceived as
even-keeled and well-roundedhuman beings.
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Sustain Professionalism
Like it or not, your personal characteristics and physical appearance impact the manner in
which you are perceived; it is human nature therefore, it is beneficial to maximize your
positive attributes.
Highlighting your best attributes, while sustaining professionalism in your attitude and
demeanor, helps to create a positive professional identity that exudes confidence, the
ability to appreciate differences, being known as an expert, as well as being known for
ethical behaviors.
A positive identity facilitates the ability of others to respect you, to trust you, and to trust
in the thoroughness and objectivity of your perspective.
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Chapter 10 Be Prepared to Walk Away
If you are a seasoned veteran, never limit yourself to a title. You have a lifetime of
experience that has provided you with a plethora of knowledge, skills and abilities that
are desired and marketable. Therefore, at any given point in time you should be prepared
to become your own best skills broker.
If you are just starting out, be aware that positions and agendas change often. The skills
and responsibilities for a particular position
may change before you get there or you
may find that you are no longer as
interested in a certain position or field as
you once were.
To overcome either scenario, maintain an
up-to-date resume, utilize your established
networks, and have your project portfolio
available. Also, know how to market
yourself, so that you are never caught off-
guard by downsizing, organizational
flattening, or a change of desired path.
The one thats chosen is theone that is best prepared.
Having served on committees
that make the hiring decision, Ican say that an individuals
passion and preparedness are
two key components in a hiringprocess.
You can have two candidates
with the passion for the work.However, the individual that
also has the preparedness, theflexibility, and the adaptabilityof skills and knowledge base is
the individual that is most
likely to get the job.
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Be Prepared to Walk Away
Know your worth so that you can adequately portray it to others. Below is a sample table
of skills valued throughout the business world. However, the table is not exhaustive and
you should make a personal inventory, so that it is tailored to your unique experience.
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Be Prepared to Walk Away
Leadership
Self , Others, Organizations
Management
Time, People, Projects
Planning
Tasks, Events, Projects
Communications
Written, Verbal, Physical
Initiating New Ideas Team Formation Handling Details Speaking Effectively
Negotiation Team Development Coordinating Listening for Understandin
Coaching Delegating Organizing Clear and Concise Writing
Mentoring Conflict Management Forecasting Express Ideas Clearly
Counseling Meeting Deadlines Goal Setting Facilitation
Translating Policy Change Management Problem Identification Editing
Decision Making Influence/Persuade Problem Solving Presentation Skills
Setting Deadlines Maximizing Productivity Resource Identification Relating to Others
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Chapter 11 Resources
Have an ObjectiveGoal Setting 101: How to Set and Achieve a Goal, Gary Ryan Blair
Make Success Measurable: Workbook for Setting Goals and Taking Action, Douglas K. Smith
Mastering Self-Leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence, Charles Manz
Master the Soft SkillsEmotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman
The 8th Habit, Stephen R. Covey
Maintain Your Work-Life BalanceWork + Life: Finding the Fit Thats Right For You, Cali Williams
Balance Liekability and IntegrityBalancing Personal and Professional Ethics, Sheryl Ankerstar
The Likeability Factor: How to Boost Your L-Factor & Achieve Your Lifes Dream, Tim Sanders
Find a Mentor and CoachFifty Activities for Coaching-Mentoring, Donna Berry
The Complete Guide to Mentoring and Coaching, Leslie McKeown
Coaching and Mentoring Skills, Andrew Dubrin
Coaching, Mentoring & Organizational Consultancy, Peter Hawkins
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Resources
Build and Maintain NetworksBest Practices in Building Your Personal Network, Allan S. Boress
HBR Developing Professional Networks Collection:Click Here
*Get involved with your company, industry, and profession networking opportunities.
Update Your ExpertiseSkill Path Seminars:www.skillpath.com
Career Track:www.careertrack.com
Mind Tools:www.mindtools.com
*Check within your work organization, professional alliances, or local university for other
opportunities.
Never Loose Yourself and PurposeMastering Self-Leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence, Charles Manz
Discover Your Destiny, Charles Stanley
I Dont Know What I Want, But I Know Its Not This: A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding
Gratifying Work, Julie Jansen
Sustain ProfessionalismProfessionalism is For Everyone: Five Keys to Being a True Professional, James Ball
True Professionalism: The Courage to Care about Your People, Your Clients and Your Career,
David H. Maister
http://hbr.org/product/the-developing-professional-networks-collection-2n/an/5882BN-BUN-ENG?Ntt=developing%2520networks%2520collectionhttp://hbr.org/product/the-developing-professional-networks-collection-2n/an/5882BN-BUN-ENG?Ntt=developing%2520networks%2520collectionhttp://hbr.org/product/the-developing-professional-networks-collection-2n/an/5882BN-BUN-ENG?Ntt=developing%2520networks%2520collectionhttp://www.skillpath.com/http://www.skillpath.com/http://www.skillpath.com/http://www.careertrack.com/http://www.careertrack.com/http://www.careertrack.com/http://www.mindtools.com/http://www.mindtools.com/http://www.mindtools.com/http://www.mindtools.com/http://www.careertrack.com/http://www.skillpath.com/http://hbr.org/product/the-developing-professional-networks-collection-2n/an/5882BN-BUN-ENG?Ntt=developing%2520networks%2520collection -
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Resources
The Polished Professional: The Essential Business Style and Etiquette Handbook, National Press
Publications
The New Professional Image: Dress Your Best for Every Business Situation, Susan Bixler
Be Prepared to Walk AwayLinkedIn Labs: Click Here
Successful Career Management: Strategies Beyond Technical Preparation, Robert Donald
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/