from secretary track to fast track: the get ahead guide for administrative assistants, secretaries,...
TRANSCRIPT
title:
FromSecretaryTracktoFastTrack:TheGetAheadGuideforAdministrativeAssistants,Secretaries,OfficeManagers,Receptionists,andEveryoneWhoWantsMore!
author: Lizotte,Ken.;Litwak,BarbaraA.publisher: AMACOMBooks
isbn10|asin: 0814479022printisbn13: 9780814479025ebookisbn13: 9780585040462
language: English
subjectSecretaries--Vocationalguidance,Receptionists--Vocationalguidance,Careerdevelopment.
publicationdate: 1996lcc: HF5547.5.L591996ebddc: 651.3/74/02373
subject:Secretaries--Vocationalguidance,Receptionists--Vocationalguidance,Careerdevelopment.
FromSecretaryTracktoFastTrackTheGetAheadGuideForAdministrativeAssistants,Secretaries,OfficeManagers,Receptionists,and
EveryoneWhoWantsMore!
KenLizotte&BarbaraA.Litwak
amacomAmericanManagementAssociation
NewYorkBostonChicagoKansasCitySanFranciscoWashington,D.C.BrusselsMexicoCityTokyoToronto
Thispublicationisdesignedtoprovideaccurateandauthoritativeinformationinregardtothesubjectmattercovered.Itissoldwiththeunderstandingthatthepublisherisnotengagedinrenderinglegal,accounting,orotherprofessionalservice.Iflegaladviceorotherexpertassistanceisrequired,theservicesofacompetentprofessionalpersonshouldbesought.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Lizotte,Ken.Fromsecretarytracktofasttrack/KenLizotte&BarbaraA.Litwak.p.cm."Thegetaheadguideforadministrativeassistants,secretaries,officemanagers,receptionists,...."Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.ISBN0-8144-7902-2(pbk.)1.SecretariesVocationalguidance.2.ReceptionistsVocationalguidance.3.Careerdevelopment.I.Litwak,BarbaraA.II.Title.HF5547.5.L591996651.3'74'02373dc20[B] 96-2128
CIP
©1996KenLizotteandBarbaraA.LitwakAllrightsreserved.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinwholeorinpart,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofAMACOM,adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,1601Broadway,NewYork,NY
10019.
Printingnumber
1098765432
ToChristie,officemanagerandpoetessextraordinaireK.L.
Toalladminswho'vebeenthereandbackB.A.L.
Pagevii
ContentsAcknowledgments ix
Prologue xi
Introduction:WatchingOurLanguage 1
Chapter1:TrappedinthePink-CollarGhetto 5
Chapter2:ExternalForces,InnerBarriers 24
Chapter3:TheFear-of-FailureGang 40
Chapter4:What'sUniqueAboutYou? 59
Chapter5:WhatCanYouContribute? 79
Chapter6:PositioningYourNewSelfforSuccess 101
Chapter7:CareerTreasureChest 124
Chapter8:MovingOnandMovingUp 145
Chapter9:SettlingIntoNewDigs 165
Epilogue 181
Resources 183
Index 185
Pageix
AcknowledgmentsContrarytomyth,mostbooksspringforthnotfromisolatedsojournsinivorytowersbutfromnitty-grittycollaborationswiththoughtful,generoussupporterswhogiveofthemselves,theirideas,andtheirtimeforthesimplegoodoftheproject.We'dliketoofferallsuchsupportersarousingroundofacknowledgment.We'resincerewhenwesaywecouldinnowayhaveaccomplishedthisbookwithoutyou.
We'dfirstliketoacknowledgethoseadminsandex-adminswhoaregraduatesofourCareerScape®programs:AngelaMaffeo,CarolMcDonough,AnneMarieDangler,CarySchwartz,MaryMiller,andJudyTyler.Weappreciateyourcontinuedenthusiasmfortheworkwedo.
Thanksalsotothoseheroicex-adminswhoagreedtosharewithustheirstories:SophiaSnow,JudyWagner,JessicaLefcourt,SharonCasey,KristinaCavanaugh,GwenChampion,JanetHartford-Hill,MargBalcom,NancyCassesso,RustyStieff,ChantalWeaver,andMarshaMiller.
AcknowledgmentstootoexpertsPaulFalconeandEthelCookforsharingtheirprofessionalobservations,andtoCheriDitschatProfessionalSecretariesInternationalforprovidingPSI'sofficialhistoryofthesecretarialprofession.Also,thankyouLouiseBonar,MartinDuffy,andCatherineRadigundforyourresearchideas.
TothestaffatKatharineGibbsSchools:Weappreciatedyouropeninguptousasweprobedbackgroundinformationforthisbook.KudosespeciallytoVickiValhouliforawonderful,instructive,impromptutouroftheBostonschoolandtotheincomparableSusanMaxinNewYork,whounearthedvaluable
Pagex
historicalmaterialsonKatyherselfwhennooneelseevenknewwheretolook.
Finally,ourheartiestacknowledgmentgoestotheinsightful,delightfulMaryGlenn,oureditor,whosesteadycommandingofthisprojectandunwaveringbeliefinusandourideasspurredusforwardathousandextramiles.Mary,thisbookissomuchthebetterbecauseofthee!
Pagexi
PrologueSomething'sbeengrumblinginsideyouforalongtime.It'snotyourstomach(youjustate!),soyou'rehard-pressedtoknowexactlywhat'sgoingon.Yeteachdaythatgoesby,especiallyeachworkday,itsimpactonyoubecomeshardertodeny.Thisgrumbling,thisgnawingachehasbeengatheringsteamforawhilenow,andyou'vetriedeverythingyoucanthinkoftorelieveit.
"MaybeIjustneedavacation,"yousaidtoyourselfonceuponatime.Thenyoutookoffonagreatone,flewtotheVirginIslands,lolledonthebeaches,wentscubadiving,andconsumedmanyfabulousmeals,whilethesunsetoverthebrilliantturquoiseCaribbeanwatersandstillthatgrumblingthrobbedinsideyouthewholetime.Tendayslateryoureturnedtoyourdesk,seeminglyrefreshed.Buttheachehadn'tgoneaway.
Latelyyou'vebeengazinginwonderatyourcolleaguesaroundyourofficeandthinking,"What'swrongwithme?"Everyoneelsearoundyouactssocontented.Theyallseemveryhappy.Theycomeininthemorning,goabouttheirwork,finishuptheirprojects,headonhome.Noapparentproblems.Whycan'tyoufeellikethat?
How'sYourCareerHealth?
Excuseusforamoment:Mayweplaydoctornow?We'dliketoexamineyour"careerhealth,"ifyoudon'tmind;seeifthere'smedicinetoprescribe.We'lldoourbesttocomeupwithanaccuratediagnosis.Wouldyoumindfillingoutafewinsuranceformsbeforewegetstarted?
Pagexii
Seriously,ifyou'vebeenflirtingwithanyofthedisgruntledfeelingsdescribedhere,takeheart:You'renormal!What'smore,youknowallthose"contented"colleaguesyouseearoundyou,thosepeacefulworkingfolkyouwishyoucouldbealittlemorelike?Well,guesswhat?You'reprobablymorelikethemthanyourealize.Why,wewouldn'tbeabitsurprisediftheyallfeltexactlythewayyoudo.Theyprobablythinkyou'rethemosttranquil,contentedcolleagueinthewholeplace.
Everyoneexperiencesdissatisfactionabouttheirworkfromtimetotime,andoftenthatreallydoesmeanthatagoodvacationisindeedwhat'scalledfor.Alittlebreathingspace,achangeofscenery.Sometimesthat'sreallyallitis.Onceyou'vesatisfiedanurgetotemporarilygetaway,yourlifeandworkreturntonormal.
Othertimes,though,it'smorethanthat.Whena"grumbling"keepsnaggingatyou,dayafterday,monthaftermonth,yearafteryear,thenthingshavegottenserious.Ifyoustayinyourpresentsituationanddenythisinnerache,youriskmental,physical,andemotionalillhealth.Lefttothemselves,unsettlingconditionsinourworklivesrarelyimprove.
Wecanexplorethisfurtherbygivingyouacheckup.Pleaseanswereachofthefollowingquestionsashonestlyaspossible.Sincethey'reallverygeneral,justcheckoffaresponsethatseemsclosesttothetruth.Yourdoctors(us)willreturninaminute.
Yes No
Haveyoubeensleepingwell? ________
Doesyourworkchallengeyou? ________
Doyouenjoythepeopleyouworkwith? ________
Doyoumakeenoughmoney? ________
Doyoufeelwelltreatedbyyourboss? ________
Doyouonlyoccasionallyleaveworkfeelingtakenadvantageof?
________
Doyouonlyoccasionallyleaveworkfeelingemotionallydrained?
________
Canyouidentifygenuineadvancementopportunitieswhereyouwork?
________
Doyoufindyourworkmeaningful? ________
Canyouseeyourselfinthisjobfiveyearsfromnow?
________
Doyoufeelyouaregrowingasapersonasaresultofyourcurrentjob?
________
Doyoulookforwardtogoingtoworkinthemornings?
________
DoyoulookforwardtoMondaymornings? ________
Doyoufeelthatyourbesttalentsarebeingutilized?
________
Doyoufeelthatyou'relistenedtoatwork? ________
Doyoufeelthatyou'regivensufficientcreditforthegoodthingsyoudoatthisjob?
________
Pagexiii
Tableisonpreviouspage.
Howdidyoudo?Didyoucheckmoreyesesormorenoes?Ifyoucheckedmorenoes,we'llhavetolevelwithyou:You'vecontractedaseriouscaseof"admin'sdisease."Yes,that'scorrect-you'renotwell.
Butseriouscareerillnesscan'tbecuredwithvacations,weekends,aslightchangeinworkassignments,oradoseofaspirinorpenicillin.You'retellingyourselfwithallthesenoeslet'ssayfiveormorethatyou'vejustgottomoveon.Movingontowhat,ofcourse,maybethe$64-trillionquestion,butmoveonyoumust.
Solet'sdoit!
Page1
IntroductionWatchingOurLanguageDuringearlyresearchonthisbook,weaskedCarolMcDonough,oneofthegreatexecutiveadministrativeassistantsworkingtoday,howshedefinedherprofession.Carolansweredwithouthesitation:''I'manannyforbigpeople,"shesnapped,bothtwinklingandhintingatexasperationinthesamebreath.Toadministrativeassistants,admins,secretaries,receptionists,officemanagers,fileclerks,andallthemyriadothertermsthatrepresentthosewhotoilawayinthe"pink-collarghetto,"wecouldnowaddperhapsthemostdescriptive(andaccurate)ofallnanny.
Thereareindeedlotsofwaystodescribewhatadministrativepersonneldointheirday-to-dayexertionstosupportbosses,managers,supervisors,presidents,CEOs,andowners(nottomentioncolleagues,vendors,andclientele).It'savast,hard-to-pin-downrole,shiftingwiththesandsoftime,need,urgency,and,justasfrequently,aboss'smood.It'salsoarolethat'sbegunchangingmorethanever,whichiswhyagreeingupononecommonlabelforajobwithsomanyvariationsbecomesallthemoretricky.
Soallowustosettlethematter.Inthisbook,weusetwotermsinterchangeably:administrativeassistantandadmin.Whenusingtheseterms,weembraceeveryonewhoworksinanykindof"support"capacity,includingsecretaries,receptionists,officemanagers,fileclerks,mail-roomassistants,switchboardoperators.Sinceadministrativeassistantcanbeappliedtoeachoftheseprofessionalsinoneformoranother,unlikethemoretradi-
Page2
tional,better-knowncategoryofsecretary,andsinceadministrativeassistanthasevolvedintoatitlemanyfeeloffersmorerespect,we'llstickwithit.
Wecan'tusethesetermsexclusively,however,sincethetermsecretaryasatitlehasn'tcompletelydiedinourlanguagenorshouldit.Whilemanyadminswouldlovetodeep-sixthisterm,conveying,theysay,thestereotypicalimageofaditsy,dictation-taking,gum-popping,typewritingservantgirl,thefactis,there'sstillaplaceforit.Foronething,manyadminsidentifythemselvesassecretaries(orashavingoncebeensecretaries)andseethesecretarialroleasapositive,specializedonethatbusinesscouldneverdowithout.
Foranother,retainingthetermsecretaryinourlanguagestillfeelsnaturaltomanyadmins.Itdoesn'tseemrighttothemtocallthemselvesanythingelse.Sowe'llusesecretarywheneverappropriatetoourdiscussionsandsubstituteadmineverywhereelse.Thoughlanguagechangesovertime,it'sgenerallyalongtime.Wecanwait.
Whileonthematterofexplainingourchoiceoflanguage,wemightalsoelaborateonacoupleofmoreterms.Thetermpinkcollarsprangupduringthe1960sand1970stodescribeadministrativesupportprofessionalsingeneral.Becausesomanywere(andstillare)women,thecolorpinkwaschosen(getit?).Toincludeadminsamongthe"bluecollars"obviouslywouldn'twork,sincebluecollarreferstofactoryworkers(andotherformsofhands-onlabor),whilewhitecollar,thoughthat'showadminshadbeenoriginallylabeled,referstothemostlymaleranksofofficeworkerswithauthoritymanagers,technicaldecisionmakers,financialexperts.ThegrowthinthenumbersofadminsinthebusinessworldsinceWorldWarII,then,beggedforanewname.
We'llalsouse,mosttimes,thepronounssheandhertorefertoadmins,andheandhimtorefertobossesandsupervisors.Wedothis
notoutofmisguidedNeanderthalsexistleaningsorasaconvenientgrammaticaldevicetomakeourworkeasier.Insteadwewantourexaminationofcareerissuesforadminstotakeonareal-lifeflavor.
Theunfortunaterealityoftoday'sworkworldconfrontsuswithunsettlingfacts:While95percentofpink-collarprofession-
Page3
alsarewomen,97percentofsenior-levelmanagersaremen.Thoughmoreandmorewomenrisetomanagementstatuseveryyear,andthoughoverhalfoftoday'sworkforceisfemale,adminsmuststillrememberthatpersonalcareervictorieswillrarelybewoneasily.Acommitmenttochangeonlybeginstheprocess,whilefightingagainsttheoddscouldabsorb99percentoftherest.Soknowwhatyou'reupagainstbykeepingyourfocusonreal-worldconditions.Inthatway,we'llbestprepareyoutowin.
Youcanescapethepink-collarghetto.Youcanforgeacareerlifethat'sexactlythewayyouwantit.Solistentothelessons,insights,advice,andwisdomyou'llfindintheadmin.successstorieswereportinthisbook.Thengooutandapplythemtotheobstaclesinyourpath.Everyadminmentionedorprofiledherehasabitofcareeradvancementwisdomtoimpart.Besureyousavoreverymorsel.
Page5
1TrappedinthePink-CollarGhettoShallwestartoffwithalittlequiz?Don'tpanic;there'snocauseforalarm.Justthinkofthisasawarm-up.We'regoingtobelookingatyourlifeasanadminfromeveryperspectiveimaginable,sowethoughtwemightbeginbyclarifyingwhatanadmin(likeyou)reallydoes.
Sometimeswetakeourrealityforgranted,especiallywhenthingsgetnegativeorunsatisfying.Youprobablypickedupthisbookbecauseyou'refeelingreadytomoveon,insomewayorother.We'llassumethatstayingwhereyouarewilllikelyleadtobigfeelingsofstagnationandmeaninglessnessaboutyourwork(oryourlife),ifithasn'talready.Inthatframeofmind,then,itwouldbeeasytodismisseverythingyou'veaccomplishedorcurrentlydo,asiftheyhavenovalueinthemarketplace.
Ofcourse,youwouldbewrong.
So,aswebeginouradventure,let'sconsiderwhatadminsreallydo:Howdoyouoperate?Whomdoyouworkfor?Whatdoyouhavetodealwith?Whatdoyouroutinelyachieve?
Evaluateeachofthethreefollowingscenesonthebasisofyourpersonalknowledgeandexperiencesasanadmin.Whichscenesseemrealtoyou?Whichsoundmadeuporimprobable?Whenyou'vefinishedevaluatingallthree,we'llexploretheimplicationsofyourthoughts.
Scene1
Martafeelslikeasittingduck.Fromherdesk,shecanseeallsixof
herbosses'officesatonce.What'smore,eachcanseeherassoon
Page6
ashewalksoutofhisoffice.Thatmeansthatnosoonerdoesonebossdropafileonherdeskforhertotypethanasecondcomeshustlingoutherwaywithalonglistofphonecallsforhertomake.
Andwhendoesallthisneedtobedone?ASAP,ofcourse!
Youcanimaginetherest.Martawishesthatbossnumberonehadhungaroundlongenoughtotellherifhewantedhisdocumenttypedonletterheadorenteredintothecomputer(orboth),andwhetherheneededjustonecopyforhimselforwantedhertodistributeittosomeoneelseinthecompany."Questions,questions,"shesighs.
Thenshelooksatbossnumbertwo'slistofnamesandphonenumbers."OK,"shethinks,"I'llcallthem."Onlyquestionhereis,''WhatamIcallingtotellthem?"Butbossnumbertwoislonggonetoanappointmentoutofthebuilding.
Thejob'sonlysavinggraceisbossnumberthree.OfthesixmalemanagersMartareportsto,he'stheonlyonewhoregularlygreetsherbynameandaskspolitelyifshehastimetodothistaskorthat.Heevenwaitsaroundtoansweranyquestionsshemayhaveaboutwhathewantshertodo.
Andgetthiswhenevershedoesanythingatallforhim,reallytrulyanything,heflashesaboyishthoughquitegenuinegrinandleavesherwithanenthusiastic"Splendid!"
Rating:OnascaleofI(least)to10(most),howrealdoesthissceneseemtoyou?
Yourrating:[]
Howdoesitinvokeyourownexperienceasanadmin?Haveyoueverheardofasimilarscenefromanyofyouradmincolleagues?Haveyoueverhadajoblikethis?Makeafewnotesheresummarizingyourthoughts:
Page7
Scene2
Evalikensherdaysasanadminforalargeinsurancecompanytoacomicstripsheoncesaw:Onecharacterispeeringoverthetopofhiscubicletryingtogettheattentionofanothercharacterthreecubiclesdown.Oncehedoes,heasks,"Hey,areyounewaroundhere?"Then:"Whatchainfor?"
Evaknowsthefeeling.Workingatthatinsurancecompanyhadfeltlikeaprisonsentencetoo.They'dcrammedherinsideatight,poorlylit,graycubicleandinstructedhertocollateandstapleinsuranceformsallday.Oneafteranother,houraftermind-numbinghour,Evacheckedoffinredpencilalittleboxatthetopofpage1ofeachset(toindicatethatshe'dhandledandstapledtheset).Thenshefilledcardboardboxeswiththecompletedsetsandfiledthecontentstwiceeachdaysomewherewithinahigh,widebankofpalegreenfilecabinetsattheendofalongcorridorborderedbymoretight,graycubicleswithadminsinsidedoingjustwhatshewasdoing.
"Whatchainfor?"indeed!Sheremembersstayingsaneonlybyconstantlydaydreamingabouthowtobreakout.
Rating:Onascaleof1(least)to10(most),howrealdoesthissceneseemtoyou?
Yourrating:[]
Howdoesitinvokeyourownexperienceasanadmin?Haveyoueverheardofasimilarscenefromanyofyouradmincolleagues?Haveyoueverhadajoblikethis?Makeafewnotesheresummarizingyourthoughts:
Page8
Scene3
Wheninterviewingforapositionasanexecutivesecretary,Gwenfindsherselfalittlebewildered.Themaninterviewingherappearsunusually...well,"human"!Formorethannineyearsshe'sworkedforfourothermanagers,noneofwhom,exceptontherarestofdays,haveeveractedasiftheycaredonewhirabouthowshewasdoing.Butthismanseemsdifferent.
"Howdoyouseeyourselfdoingthisjob?"heasks."Howhaveyouhandledsimilarjobs[orsimilartasks]inthepast?Whatkindofresourcesmightyouneedtodoyourworkwellhere?HowmightIassistyou?"
Therearemorepersonalizedprofessionalquestionstoo:"Howdoyouseeyourfuture?Tellmeaboutyourprofessionalgoals.Howcouldworkinghereadvanceyoualongyourcareerpath?"
ThisprospectiveemployerseemsimpressedthatshehasanMBAandisnotatallconcernedthatshemaybeoverqualified."1preferworkingwithsomeonewhowantstomoveuptheladder,"heexplains."YourMBAshowsthatyou'vegotgoalsforyourself,thatyoutakeprideinyourwork.Whenwethinkthatway,werealizethatonlybydoingasuperjobwillweadvancetothenextstep."
Gwencan'tbelievethis.Hewantstobebothabossandamentor?Theremustbeacatch.HerconfusioncontinueswhenhepointstohisRolodexandsays,"Anynameandphonenumberyoufindinthereisyours."
Gwen'sfears,however,provegroundless.Threemonthsintothenewjob,sheseesthathernewbossmeansexactlywhathesaidduringherjobinterview.Withhishelpandhisblessing,shemovesontoahigherpositionintheorganizationwithintheyear.
Rating:Onascaleof1(least)to10(most),howrealdoesthissceneseemtoyou?
Yourrating:[]
Howdoesitinvokeyourownexperienceasanadmin?Haveyoueverheardofasimilarscenefromanyofyouradmincolleagues?Haveyoueverhadanexperiencelikethis?Makeafewnotesonthenextpagesummarizingyourthoughts:
Page9
Andnowforsomeanswers.DidyouguessthatMarta'sscenewasarealone?Ifyoudid,youguessedright!DidyoufeelthatEva'sscenecouldreallyhappen?Rightagain!HowaboutGwen'sexperience?Noway,right?Howcouldabossbesosupportive?Butmaybeyouactuallyhaveencounteredsomeonelikethis,inwhichcaseyoumayhaveratedScene3asaprobablescenario.Ifso,youguessedcorrectlyonceagain!
Allthreeofthesescenesactuallyhappened.Howdoweknow?Canweproveit,youaskskeptically.Yes,wecertainlycanbecauseallthreehappenedtooneofyourfaithfulco-authors,BarbaraA.Litwak.
InBarbara'sownwords:
"Beinganadmincanrunthegamut,fromtheworst,bottom-of-the-barreltypeexperiencetoonethatbringsyougreatrespectandsatisfaction.Muchdependsonwhomyouworkfor.Evenmore,though,maydependonyourself-image.Doyoubelievethatyoucanhavewhatyouwantinlife,thatit'sOK,thatit'spossible?Isawlotsofadminsalongthewaywhoheldthemselvesbackbynotsettinggoalsandactingonthem.OnceIfoundabosswhowaswillingtobemymentor,Iwasonmyway.ButonlybecauseI'dpreparedforhim."
Canyouuseyourexperienceasanadministrativeassistanttoguideyoutobiggerandbetterthings?Canyouuseadminworkasaspringboardforgettinganewcareerofftheground?Canyouactuallylocateabosswhowillreallyhelpyouadvanceyourgoals?
Barbaradid.Manyotheradminswe'vespokentoduringourresearchforthisbookhavedoneittoo.Manyoftheadmins
Page10
thathavecometothecareerseminarswe'vehostedovertheyearshavedoneitaswell.Andmany,manymorestorieswecomeacrossinthemediaorincasualconversationproveit'spossibleforyoualso.
Thoughyourbossandothersatyourplaceofworkmaywanttolookuponyouas"justanadmin"or"justasecretary,"andevenifpeoplekeepadvisingyoutoforgetaboutadvancing,thatyou'velandedinthefinalstationofyourprofessionalworklifeandthatyoumightaswellacceptit,you'regoingtobehearingverydifferentmessageshere.Andthegoodnewsis,weknowwhatwe'retalkingabout.
Wecanalwayschangeanythingthat'shappeninginourlivesbecausewecomeintothisworldaspowerful,talented,fullycreativehumanbeings.Nowwe'renotjustsayingthistothrowinalittletouchy-feelyhereortokissuptoyoujustbecauseyou'veplunkeddownafewdollarsforthisbook!Uhuh,we'resayingitbecauseit'strue.Infact,theonlydifferencebetweenyouandtheadminsyou'llfindprofiledinthisbookisthis:Despitesufferingmanyoftheemotionsyouprobablyfeelnowfear,doubts,frustrations,confusiontheystayedwiththefightlongenoughtoattaintheirdreams.
Maybeyou'rejustgettingstartedinthisprocess.Ormaybeyou'vebeenworkingonyourcareeradvancementforawhileandyou'verecentlybeenfeelingdiscouraged.Maybeyou'vesloweddownabit,lostsomemomentum.Youmayevenhavetoldsomeonesomethinglike,"I'mnevergoingtogetoutofthisjob;it'stoohard.NobodywantsmebecauseallIknowisadministrativework.I'mtrappedhere."
Wehopethatwhoeverlistenedtoyourdrivelcaredaboutyouenoughtoretort,"Stopwhining,willya?Youcanbeanythingyoudarnwellwanttobe.Justdustyourselfoffandkeepgoin'.There'sgoldinthemthar'hills!"
Alltoooften,however,that'snotwhatwehear.(Whosays"thar'"thesedays,anyway?)Morelikely,yourfriendorspousecompliedalittletooquicklyandatadtooobsequiouslywithyoursentiments,mutteringsomethinglike,"Well,you'reprobablyright.Itreallyishardtomakeamovethesedays.Maybeyououghttojuststaywhereyouare.Thingsmightgetbettersomeday."
Page11
Well,aswe'vesaid,youwon'thearthatsortofthingfromus.Insteadlet'sworktogetherheretoguideyoutohigherlevelsofbothyourcareerlifeandday-to-dayattitudesinyourpersonallife.We'llleadyouthroughaprocessthatcankeepyoufresh,vibrant,andconstantlyintunewithyourwantsandneeds.You'llbecomemoreconfidentthaneverbefore,andyou'llneveragainneedtoreturntoyourpresentlifeasanadministrativeassistantunlessyouwantto.Fromthispointon,yourcareerbecomesafunctionofyourpersonalchoices.
StartingPoint:R-E-S-P-E-C-T
It'seasytofallintothepink-collartrapthatsocietyhassetforyou.Thistraphasbeenconsolidatingitsstrengthforalong,longtime.Youmayhaveinnocentlysetyourfootinsideitsometimeinyourpast,andsincethenitsclampshaveslammedshut.
What'sthepink-collartrap?Justthatthegreatworkyoudodoesn'tneedtobeevenacknowledgedbecausejustanybodycoulddoit,afterall.Youadminsarereallynothingspecialyou'redispensable,farlessvaluablethaneveryonearoundyou.Youcanbereplaced,inaheartbeat.InthewordsofRodneyDan-gerfield,youquitesimply"don'tgetnorespect."
Butrespectisanecessity,especiallyifyou'replanningtoturnyourselfinsideoutandmakeamajorcareermove.Otherwise,youbeginbelievingthat(1)youdon'tdeserveafabulouscareerlife,and(2)theknowledgeandexpertiseyou'vedevelopedduringyouradminyearsaren'tallthatspecial.Youthenstartdevaluingyourselfanddisbelievingyoucanevermakesuchachange.Andthatonlybuysyouaone-waytickettoNo-wheresville.
Interestingly,thehistoricalfactssurroundingtheadminprofessionsuggestotherscenarios.Admin/secretarialworkoriginallyenjoyedthehighestlevelsofrespectandprestigeintheheadyearlydaysofthe
professionwhenmostlymenworkedasadmins.Notuntilwomenbeganpopulatingthemajorityofadminsituationsdidsocietalattitudestowardtheprofessionshiftdownward.Onlythendidtheprofessionbecometreatedassomethingjustaboutanyonecoulddo.Surprised?Usneither.
Page12
Let'sstepintoatimemachineforamomentandtakealookathowthisallcameabout.Youmayfinditinstructivetolearnthatthere'samuchlargerdynamicswirlingaboutyouthansimplyindividuals'attitudestowardyoupersonally.Bysizingupthesubtleadversitiesyou'vebeenexpectedtoendure,youmayrecognizethatyou'vegotalotmoregoingforyouthanevenmanyhigher-paid,better-respected(mostlymale)coworkers.
Mommy,WhereDoAdminsComeFrom?
DidyouknowthatinAfricathereexistsanelegant,long-leggedwhitebirdwithmagnificent,floweryplumagethatspendsitsdaysstruttingaboutgrasslandsandmeadowswhilepatientlysearchingoutitsprey?Didyouknowthatthissleek,agile,exoticbirdcanwardoffannoyingirritants(snakes,smallbirds,flyinginsects)withquick,expertflicksofitswings?"Hmmm,veryinteresting,KenandBarbara,"wehearyousaying,"butwhattheheck'sallthisgottodowithme?"
Onlythatthisbirdhaslong,elegantcrestfeathersthatstickoutfromthebackofitshead,andremindednineteenth-centuryexplorersoftheofficeclerksandpersonalsecretariestheyknewbackinMerryOldEnglandwhousedtoabsentmindedlypokequillpensbehindtheirearsastheysearchedforanotherkindofpreydocuments,files,letters.Andtheseearliestadministrativeassistantsalsobecameadeptatwavingoffirritantsthemanyunwantedvisitorsandsolicitorsseekingaudienceswiththeirbusymasters.Flick,fliptheadmin'sauthoritativehandsandarmsshooedthemaway."Begonewithyounow!Mastercan'tseeyou."
Itwasnatural,then,fortheseEnglishexplorerstodubthisdetermined,skillful,andexquisitejunglefowlthe"secretarybird."
Tous,agoodadminparallelstheAfricansecretarybirdinacoupleofothersignificantwaysaswell.Nomatterwhatconditionsyou
encounterasyoubeginyourworkday,whetherit'ssixbossestossingdocumentsatyousimultaneouslyorirritatingintrudersslitheringintoorflutteringaboutyourreception
Page13
lobby,youprobablyroutinelyhandleitallwiththesamepatient,competentgraceasthesecretarybird.
And,it'sagoodbettheworldpaysyourexcellentworklittlenotice.Hadyou,forexample,everheardofthesecretarybirdbefore?Wehadn't.Butthinkaboutit:It'sbeenoutthereontheAfricanplainsallalong,quietlytakingcareofbusiness.Andwithanairofprofessionalismandbearingsecondtonone.
Yettheprofessionhasn'talwaysbeenthusignored.Backwhenmostlymenservedasadmins,societypaidmuchmoreattention.Infact,earlymaleadminsandsecretariesdrewnotonlyotherfolks'respectbuttheirenvy.Itwasagood,cleanjobthatgotoneoutofthefactory,anditrequiredacertainintelligenceandeducation(muchreading,writing,andarithmetic).Comparedtotoday'swages,anadmin'ssalarywasprettygoodtooamancouldactuallyraiseafamilydoingthisjob!We'dguessallthistranslatedintofarsturdierself-imagesthanmostadminsharbortoday.
ThewordsecretaryitselfderivesoriginallyfromtheLatinsecretum,meaning"secret."Theearliestsecretariesandadministrativeassistants,trueconfidantstotheirbosses,recordedorobservedallamaster'sthoughts,wisdom,needs,anddesires."Asaffairsofcommerceandtradeexpanded,"notesProfessionalSecretariesInternational(PSI),theAssociationforOfficeProfessionals initsofficialhistoryoftheadminprofession(publishedinTheSecretarymagazine),"menofwealthandpowerhadneedofsecretaries(confidantsortrustedagents)tokingsandotherrulers,astheyhandledtheircorrespondenceonprivateorsecretmatters,particularlymattersofstate."Translation:Itwasaprettyimportantandhigh-classjob!
Throughouttheages,secretariesandadministrativeassistantshaveshownupeverywhereattherightarmsofemperorsinRome,kings
andqueensoftheRenaissance,ministersandpresidentstoday.Butitwastheriseofexpandingindustriesandworldwidecommercethatreallyspawnedthewidespreadneedforadmins.Notuntilthendiddutifulrecord-keepingandregularbusinesscorrespondencebecomesuchacriticalbusinessfunctionforeveryone.
Page14
FromWhitetoPink
Inthelatenineteenthcentury,however,theprofessionofadministrativeassistancebeganfallingfromgrace.Aslongasmenheldthesepositions,peoplethoughtofprofessionaladminsassmart,cleverindividualswhohadescapedthegrungeandrigorsoffactoryorfarmworkviatheirobviouslysuperiorintellects.Whenwomenenteredtheranks,however,theadminpedestaltoppledover.
Withurbanindustrialsocietyexpandingatasteadyclip,moreandmoremanagementslotsopenedup,whichonlyexperiencedmaleadmin"whitecollars"seemedqualifiedtofill.Howthentofillthemanynewlyvacantadminslots?Onlyonesolutionlookedpractical:Unlockthekitchendoorsandletoutthewomen.Tomaintainthebalanceofpowerbetweenthesexes(andtokeepexpensesdown!),thisofcoursemightmeanredefiningthevalueoftheworkitself.Buttheworkhadtobedonebysomeone:Thatmuchwasclear.
Atthesametime,newmechanicalinventionsintroducedanaddedwrinkle,specificallyintheformofRemington'sfirst"writingmachine."Indeed,thesightoften,twenty,fiftyprofessional"typewriters,"asthewomenthemselveswereinitiallycalled,sittingatsmalldeskslinedupneatlyinbigfactory-likeofficeroomsandclackingawayonthesestrange,black,bulkynewmachinesmusthavesealedtheadmin'sdoom.Adminmassproductionhadarrived,andeveryfacewasfemale.Thejobnolongerseemedsospecial.
"Aswomenenteredofficestoperformtheoncecovetedroleofsecretary,"thePSIhistoricalsheetexplains,"itbecameoneofgrowingdisdain.Theylaboredthesamelonghoursasmenatconsiderablylesspay.Fewreceivedrecognitionandpromotion.[This]massenduredaroleofservitudewithloyalty,whileperfectingtheirshorthand,transcriptionandtypingskills."
TheKatyGibbsRevolution
By1900theoncemale-onlybastionofadministrativeassistancehadbecomethedomainofwomen.Businessschoolsteaching
Page15
thesecretarial"arts"hadsprunguparoundthecountry,manywith"forwomen"attachedtotheirprincipaltitle.Demandgrew.Somanycompaniesclamoredfortrained,knowledgeable"type-writinggirls"thatdespiteitsnewlysubservientstatus,thejobhadbecomeanindispensablecomponentoftheindustrialorganizational"machine.''
Aboutthesametime,KatharineGibbs,aRhodeIslandwidowstrugglingtofindwaystofeedherchildren,gotanidea.Whynotstartabusinesscollegeforwomenthatemphasizednotonlybusinessskillsliketypinganddictationbutalsopolishedprofessionalattitudes?Wouldn'tpersonalassistantsandsecretariesincreasetheirvaluetoemployersiftheyprojectedsophisticatedcommunicationskillsandfinemanners?Accomplishingthat,mightn'tthe"type-writinggirl"thenbeelevatedtotrueprofessionalstatusviaherobviouscommitmenttoworkexcellenceandprideinherself?
In.1911,Mrs.Gibbsopenedthefirstdoortoher"businessfinishingschool"forwomeninProvidence.HerideaapparentlyfitthetimesbecausethenextfewyearswouldseeheropenbranchesofhercollegeinNewYorkCityandBoston.TheKatharineGibbsSchooltoday(or"KatyGibbs,"asitsgraduatesaffectionatelycallit)nowoperatesinsevenlocationsontheEastCoastandisperhapsthecountry'sbest-known,short-termsecretarialschool.
OutWiththeOld,InWiththeNew
KatyGibbsintroducedintothenewlyevolvingstructuresofthebusinessworldanopportunityforthelegionsof"type-writinggirls"toenjoyindividualrecognitionanddignity.Nolongerdidtheadministrativeassistantsofherdayneedtoseethemselvesasfacelesshandmaidensorashumanversionsofmachines.Theycouldnowemergefromobscuritywithsmarterwaysofdoingthings,agenuinedesiretohelptheiremployersgrow,andaloyaltytowardgettingthe
jobdonenomatterwhat.Inshort,nolongerdidanywomanhavetoconsiderherself"onlyasecretary."
Butoldideasdiehard.Today,thoughmoreandmoread-
Page16
minsinsistoncallingthemselves(andbeingcalled)administrativeassistants(asopposedtosecretariesorclerks),manystillretainlowprofessionalself-images.Thesenseoflaboringinapink-collarghettoleavesmanyadminswithadispiritingsensethattheonlywayoutisthrougheithermarriageorretirement.Thebarriersaretooformidable,high,andimpenetrable.
Fortunately,thefactsdonotsupportcriesofdoomanddespondence.Therereallyarelotsofoptions.Thekeytoknowingthisliesinyourattitude.
AttitudeExam
Timeforanotherquiz,everyone!Thistimewe'regoingtogaugetheawesomepowersofyour"attitude."Asin:Whatdoyoubelieveaboutyourchancesforsuccess?Howdoyouperceiveyourpotential?Whatkindofcreditdoyougiveyourself?
Let'sstartbysurveyingtypicallamentsoftenutteredbyyourcolleagues.Theselamentsarecompositesofthemany,manywehaveheardinourcareerprogramsthroughouttheyears.Whatdoyounoticeaboutthem?Doyourecognizeanycommonthemes?
Thinkabouthowyoumightrespondtoeachlamentshouldthelamenterbegyouforananswer.Whatadvicewouldyougive?Wouldyoutake(andutilize)thissameadviceyourself?
Wilma:"I'monlyasecretary,see?Theycallmeanadministrativeassistant,butI'mnot.I'masecretary.WhatelsecanIdo,anyway?It'sallIknow."
Corinne:"Ionceappliedforanotherjobinsidethecompany.Whenmybossheardaboutit,hehittheroof.'Howcouldyoudothistome?'hesaid.'YouknowhowmuchIneedyouhere!'Ifeltawful."
Bobbi:"WheneverIgooutwithmyfriendswhoarealsoadmins,alltheywanttotalkaboutismen,parties,outfits.I'dreallyliketomoveupinthiscompanyanddosomethingelse,likeworkinmarketingorsales,butIjustdon'tknowhow.Noneofmyfriendshaveanyambitions."
Page17
Edna:"Iaskedpersonneliftheycouldhelpmefindapositionwithmoreresponsibilityandchallenge.Theygavemeaskillsinventorytestandyouknowwhatitshowed?MyskillsandexperiencequalifymeforexactlywhatIdonowansweringthephones,greetingvisitors,andtyping.That'sallIam!ThepersonneldirectortoldmeifIwantedtoqualifyforsomethingelseI'dhavetogobacktoschool.Well,Idon'tknowifIwanttogobacktoschool."
Whatdidyounotice?Didyoucatchanythemes?Howwouldyoureacttoanyofthesestatementsiftheywerebroughttoyou?Whatactionswouldyousuggest?Whatattitudesdoyoufeelneedtochange?
Onthelinesbelow,jotdownafewofyourreactionstotheselaments.Includeadviceyou'dgiveeachlamenter.Afteryou'redone,we'llletyouseeours.Butdon'tlookaheadtocheckoutour"right"answers.We'renotyourteacherhereasmuchasyourguide.Therereallyaren'tany"right"answers.We'rejustexploringasmanyavenuesaswecantoextractyoufromthepink-collarghetto.Therearemany,manywaystodoit.
"____."
ResponsetoWilma: "
ResponsetoCorinne: "
ResponsetoBobbi: "
Page18
ResponsetoEdna: "
ReactionsFromtheHomeOffice
Toomanyadminssitthemselvesdowninsideboxesoftheirownconstructionandrefusetoclimbout.Thoughitoftenseemslogicaltosupposethatyou'retrappedinaprofessionalrolebecauseofskillsandexperience,inourexperienceit'sneverso.Why,we'vemetgrownmenandwomenofeveryprofessionalstripewhosuccumbtowhatwecall"self-entrapment,"thoughinadmins,becauseofthesubtlediscouragementswe'vetalkedabout,negativeself-beliefsoftenrundeepestofall.
Ourgeneralreactiontothesestatementsisthis:Stopwhining!Itwas,afterall,yourchoicethatbroughtyoutoadminworkinthefirstplace.Itwillbeyourchoice(oraseriesofchoices)thatwillgetyouawayfromit.Sostopactingasiflifewereimpossible.
Onethemethatrunsthroughallthesestatementsishelplessness.Wilmais"only"asecretaryandshecan'tdoanythingaboutit.Corinnecannevermoveonbecauseherbossdoesn'tapprove.Bobbi'sfriendshavenoambitionandwon'tlethertalkaboutthingsthatmattertoher.Ednahasnoskillsthatqualifyherforanyotherkindofwork.Everyoneseemstobeparaphrasingawell-knownlineofOliverHardy's:"Whywon'tsomeonedosomethingtohelpme?"
Oursuggestion?Admin,helpthyself!That'sitinanutshell,andonceagainitcomesbacktoouroldfriendattitude.Ifyoucanconceiveitandyoubelieveit,youcanachieveit.It'sgottostartwithyou,though,rightinsideyourlittleol'head.
insideyourlittleol'head.
Page19
OurSpecificPrescriptions
Here'showwewouldreacttotheseadmits'laments:
ResponsetoWilma:"Bycallingyouanadministrativeassistantandnotasecretary,they'regivingyouanopening.Wilma,thisisabeginning,achancetodefineyourselfassomethingmore.Takeit,takeit!However,ratherthanwaitforotherstofleshoutanewjobdescription,startthinkingaboutwhatyou'dliketodoyourself.Whatprojectswouldyouliketotackle?Whatskillswouldyouliketoaddtoyourrepertoire?
"Byrestructuringyourjobdefinition(andskillset),you'llinitiateapersonalassessmentofyourinterestsandsetnewprofessionalgoals."
ResponsetoCorinne:"Understandthisyourresponsibilityinlifecanneverbetosubvertyourownintereststoyourcurrentboss'sapproval(ordisapproval).Sowhatifhedoesn'tliketheideaofyourmovingon?He'llgetoverit!
"Whileitwouldhavebeenhelpfultogethisapprovalforstrategicreasons,itmaybetoolatenow.Sogoonwithouthim;don'tgiveuponyourplans.Startlayingthegroundworkforsomeonetoreplaceyou.Youmighttrytoexplaintohimyourneedtomoveon,butifhewon'tlistenjustkeepmakingcontactsandlookingforotheropenings.Youmayhavetolookoutsideyourcompany,it'strue,butwhateveryoudo,keeplooking!
"Intheend,everybody(includingyourboss)willbethehappierforit."
ResponsetoBobbi:"Whenyou'reoutwithyourfriendsandcolleagues,injecttopicsofinteresttoyouintotheconversation.Insistonequaltime.Ifthatdoesn'twork,it'stimetogoandfindsomenewfriends.
"Youchosethefriendsyounowhaveonceuponatimeandyoucanunchoosethemifthereasonsforhavingtheminyourlifehavepassed.Ifthey'renolongermeetingyourneeds,oryouwanttoaddnewcolleaguesandfriendsthatbettermeetyourinterestsandneeds,gotoit!There'snoexcuseforstayingboredandstagnant."
ResponsetoEdna:"OK,maybeyoureallydon'twanttogobacktoschoolrightnow,butthatmaybebecauseyouhaven't
Page20
developedthepassiontodoso.Forgetwhatthoseteststellyou.Justanswerthisonequestion:Whatdoyouwanttodowiththenextphaseofyourworklife?Yes,that'sthequestion:Whatdoyouwant?
"Manyoftheskillsyouusetodaycanbetransferredtootherjobs,othercareers,otheremployers.Maybeyouevenwanttogointobusinessforyourself.Whatworkdoyouseeothersdoingthatlookslikefun?Startmakingalistandaskingyourselfwhatskillsthesefolksemploythatyoualsoutilizeinyourwork.Somethinglikethatcouldopenyoureyes."
HelpIsontheWay
Bypickingupthisbookandstartingtoreadit,you'vemadeyourselfacareercommitment.You'vedecidedtochangeyourlife.Whetheryou'vebeenfantasizingaboutgettingpromoted,movinglaterallytoanewdepartment,changingyourcareer,quittingyourpresentjobwhatever!somethinginsideyouhasbeguncounselingyouthatyoucandoit.
We'vetalkedalotaboutattitudesinthisfirstchapter.Whileit'struethatexternalforceswillthrowtroublingobstaclesinthewayofourhopesanddreams,knowalsothatonlyyourowninnerbarrierscantrulystandinyourway.Overcomethesebarriersandnothingcanstopyou.LikeourfriendtheAfricansecretarybird,keeponsearching,searching,searchingforwhatyouwantwhileflickingawayirritantswithawaveofyourwing.
HowConfidentAreYou?
Haveyoubeenlettingtoomanyinnerbarriersstandinthewayofyoursuccess?Doyoutendtoyieldtoomuchpowertoexternalforces?Doyoudelaypersonalcareervictorybylivingoffexcuses?
Intheaccompanyingworksheet,let'stakeareadoutofyour"positive
self-belief"thatis,yourlevelofself-confidenceaboutyourchancesfortruecareeradvancement.
Pleasescorethefollowingstatementsusingthescalebelow:
1.Dreamingofabetterlifewillgetyounowhere.
____
2.YoucanfightCityHall. ____
3.Televisionisavastwasteland. ____
4.ThechancesoffindingajobIreallywouldenjoyareveryunlikely.
____
5.Therearenodecentmoviesaroundanymore. ____
6.I'mnotreallyacreativeperson. ____
7.Lendingmoneytofriendsusuallyendsintrouble.
____
8.Copsareneveraroundwhenyouneedthem. ____
9.Peopledonotunderstandme. ____
10.Theworldismyoyster! ____
Total
Scoring:Giveyourselftwopointsifyoumarkedan8orhigheronquestions1,3,4,5,6,7,8,and9,onepointifyoumarkeda4,5,6,or7onthesequestions,andnopointsifyoumarkeda3orlower.
Giveyourselftwopointsifyoumarkeda3orloweronquestions2and10,onepointifyoumarkeda4,5,6,or7onthesequestions,andnopointsifyoumarkedan8orhigher.
Nowtotalallyourscores.
Howdidyoudo?Didyouscore20?Ifso,youscoredbig!That'saperfectscore,anditmeansyouabsolutely,no-question-about-it,couldn'tbemoreofapositivethinkerifyoutried.You'reoptimistic,youbelieveinyourabilitytoeffectchange,andyou'vegotyourbarriersincheckoryou'reconstantlyworkingonthem.It'sunlikelythatyoulet
yourselffeelvictimizedforanygreatlengthoftime.
Noteofcaution:Doesthismeanthatyouneverhavetoworkonyourbarriers,thateverythingcomeseasytoyou?Probablynot.Morelikelyyouhavetoworkonyourinnerbarriersthesameaseveryoneelse.Butyouprobablygiveyourselfeffective
Page22
innersignalstomakeyoureffortsateradicatingyourbarrierspayoff.You'vedecidedinyourheadthatyoucandoit.
Ifyouscored15to19,you'reonyourwaytoheaven,althoughyou'renotquitethereyet.Youprobablyknowthatyou'vegottokeepwatchonyourselfsoyoudon'tstrayfromthepath.Wesuggestperiodicallyaskingyourselfthesequestions:WhichinnerbarriersdoImostwanttogetridof?Whichgivemethemosttrouble?WhatsolutionscanIthinkoftokeepthemincheck?
Ascoreof8to14meansyouhavesomeworktodo.Theremaybeabuginyourearthatkeepswhisperingsomethinglikethis:"Nomatterwhatyoudo,youcanprobablynevermakeit.You'vegottoomuchgoingagainstyou.Whatintarnationevermadeyouthinkyoucouldbetteryourlifeanyway?Forgetaboutallthis,OK?It'snotinthecards."
Foryou,it'stimetosetfreethatwild,never-say-diesecretarybirdthatlivesinsideyou!Gofindwhatyouwantandflickawayallthenaysayingthatgetsinyourway.Putthisbookdownforamomentandbeginflappingthosepowerful,elegantsecretarybirdwings.Goahead,dowhatwetellyou.We'llwait.(Flap,flap,flap.)
Nowthen,didn'tthatfeelwonderful?Practiceyourwingflappingthroughouteachandeveryday.Practiceitespeciallyatwork.Itwillmakeyoustronger.
Didweleaveanybodyout?Oh,yousayyouscoredlessthan8?Well,then,you'vegotalotofworktodo!Butfearnot;youwon'tbegoingthishardroadalone.Afterall,youdidbuythisbook!
Trustuswhenwetellyouthis,andthisgoesforeveryone:You'vegotgreatnessinsideofyou,andyou'reabouttodisplayit.You'reembarkingonagreatadventurethatwilltakeyoutoabravenewworld.
Nameofex-admin:JudyTyler
Currently:AdvertisingaccountexecutiveforPremierBridemagazine,sellingadspace,establishingandmanagingdistribution,andimplementingmarketingservicesforclientadvertisers
Page23
Adminskillsusedtoday:Meetingplanning,managementandleadership,andpeopleandtelephoneskills
Howchangewasmade:"SomethinginsidemealwaystoldmeIwantedtobeinmarketingandsales.IusedtoseeotherpeopleinthecompaniesIworkedintravelingandmakingdecisions,andI'dthink,'Icandothat.'
"SoIwentbacktoschoolforamarketingdegree.ThenIfoundamentorwhoencouragedmetokeepstudyingandtolookforopportunitiesthatmatteredtome.AboutthetimeIfinishedmybachelor's,Igothiredtomyfirstnon-adminposition,asaprintspecialistinproductionatalargehigh-techfirm.FromthereIwentontomarketingandmanagementpositions."
Bestadviceforadmins:"Visibilityisakeything.Takeadvantageofeveryopportunitytogetasmuchoutfrontasyoucan.Vendorsandcustomersyou'veworkedwitharefabulousnetworkingopportunities.Chairingmeetingsandgettinginvolvedincommitteesletpeoplegettoknowhowgoodyouare.
"Also,gobacktoschool!AfterIfinishedmybachelor's,IproudlyannouncedtomymentorthatIhadjusttakenmylastexam,thatIwasfinallydone.Hecongratulatedme,butadded,'Judy,don'tstopnow.Yourbachelor'sissomethingyouhavetohave,butamaster'sdegreewillopendoorsforyou.'Icouldn'tseeitthen,butgraduallyitsankin.ThreeyearslaterIhadearnedamaster'sdegreeinappliedmanagement."
Page24
2ExternalForces,InnerBarriersThere'sasceneinthemovieWorkingGirlinwhichtheMelanieGriffithcharacter,Tess,asshebeginshermetamorphosisfromadmintoexecutive,tellsherbestfriendandfellowadminaboutanetworkingfunctionshe'llbeattendingthatnightforuppermanagers.Lookingoveroutfits,sheholdsupashimmeringblackdress,callingit"simpleandelegant."
"Butitneedssomebowsorsomethin',"herfriendsays,snappingtheguminhermouth.
ButTessexplainsthatsheneedsadresslikethatbecauseshewantstobe"interactingwithpeoplenotasasecretarybutasa"
Herfriendcutsheroff."Asatotalimpostor,"shesays,matter-of-factly.
Tess,alittlestunned,stopsforamoment,suddenlyawarethatheradminfrienddoesnotunderstand.
Thesadrealityofthecareerlivesofmanyadminsisthatsuchinnerbarriersholdthembackallthetime.Whileotherprofessionalstakeforgrantedthatthelevelthey'recurrentlyoperatingononlymarksastagingareafortheirleapuptothenextplateau,manyadminstellthemselves,withoutquestioningtheirassumption,thatthey'vereachedtheirlimit.
Salesprofessionals,forexample,knowthatiftheyworkhardtheymaymoveuptosalesmanager,districtsalesmanager,andperhapsVPofsales.Engineersassumetheopportunitytorisetoseniorengineerstatus,ortosomespecializedareaofexpertise,ortoproject
management.Anotheroptionmightbeto
Page25
breakofffromemployeestatusaltogetherandmakelotsmoremoneyasanindependentconsultant.
Butwherecanthepooradmingo?Possiblytoahigherlevelofadmin,sayasexecutiveadmintotheCEOortosomeothertopofficerinthecompany,butotherthanthatthejobstaysprettymuchthesame.You'restilljustanaide,afterall,anadministrativesupport,agopher,asentryatthegate.AsCarolMcDonoughsaid,you'rea''nannyforbigpeople."
Thoughthisassumptionain'tnecessarilythewayithastobe,especiallyintoday'schangingworkplace,alotofadminspresumethatitis.Theadminwhothinksthiswaythengivesupandsinksintotheillusionthatshe'strapped.
Ofcourse,theadminwhodoesfeelthiswaymightobject.Shemighttellus:"It'snotjusttheadmin,youknow.It'salsothewayadminsaretreated.There'snotalotwecandoaboutthat."Andwe'dagreewiththisstatementuptoapoint.Uptothelastone,tobeexact.
You,asanadmin,dohavemanyexternalforcesworkingagainstyou,aswementionedinChapter1.Werealizeit'snotallyou.Butotheradminshavefacedthesameconditionsyoudo,andyetthey'veeffectedbigchangesintheirlives.Iftheycandoit,socanyou.
FightingYourExternalForces
Inordertopreventthesedreadexternalforcesfromholdingyoudown,we'llneedtoexaminethem.Aswedothiswe'llalsonoteathingortwothatyoucandoaboutthem.Throughoutthisbookyou'llencountermanyideasforbattlingexternalforces.Someyou'llfindinthedossiersofreal-lifeex-admins.
Let'stakealookatafewexternalforcesnow:
SubtleSignalsintheAir
JustasTessgetsthemessagethattryingtobeotherthananadminamountstofalsepretenses,youtoomayhearorsensesimilarmessages.You'lloftencatchthesesignalsfrombosses,
Page26
higher-ups,customers,orcolleagues.Youmayevengetthemfromfellowadmins,friends,orfamily.
RememberBobbifromChapter1,whofoundherselffrustratedbyherunambitiousadminfriends?
"Alltheytalkaboutismen,parties,andoutfits,"shetoldus."I'dliketomoveupinthiscompanyanddosomethingelse,likeworkinmarketingorsales,butIdon'tknowhow.Noneofmyfriendsorworkcolleagueshaveanyambition."
Recallouradvice?WetoldBobbitoinsistontalkingaboutwhatshewantedtotalkabout,andifthatdidn'tworktogetsomenewfriends.Thefirstrule,then,istorefusetoletexternalforcessetyouragendaforyou.InWorkingGirl,Tesshasplentyofsubtlesignalsgoingagainsther,notonlytheself-trappingadmonitionsofherbestfriendbutalsothepatronizingcommentsandtreacherousactionsofherconnivingboss,Kathryn(playedbySigourneyWeaver;awomanboss,noless,whocannotbetrustedouch!).
Butshepushesherwaythroughanyway,settingupherownplanofactionandcarryingitoutmethodically.GiventherequirementsofHollywood,ofcourse,herplanhastogoawry,explode,andinvolveHarrisonFord.Still,shecomesthroughitallwithaveryhappyending.Butthemoralofthestoryisthatitispossibleforanadminwithsufficientspunktodramaticallychangeherlife!
Not-So-SubtleSignalsintheAir
Doyouworkforacompanythatsetsstrictcriteriaforitsnewhiresandtransfers?Maybeyou'reemployedbyalargebank,forexample,thatrefusestoconsideranyonewithoutatleastanM.B.A.foranynon-adminposition,orbyanacademicinstitutionthathiresonlyprofessionalswithaPh.D.?
Maybeyouworkforacompanywithaclearandobvious"admintrack."Onceyou'reonit,you'llbeconsideredforahigher-leveladminposition,butthere'snochanceofanythingmore.Personneldiscouragesyou,yourbossdiscouragesyou,managersinotherdepartmentsdon'twanttorisk"stealingawaysomeoneelse'sgirl."Directofficialbarrierstoyouradvancementmakeitallfeelsohopeless.
Page27
Throughoutthisbookwe'lltouchonmanyideasforbreakingthroughsuchbarriers.Butforthemoment,letusleaveyouwithtwo.
1. Whynotgobacktoschoolforthatbachelor'sdegreeorM.B.A.?WhynotyouwithaPh.D.?Well,whynot?Asyoulistentoyourselfprotestanddredgeupexcuses,thinkofthis:People,adminsandotherwise,doitallthetime.
2. Justbecauseathinghasneverbeendonebeforedoesn'tmeanitcan'tbe.Peoplewhoblazenewtrailsarecalled"pioneers."Youcouldbeonetoo.
Sayyourcompanyhasnevermovedanadminintoanewcareerareatoyour,oranyoneelse's,knowledge.Whycouldn'tyoubethefirst?You'dobviouslyhavetodeviseacreativestrategyandworkrealhardatlobbyingtherightpeople.You'dhavetoprepareyourselfforadifferentkindofjobinterviewthanwhatyou'vebeenusedto,butsowhat?
ThinkofyourselfasDanielleBoone,KristinaColumbus,or...AmeliaEarhart!
SubservientExpectationsandDemands
Runoutrightnowandrentamovieyou'veprobablyalreadyseenonceortwiceinyourlife,NinetoFive.Goahead,justputdownthisbook,grabyourcoat(inFlorida,SanDiego,andMaui,ignorethisstep),andgettheetothenearestvideostore.It'sOK.We'llamuseourselveswhileyou'regone.JustrunoutandrentatapeofNinetoFive.Thencomebackhomeandwatchit.Afterthecredits,pickupthisbookagainandwe'llresume.[PauseforviewingofNinetoFive]
Howwasthat?Wasn'titfuntoseethatagain?Didn'tyoujustlovethewaytheJane,Dolly,andLilycharactersputittotheirboss,playedbyDabneyColeman?Wouldn'tyoulovetodothesamethingtoyour
boss,ortooneyou'vehadinthepast?Wouldn'tyoujustloveit?
Yousurelywouldifyoueverhadonewhoactedinthesamerepulsive,tyrannicalmannerthatColeman'scharacterdid.For
Page28
acharacterlikeLilyTomlin's,forexample,tokeephertalentssuppressedbeneaththecollectivemalethumbsofthegoodoldboyswhoownedandranthiscompanyistheheightoffolly,notonlyforLilybutforthecompanyaswell.Yetopenlydemandingsubservientrolesfromadminsandfosteringa"guys"atmosphereis,infact,thewaymanycompaniesaresetup.
Howtofightsuchanatmosphereinreallife?UnliketheTomlincharacter'sfutileattemptstotalktoherbossaboutfetchinghiscoffeeas"notbeinginmyjobdescription,"youreffortsmayprovemoresuccessful.Simplytalkingitoutmaybeallyouneedtodo.Thesedays,manymalebosseshavebeenforcedtorethinkpreviouslyentrenchedattitudesaboutwomen'srolesinsocietyandwillbeopentoyourcomments.Otherswillsimplymodifytheirbehaviortokeepyouhappy.Thesebossesdorespectyouandyourwork,andtheysincerelywantyoutofeellikeavaluedpartoftheteam.
We'lladdherethatwhatwe'resuggestingby"talktoyourboss"issimplythattalk.Youdon'tneedtoconfront,accuse,orthrowafit.Thatwillonlyconfirmthe"emotionalfemale"imageinthemindsofmenwhodon'twanttounderstand(andevenmanyofthosewhodo)andwillmakethingsworse.Sotrytalkingthingsoutfirstifyouhaven'talready.Untilyoudo,youcan'tadequatelyassesswhetherornotthissimpleactionstepwilladvanceyoutowardmore-respectfulrelationships.
Asecondwaytoreducesubservientexpectationsistokeepacarefulwatchonyourself.Howdoyoupersonallycontributetoimagesofyouasthewillingofficeservant-girl?Dopeopleexpectyoutoplaythisrolebecauseyouinvitethemto?
EthelCook,aconsultantwhospecializesin"officeimprovement"issues,andaformeradminmanytimesover,railsagainstadminswhovolunteertododomesticchores."Neveroffertohangstreamers,take
upcollections,orservecoffee,"shefumes."Especiallynevervolunteertobakeanything!Letothersdothesethingswhileyoutakeonthetaskofemceeinganeventororganizingthespeakerschedule,doingtheaccountingorsomeother'business'task."Ifyoujustgetinvolvedinstereotypical"helper"roles,Cookinsists,especiallytraditionalwife-and-mothertasks,you'llonlysettleyourselfdeeperintothepink-collartrap.
Page29
AsMargBalcom,nowachangemanagementconsultantwithMilleniaConsultinginNatick,Massachusetts(andaformeradminherself),putsit,"Supportisnotsubordinate."TheformerassistantvicepresidentoftrainingatTJMaxx,Balcomoncehadbumperstickersprintedwiththeseverywordsanddistributedthestickerstosupportprofessionalsinherrecruitingdepartment."It'sallinthewayyoulookatthings,"shesays.
EthelCookadds,"Ifyoudon'twanttobesubservient,don'tactthatway."
BossesWhoWon'tMentor
Everyoneworksovertimeintoday'sbusinessworld.There's'alwayssomuchtodothatifyou'renotliterallypullingdownmorethanfortyhours,you'renonethelesslikelytobeovertaxedmentally,physically,andemotionallyinsomeotherway.Ifyoumustsurviveamajorlayoff,downsizing,orrestructuring,you'llundoubtedlyendupwithmoretodothanyoueverhadbefore.Foradmins,thisdevelopmentrepresentsbothgoodnewsandbadnews.
Thegoodnewsisthatanadminwillpossiblyfindmoreopportunitiestogetinvolvedwithmajorprojectsandimportantdecisionsthanmighteverhavebeenallowedbeforethecutbacks.Withmanagersandprojectteamssuddenlyneedingalltheextrahelpandresourcestheycanget,theymaystartrelyingonyoutodoalotmorethantypeandanswerthephone.Thatmeansthechancetolearn,grow,spendtimeinotherdepartments,gettoknowhigher-levelprofessionalsonanequalbasis,andgenerallybuildareputationasavaluedplayerwhocanbecalledintohelpinavarietyofways.
Thedownsideofsuchaneworderintheworkworld,however,mightbethatyourmanagerorsupervisorcouldbecomesobusyanddistractedthathe'llhavelessincentivethanevertospendtime
"developing"hisstaff.Thatwillespeciallymeanyou,theadmin,atoncehisrightarmandthebottomofthedepartmenttotempole.
He'llalsoberelyingonyoumorethanevertopullyourheaviestadminload.Inhisharriednewframeofmind,thelastthinghe'llfeelheneedsisforhissensational,lifesavingadminto
Page30
beeventhinkingaboutleaving.Thusthe"ParadoxoftheSuperAdmin":Thebetteryouareatyourwork,themorelikelyyou'llgetentrenchedthere.Yourgoodworksmakeitharderandharderforyoutogetout.Youfeellikeyou'rediggingyourowngrave.
Whattodo,whattodo?PaulFalcone,ahumanresourcesexpertandauthorofTheCompletelob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff,suggeststhattheanswermaylieinmakingamentoroutofyourboss.Onlywithyourboss'ssupport,Falconefeels,willthechancesbegoodforyoutomakeamovewithinyourpresentcompany.
Butstartyourbossoffslowly,consideringhispresentstressed-outframeofmind.Youmighttestthewaters,Falconesays,byaskinghimtosignoffonanoutsidetrainingprogram,preferablyonsomethingthatcouldextendyourchancesforadvancement(say,acommunicationsworkshoporpublicspeakingoraccounting).
"Seehowyourbossreacts,"Falconesuggests.Sincetheseprogramsarefrequentlyquiteinexpensive,you'llknowthat"ifthisseemstooformidableafavortoask,you'vegotyouranswer.It'llbetimetolookelsewhere."Butifyourbossdoesgoforit,thenyou'llhavebeguntomovehimintoanewframeofmindthatwillhelpyougetwhatyouwant.
Amoreon-siteideaistovolunteerforaspecialassignment,perhapsonethatyourbossneedstoexecutebuteitherdoesn'twanttoordoesn'thavetimefor.Onceyougetthego-ahead,especiallyifyourbossiswillingtosuperviseyou,you'llbehomefree.You'llbothrelieveyourboss'sstressandteachyourselfanewsetofskills.Anygoodmanagerwillquicklyseewhataboonyou'rebecoming.You'llhaveevensavedhimthetroubleofdoingthedelegating!
Supposeyouknow,forexample,thatyourbossneedstoexecutea
cost-accountingprojectforoneofyourdepartment'ssubdivisions.Youknowtoothatyourbosshasn'texactlybeenlookingforwardtothisproject.Also,despiterepeated(andvaliant)attemptstofindthetime,hejusthasn'tbeenableto.
Onedayyouwalkinallbrightandcheery-eyedandlayanactionplanonhisdesk.Handingoveraneye-catching,carefullydetailedagenda,repletewithtimelinesandclearobjectives,you
Page31
announce,"Here'showI'msuggestingweimplementthecost-accountingreviewforTripleXDivision.Iknowit'sbeenanimpossibleprojectforyoutogetto,soI'dliketohelp.Ifyou'lljustguidemeandansweranyquestionsImighthave,I'lldoallthecalculating,computerinputs,andspreadsheetreviews.Youkeepcheckingonmefromtimetotimeandbythemiddleofnextquarter,we'llhaveeverythingcompleted."
Woweezowee!Thishasgottobesweet,sweetmusictoyourfrazzledboss'sears.Byvirtueofyourinitiative,thisvexatioustaskthatjustwouldn'tgoawayisfinallygoingtogetdone.Yoursuggestionswillhaveexpandedyourjobdescriptionandcreatedamentorforyouinonefellswoop.
StructureoftheCompanyand/ortheJob
Sometimestheverystructureofthejoborthewayacompanymaybesetupcankeepyoustuck.Inalargercompany,forexample,functionsmaybesotightlyorganizedthatnooneisallowedsufficientslacktotransfertoanewdepartmentortolearnsomethingnew.Hiringisalwaysdonethroughsearchfirmswhosemandateistofindsomeoneontheoutside.Thatmeansmiddlemanagers,technicalpersonnel,financialprofessionalsyounameit!Eventhoseinuppermanagementfeeltrappedbythesystem.Nooneonanylevelevergetsthechancetomakeamove.
Smallerfirmstoo,particularlythesmallestones,maybesimilarlyinflexible.Thoughasageneralrulesmallfirmsofferenvironmentsthatrequireeveryonetopitchinandhelpwitheverything,sometimesorganizationswithextremelyspecificjobfunctionsdrivetheworkatmospheretheotherway.
JudyTyler,nowasalesexecutivewithPremierBridemagazine,recallsaneye-openingexperienceatacompanysheonceworkedfor
asanadmin.
Aftermanymonthsofdoingnotmuchmorethanwhatshehadbeenhiredtodomainlytotypelegalagreementssheexpressedherfrustrationtoherboss,theattorneywhohadhiredher,aboutthelackofintellectualchallengeinherduties.Thejob,sheconfided,wasdrivinghernuts.
Page32
"Ineedsomestimulation,"shesaid."Ineedtodosomethingthatrequiresmetothink."
Herboss'sanswer,however,mincednowords."Itoldyou,Judy,duringyourinterviewthatthisjobdidn'toffermuchresponsibility.Ididn'thireyoutothink.Ihiredyoutotype.That'sallthejobis."
"Hisbluntresponsewasverymotivating,"Judyrecallsnow,laughing."Itmotivatedmetogettheheckoutofthere!Iimmediatelybegantakingstepstofindanewjob."
InnerBarriers
Nowlet'sexaminemoredeeplythose"innerbarriers"wespokeofearlier,specificallythosethatblockadminsfrommovingaheadintheircareers.Asmuchaswemightliketofoistalltheblameforourlotonexternalforces,mostoftheresponsibilityforlingeringinanunsatisfactoryjobwillusuallyrestonourowntwoshoulders.Weareonlyhuman,afterall,sufferingtoonedegreeoranotheramyriadofneuroses,self-doubts,andlapsesinself-esteem.Someoftheseafflictionsarecommontoadmins,aproductoftheexternalforcesintheirenvironmentsaswellassymptomaticofthepersonalitytypethatgetsattractedto,andperpetuatedby,thiswork.
Hearforyourselftheobservationsofalineupofadmins,ex-adminsand"guestexperts"whohaveeitherexperiencedtheseinnerbarriersatworkorstudiedtheminothers.Seehowmany"self-trappingmechanisms"you'venoticedinyourself:
AngelaMaffeo,formeradminforCPAandlegalfirms,nowacareerandlifestylescounselor:"Alotofadminsfallintounfortunatecodependentrelationshipswiththeirbossesorsupervisors.Theyoughttoseetheseworkrelationshipsaspartnerships,butinsteadcodependencywinsout.Theyhavedifficultysettingboundariesand
endupdoingtoomuchforothers,givingawaytoomuchofthemselves.Many,manyadminsarenotevenconsciousofit."
Page33
AnneMarieDangler,executivesecretary:"Youdealwithalotofegosinthisjobandthatfeedsonyourownsenseofself-esteem.Youfeellowonthetotempole,notvalued.Inlightofthis,alotofadminsneverlearntospeakupforthemselves.Theyneverlearntobeassertive,thoughit'sanecessity.Stayingquietallthetime,notspeakingup,keepstheminthesameplaceandtheynevergetahead."
CarolMcDonough,executiveadmin:"Manyadminsaren'tconfidentinthemselves.They'retoonicetoeverybody.Theydon'tlearntodeflectbullets,sotheygetshotdownalot.Andtheystaydown."
EthelCook,veteranadmin,nowprofessionalorganizer,trainer,consultant,andmotivationalspeaker:"Manyadminsdon'tseethemselvesaspartofthemanagementteamorevenasprofessionals.Imovedmyselfaheadbyforcingmyselftogrowandthusdevelopingmyself-esteem.Toomanyadminsdon'tworkhardenoughatthat."
JudyTyler,formeradmin,nowasalesexecutivewithPremierBridemagazine:"It'sthe'femalerole'thatkeepsadminsstuckputtingsomeoneelse'sneedsbeforeyourown.That'stoughtobreakoutofbecauseyou'reconstantlyfocusingonsomeoneelse'sneeds."
CarySchwartz,formerofficetemp,nowahighschoolmathteacher:"There'sasensealotofadminshaveof'Whybother?'They'llsettleintocomfortableroutinesandgetcomplacent.Yougetasensethattheydidn'treallywanttodoanymorethanthey'redoingnow.Todomorewouldinviteexpectationandpotentialfailure."
MaryMiller,exexecutiveadmin,nowmarketingmanageratamajoruniversity:"Beingfemaleisthefirstthingonthelist.IgrewupwiththesubtlemessagethatIdidn'thaveabrain,Ididn'tknowenough.Thatbreedsfearofsuccess,aswellasamoresubtlefearoffailure.WhenIthinkaboutthetimesIwassuccessfulatthingswhilegrowingup,Irecallpeoplebeingjealousofme.Notmanyrejoicedwithme."
PaulFalcone,authorofTheCompleteJob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff:"Iheardan
Page34
employmenttrainertalkingonceaboutthetwobasicmentalitiesoperatingintheworkworldtoday.Hecalledthem'factory'and'entrepreneurial'mentalities.
"Factorythinkerscomposeamajorsegmentofour'entitlementculture.'They'realwayslookingforsafejobs,lifelongjobs,securesalaries.Entrepreneurialmentalities,instead,takeonrisk.There'saglobalperspectivethere,awillingnesstoseehowtheymightfitintotheoverallorganization.They'llroutinelyreachbeyondtheirjobdescriptionsandofferupahighervalue.
"Unfortunately,I'vefoundmanyadminsonlywanttoapproachtheirjobswiththefactorymentality.Theyshyawayfromentrepreneurialthinking.Theyjustdon'tchoosetotakeenoughrisks."
JudyWagner,ex-admin,nowacounselingassistantwithanEAPprovider:"Sometimes,ofcourse,it'salifestylechoice.Youcanwalkawayfromadminworkattheendofthedayandstopworkingforawhile.Youmightsimplybehappydoingwhatyou'redoing,andyou'renotinterestedinclimbingthecorporateladder.Inthatway,lackofacareerdevelopmentplanholdsyouback,asdoestheverylackofadesireforacareer.Thoughifit'salifestylefreelychosen,there'snothingwrongwithit."
NancyCassesso,formersecretary,nowasalesprofessionalwithamanufacturers'rep:"IheldmyselfbackforanumberofyearsbecauseIsimplydidn'tthinkIcoulddothejobthatIdonow.I'dbeenofferedthechancebefore,butIturneditdown.Ijustdidn'thaveenoughconfidenceinmyabilities."
RustyStieff,formeradmin,nowvicepresidentinthenonprofitlendinggroupatamajorcommercialbank:"Oftenit'sthesqueakywheelthingifyoudon'tmakeanynoise,nobodynoticesyou.Alotofadminsfailtomakeitcleartoothersthattheyevenwanttomoveup."
SusanSchenkel,Ph.D.,authorofGivingAwaySuccess:WhyWomenGetStuckandWhattoDoAboutIt:"Butwhenlefttoprojectsofourowninitiative,[women]flounder.Typicallywedescribeourselvesaspeoplewhodon'tfollowthroughorwhodropout.Ourlivesarefullofunfinishedprojects:uncom-
Page35
pletedcollegedegrees,coursework,resumés,painting,andbooks.
''Learninghowtobehelplessmakeswomenvulnerabletointerpretinganyseriousdifficultyasevidenceofinevitablefailure.Pullingoutappearstobethemostreasonablecourseofaction.Afterall,whybeatadeadhorse?"
Kindofmakesyourheadspin,doesn'tit?There'salotofworktodo,itseems,alotofchangethathastogooninside.Ofcourse,we'renotsayingthatalloftheinnerbarriersmentionedherebelongtoyou.Youmaybewayaheadofthegamewithsomeofthem.Butothersmaybegettingthebestofyouand,ifthatisso,it'scriticalthatyouknowthat.
Byidentifyingyourinnerbarriers,you'llcontainandcorralthem,wrestlethemintosubmission,maybeevensetthemloosetorunawayfromyouandhasslesomeoneelse.Themainpointtorememberisthatyouarethebosshere.Youcandoanythingyouwantwithyourinnerbarriersshipthemofftoadifferentdepartment,makethemsitinacomerwithoutanylunch,handthemapinkslip.Butwhatyou'vegottoknowfirstiswhattheylooklike.
"Life-PointAnalysis"
Toidentifyyourinnerbarriers,youplacethemwithinthecontextofyourwholelife.Yourbarrierstypicallysurroundthemselveswithyourfearsandanxietiesaboutwhoyouare,whatyou'recapableof,whattheworldexpectsfromyou.Theywanttohelpyou,theyreallydo,andyoushouldpayattentiontowhatthey'retryingtosay.Butyoushouldneverletthemholdthereins.
Intheframeonthenextpage,drawapictureofyourself.Yes,youheardusright:Drawapictureofyourself.Infact,ifyourummageaboutyourhouseorofficeforsomecrayonsormarkers,youmayenduphavingalotoffunwiththis!C'mon,let'sheadbacktochildhood,
whenwenevermuchcaredaboutself-
Page36
PortraitofME!
Page37
esteem,insecurity,orfearofsuccessorfailure.Wewerehavingtoomuchfun!
Don'treadfurtheruntilyou'vefinishedyourself-portrait.
Nowthatyou'vecompletedyourself-portrait,gobackandinsertpositiveandnegative"lifepoints"thatpopulateyourlife.Includetalents,skills,dreams,andproudachievementsaswellasfears,anxieties,worries,andbadhabits.Insertyourpositiveandnegative"lifepoints"bydrawingthemallaroundyourself-portrait.Donotuseanynumbers,letters,orwords.(That'scorrect.Youreadusrightagain:nonumbers,words,orlettersjustdrawings.)
Useyournaturalcreativityandletyourselfhavesomefun.Whenyouhavefinished,resumereading.
Now,let'sevaluatewhatyou'vedone.Contemplatethesequestions:
1.Whathappenedwhenweaskedyoutotacklethisassignment?Didyouenthusiasticallygrababoxofmarkersorcrayonsandexcitedlywhiptogetheryourself-portrait?Ifso,thatonesteppickingupcrayonsormarkerssomethingyoudidevenbeforetheofficialexercisebegan,showedawillingnessinyoutodowhateverittakestoadvanceyourcareerandpersonalgrowth.Youtrustedthattryingsomethingdifferentmightadvanceyoualittlebitfurther.Youtookachance.Goodshow!
2.Whatdidyoufretabit(oralot!)aboutdrawingapictureofyourself?Didyouthinkatonce,"Me,draw?IcouldneverdothatI'dbelaughedoutofmyhouseandhome!"Ifyoufeltevenatingeofthisbutwentaheadanyway,youtooshowedthewillingnesstobraveyourfears.Youtookariskdespiteaninnerbarrierthattriedtostopyou.Doublegoodshow!
3.How'dyoudoonthenextpart,addinginyour"lifepoints"?Did
youstruggleattimestofindawaytodepictgoodandbadpointswithoutusingnumbers,letters,orwords?Ifyoudid,butyoufoughtbravelythroughanyway,knowthis:Whateveryouputonthepage,nomatterhowitlooks,demonstratedyourinnateabilitytobecreative.Itdoesn'tmatteratallwhatitlookslike,either(tellyourcattostoplaughing).Yousimplydeviseda
Page38
waytocommunicatesomethinginanewway.That,friend,wecallcreativity.
4.Ontheflipside,didyougetdownonyourselfbecauseyoucouldn'tthinkofawaytopictorializeeverypoint?Didyouworryyoumightnothaveexecutedthisexerciseperfectly?Ifso,pleasebewarned:Perfectionism'sanoccupationalhazardforadmins,whosejobistotakecareofallthedetails,dottingtheboss'si's,crossinghist's.Whenitcomestoyoupersonally,it'saskillthatoftengetsyouintrouble.
Letyourperfectionismgo.Youcan'tmoveforwardifyoudemandtoomuchofyourself.You'llonlystressyourselfoutandhesitatetakinganextstep.Andyou'vegottotakenextsteps:They'reyourlifeblood,they'retheprincipalcareeractivitiesthatwillspringyoufromthepink-collarghetto.Don'tfeelyouneedtodoeverythingperfectly.Justdoitwell.
Nameofex-admin:JanetHartford-Hill
Currently:Antiquedealer,Dallas,Texas
Adminskillsusedtoday:Timemanagement,socialinteractionskills
Howchangewasmade:"I'dalwayskeptfunitemsonmydeskwhereverIworkedasanadmin.Ilovedtogoantiquingontheweekends:Iwasalwaysataswapmeetorcountyfairordroppinginonanantiqueshop.IfIwasonvacation,thefirstthingI'ddowascheckthelocalpapersandseewhatantiqueshowsmightbeinthearea.(Thisdrivesmyhusbandnuts!)
"OneweekendwhileIwasatanauction,ImetanoldfriendIhadn'tseensincehighschool.Iaskedherwhatshewasdoing,andshetoldme,'1huntforthingsIcansell.'
"'Youcanmakealivingatthis?'Iasked.
"'Adarngoodone,'myfriendsaid.
Iwasoffandrunningafterthat.FirstIpickedherbrainforeverythingshe'deverlearnedabouthowtobuyandsellolditems.ThenIgottoknowsomeofherfriendsinthebusiness.BeforeI
Page39
knewwhatIwasreallydoing,I'dgivennoticetomyemployer.Aftertwelveyearsasanadmin,Ibecameaprofessional'antiquer.'"
Bestadviceforadmins:"Looktoyourhobbiesandpersonalinterestsforideas.Don'ttakeyourselfforgranted."
Page40
3TheFear-of-FailureGangIfourinnerbarriersshowedupregularlyontheTVprogramAmerica'sMostWanted,theonebarrierthatmostAmericanswouldreallywanttoseecapturedthekingpinofthemallwouldbeFearofFailure,alsoknownbyitsalias,FearofSuccess.Likesomemonstrousgangboss,thisbarriertowerswickedlyoveralltheothers,keepingconditionssafeforyourotherinnerbarrierstoruntheirnumbersonyou.Maybethat'swhyitcanbesotoughattimestoaccuratelydistinguishbetweenFearofFailure,FearofSuccess,andfearofthis,that,andeverythingelse.Ourfailurefearscanbejustthatenormous.
Inourworkovertheyearswithcareer-mindedprofessionals,FearofFailure/Successinvariablyrearsitstroublesomeheadsoonerorlater.CEO,admin,financialconsultant,securityguarditreallydoesn'tmatterwhoyouare.Undoubtedlyyouhavestruggledwithyourownversionofthefearbarrier.
InJanHalper'sbookQuietDesperation:TheTruthAboutSuccessfulMen,maleCEOsdiscusstheirinnermostfeelingsabouttheirsuccessfulclimbstothetop.Surprisingly,Halper'sresultsrevealtremendouslevelsoffearinsidethesemeninrelationtotheveryimplicationsoftheircareersuccesses.
Theyworry,forexample,aboutbeingabletocontinuetheirsuccess,aboutgreaterresponsibilitiescreatedbyeachnewsuccess,aboutwhattheywoulddoifsuddenly,somehow,theylosttheirjob.Despiteprovingtheirabilitiesagainandagain,thesemenstillhadtoshoreuptheirconfidenceeverydayagainsttheirfearsofwhatfailureandevensuccesscouldbring.
Page41
Sofearoffailure/successisn'tlimitedtoadmins.Insteadit'sauniversalproblem,aningredientwemanufacturenaturallythatgetsusintotroublebecausesometimeswepaythewrongattentiontoit.Weautomaticallygiveitthepowertodominateus,totelluswhattodo."IfI'mafraid,"wereason,"Imustnotbedoingtherightthing."Yetoftenweknow,deepdown,wearedoingtherightthing.Whatgoeson,simply,isthatwefeelscared,andsincewedon'tenjoythatfeelingwetrytogetridofitinanywaywecan.Theeasiestway(wereasonerroneously)istosuccumbtoitswishes.
EthelCook,nowanindependentconsultant,recallsacareerexperiencethatillustrateswhatwemean.
Once,asanadmin,Ethelhadsuccessfullyputtogetheranimportantconferenceofhercompany'smajorexecutives.Herbosswassopleasedwithherworkthathewantedtoacknowledgeherforitinfrontofalltheattendees.
"Ethel,it'sonlyrightyougetcreditforwhatyou'vedonehere.Thismeetingwouldn'tbetakingplacewithoutyou.I'mgoingtointroduceyoutoeveryone,andthenI'dlikeyoutosayafewwords.lustsayhelloandmaybethankeveryoneforcomingitdoesn'thavetobemuch.Ijustthinkyoudeserveafewmomentsinthesun."
Ethelfreakedout."1won'tdoit,"shesaid."1can'tgetupthereinfrontofeveryoneandgiveaspeech.Ican'tdoit.Iwon'tdoit."
"No,no,notaspeech,Ethel,justafewwords.Youdon'thavetosaymuch,just'Hello,thankyouforcoming,'thensitdown."
Ethelwasstillterrified.Whatifhervoicegaveout?Whatifpeoplelaughedather?Whatifshesoundedlikeanidiot?Shecouldn'tdothis;shecouldn'tsuccessfullypullthisoff,notevenforthebriefestmoment.
"No,Iwon'tdoit,"shedeclaredvehemently."Andifyoumakemedoit,I'llquit!"Herbosshadtogivein.Shewassimplynotgoingtostandupinfrontofallthosepeople.
Deepwithin,Ethelknewshewasyieldingtoherfearsandlosingsomethinginthebargain.Intellectually,sheknewshecould,infact,dothis,thatshemightevensucceedatit.Butfearoffailure(infrontofanaudience,noless)hadblindedherfromtakinganecessary,ifscary,firststep.
Page42
Astheyearswentby,Etheldevelopedadesiretoleaveadminworkandbecomeanindependentconsultant.Sheknew,however,thatthisworkwouldrequirehertodolotsandlotsofpublicspeaking.Withherfearsstillgrippingherinside,shebeganattendingToastmasters',apublic-speakingclub,andtakingeveryopportunityshecouldfindtogetupinfrontofanaudience.ShegotactivelyinvolvedwithanationalseminarcompanyandwiththeNationalSpeakersAssociation,andnow,yearslater,shecommands"asubstantialfee,"shesays,forgivingatalkorseminar.Sheadmits,too,thatshestillgetsnervousbeforeapresentation,butnowshedoesn'tletheranxietykeepherdown.Herfearstilllives,butitnolongerfunctionsasabarriertohersuccess.
FearasaSignaltoGrow
Obviously,lettingourfearsrunourlivesrulesoutexcitingopportunitiesforcareeradvancement.Ethelmighthaveembarkedonhersuccessfulcareerasaconsultantandspeakeryearsearlierhadsheacceptedherboss'sinvitationtojustsayhelloandthankeveryone.Ofcourse,allofuscanlookbackonourlives,bothprofessionalandpersonal,andrecallsimilarincidentswhenourfearsheldusbackfromdoingsomethingweknewwouldtakeusforward.
Yet,whennewopportunitiesarise,wefallintothesametrap.It'saframeofmindwetooeasilyfallinto.Togetoutofthisframeofmind,weneedtosubstituteanewone.Whatifwesawfailure,forexample,asalearningexperience?That'safterallwhatitreallyis,anopportunitytodiscoverhowtodosomethinginordertoeventuallydiscoverhowtodoitright,andwell.
SusanSchenkel,inGivingAwaySuccess,putsitlikethis:
Sincebydefinitionachallengeisn'tasurethingandsomefailureisinevitable,failuremustbeviewedasatemporarysetbackthatcreatesan
opportunitytolearn.Itbecomesacuetotrysomethingelse,notasignaltowithdraw.Sustainedeffortinthefaceofsetbacksallowsonetopersistlongenoughtoattainsuccess.
Page43
Thisinturnreinforcesamoreoptimisticattitudetowardfuturefailures.
Schenkelshouldknowwhatshe'stalkingabout.She'sstudiedthesubjectformanyyearsandtaughtcoursesonitatmajoruniversities.She'salsoobservedthedynamicsoffailure-as-a-barrierand"sustainedeffort"asamethodofbreakthroughintheclientssheseesinherpsychologypractice.We'veobservedthesamedynamicsinourcareerexplorationprograms.
Sarah,anadminworkingforacompanybasedinPitts-burgh,toldusthefollowingstory.
Anopportunitytotraveltothecompany'sNorthwestbranchhadcomeup.Althoughqualifiedtorepresenthercompanyontheseservicemissionsshe'dhandledhundredsofclientinquiriesandproblemsovertheyearsandknewthecompany'sproductsinsideandoutSarahimmediatelybeganthinking:"I'mafraidtoaskforthisassignmentbecauseIdon'tknowwhatmyboss,Jim,wouldsay.Whatifhelaughedinmyface?HemightthinkI'mnotcapableofgoingouttoseeclientsbymyself,thatIdon'tknowenough,thatI'mjusta[gulp!]admin!IhavenoideawhatJimwouldsay."
Atfirstshegaveintothefear."Iwon'tgoaskhim.It'sbetterthatIdon'tknowwhathethinks.Hearinghisnegativethoughtsaboutmewouldbedevastating.Besides,whatifhetookachanceonmeandIblewit?"
Afterafewsleeplessnights,Sarahdecided,"Forgetit!WhatifIdoblowit?IfIdon'teventry,howcanIeversucceed?HowcanIevermovetoabetterjob?Besides,ifJimdoessayno,atleastI'llbeabletogetsomesleepagain!"
Thenextday,revvinguphercourage,shewenttoJim'sofficetoaskhimabouttheassignment.AtfirstJiminfactdidhemandhawabitabouthergoingalone."You'veneverdonethisbefore,"hesaid."How
doIknowyoucanhandleit?"
Bravingherownself-doubts,SarahbegantospeakandwithinsecondsheardherselftellingJimaboutherstrengthsandabilities:"I'mverygoodwithcustomersonthephone,JimyouknowthatandIsolvealotoftheirproblemsonmyown,whennooneelseisintheoffice.Ialmostneverruntoyouanymorewithaquestion,doI?Iknowmostofthetimeexactlywheretogofortherightanswer."
Page44
Washervoicewaveringtoomuchasshemadehercase?Wasshesubtlyrevealingherdeepestanxietiesaboutfailing?Sarahdidn'tknowbutshepressedon.Afterlisteningtoallshehadtosay,JimpulledoutatravelvoucherandputSarah'snameonit."You'reright,"hesaid,noddinghishead."You'vecomealongwaysincethatdayyouwalkedinhereasatemp.Let'sgetyouonaflighttoSeattleandseewhatyoucando."
Ratherthanletherfearsstopher,Sarahrealizedtheyweresignpostsforgrowth.Wefearsomethingbecauseitrepresentssomethingnew,unfamiliar.Ouradrenalingetspumpingaswewonder:CanIdothis?Butwealsorealizewe'llneverknowunlesswetry.Sowepushthroughourfears,asSarahdid,andaskfor,ortake,thejob.
Andthat'sthekeyingredient,expertswilltellyou,inbreakingthroughfears,doubts,andanxietiesandgettingonwithlife.Don'tletyourFearofFailure(orofSuccess)holdbackyouractions.Fearcanmakeyouexamineanopportunitytoseeifit'srightforyou.Itcanpiqueyoursenses.ButyourultimatedecisionshouldneverbebasedonFearofFailurealone.Failureplainlymustbeexperiencednowandthenifwearetoalsoexperiencesuccess.
FearofSuccess
RegardingFearofSuccess,whatisitreallybutjustavariationofFearofFailure?LikethoseCEOsinthebookQuietDesperation,it'sonlyapostponementoftheinevitable.Itrevealsadeep-seatedinsecurityaboutone'sintrinsicability.Listentoafewstatementsfromadminswhosharedtheirdeepestfeelingsaboutthissubjectinourcareerprograms:
Sylvia,whoworksforarealestatefirminWhitePlains,NewYork:"WhenIsucceedatdoingagreatjobatanewproject,won'tthatjustpostponefailuretoafuturedate?WhenIsucceed,I'moftenjustlucky,
orsomebody'sgivingmeabreak.Peoplesimplyhaven'tseenthroughmeyet.Sowhat'sthepointofsucceeding?They'lljustfindoutI'mincompetentlater."
Page45
Betsy,employedbyaconstructioncompanyinProvo,Utah:''IfIsucceed,ImightnotlikewhatI'vesucceededat,andI'llbedisappointed.IfIgetdisappointed,theremustbesomethingwrongwithmyabilitytomakedecisions.It'llhighlightmypoorsenseofjudgment,whichIalreadyfeelIhave.Whygothroughallthat?MaybeI'dbetterjuststaywhereIamandquitkiddingmyself."
Mary-Margaret,workingforasmallmanufacturingfirminVermont:"IalwayswonderifIreallydeservetosucceedevenwhenIdo.I'malwaysthinking,'Thisisn'tme,thisisn'tme.YoumaythinkI'macompetentperson,butI'mnotasgoodasyoubelieve.'It'ssomestrong,strongdoubtthat'sdeepinsideme.ItmakesmewanttogetasfarawayfrommysuccessasIcan."
CanyouseehowFearofSuccessseemstofeedoffFearofFailure?"IfIsucceed,it'lleitherpostponefailureorriskpeoplefindingoutIdidn'tdeservetosucceedinthefirstplace,"wethink."Orit'llshowoffmyotherfailings,likepoorjudgment."Geewhiz,youcan'twinforlosing,canyou?
FearBreakers
Enoughtalk!Let'sgetdowntoputtingsomeofourfearstorest.Oratleasttoidentifyingwhatwecandoaboutthemsotheydon'tkeepholdingusback.
Ontheworksheetonthenextpage,listyourcareerfears.YoumaylistFearofFailure,FearofSuccess,oranyotherfearsthatcometomind.Ifwewanttocontainoreradicateourfears,we'vefirstgottogetthemclearlyoutintheopen.
Afteryou'velistedallyourfears,movetotheright-handcolumnandlistanideaforbravingeachfear.Don'tworryabouthowconfidentyouareaboutyourideaworking(that'sonlyanotherexampleofyour
fear!).Justjotitdown.Astimegoesby,you'llhavethechancetotryoutyourideasandseewhichworkandwhichdon't.Ifanideadoesn'twork,ofcourse,you'vestillaccomplishedsomething:You'llhaverisked,andexperienced,failure,butyouwon'thaveletitholdyouback!
Page46
Fear IdeaforBravingThisFear
1.__________
2.__________
3.__________
4.__________
5.__________
Mostexpertswhostudyhumanfears,andadminswhohavesuccessfullypreventedtheirfearsfromholdingthemback,tendtoagreeononeremedy:action!Nomatterhowdifficult,frightening,worrisomethefear,thebestwaytoeradicateitorgaincontroloveritistodosomethingaboutit.InherexcellentbookFeeltheFearandDoItAnyway,SusanJeffersoffersacentralmessageyoumightgiveyourselfwhileinitiatingsuchactions:"Whatevercomesasaresultoffacingmyfears,Icanhandleit."
Andshe'sright,youknow.Ourmostbasicfearisthatwewon'tbeabletohandlewhateverunknownorunpredictablere-suitcomesourwaybecauseofouractions.Wedon'tbelievewe'recapableofdealingwiththeramificationsoffacingourfearsonourown.Maybeourfearoranxietyisreallyanancientprimevalinstinctalertingustokeepoursensesclear,ourheads
Page47
up,andallourwitsaboutus."Doyourbest,yourabsolutebest,witheverythingworkingatfullcapacity,"mightbeanotherwayofsayingit.
Butwhateveryoudo,don'thangbackanddonothing.Youreallycanhandleit.
Sarah,forexample,"handled"themomentaryambivalenceexpressedbyherboss,Jim,byrefusingtoletitaffecther.Shefelthergravestfearsrisinganewashewonderedaloudaboutherabilities.Butshekepttoherplan,kepttalking.Shedidn'tstop,run,hide,orbackdown.Shecontinuedacting.
EthelCook,laterinhercareer,finallystoodupatapodiumforthefirsttimeandriskedallthelaughter,ridicule,disapprovalshe'dfearedforsomanyyears.Butitdidn'tmaterialize,andthatonlymadeheralittlestrongerandmoreconfidenttostandupatapodiumasecondtime,thenathird,andafourth,andagainandagain.Overtime,shebecameaseasonedprofessionalspeaker,stillwithfears,butincontrolofthem.
TheHelperMentality
AchartermemberoftheFearofFailureGang,thenefariousHelperMentalitymakesitsappearancethroughouttheworkworldinmanyguises,alldonnedprimarilybywomen.Mostlyfemalenurses,forexample,arethehelpersofmostlymaledoctors(andmostlyfemalenurses'aideshelpthenurses!).Mostlyfemalefacultyassistantshelpoutmostlymaleprofessorsinacademia.Mostlyfemalehumanresourcesprofessionalshelpoutmostlymalemanagersinbusiness.
Otherprofessionalhelpers,againmostlywomen,includetherapists,socialworkers,counselors,customerservicestaff,andteachersandtrainers.Anythingprimarilyviewedasa"helping"role,itseems,will
tendtodrawmostofitspractitionersfromtheranksofwomen.
JaniceLaRouche,author(withReginaRyan)ofJaniceLaRouche'sStrategiesforWomenatWork,labelsthisphenomenon"TheHelpmateBlock."Inhercomprehensiveexplorationofinnerbarriersthatdirectlyaffectprofessionalwomen,LaRoucheexplains:
Page48
Playingthetraditionalhelpmateisahardhabittobreak.Notonlyisitingrainedinusasthetrulyfemininewaytobe,butitisalsopartofadeal:Ihelpyoubecomesuccessful,andyoutaketheultimateresponsibilityformywelfare.
Manywomen,insteadoffocusingonwhattheycangetoutoftheworkplace,typicallyspendmuchoftheirenergylookingforopportunitiestogive.Yetseeingthemselvesinthiswayasgivers,nottakers;ashelpers,notleadersstopswomenfromfiguringouttherealneedsofasituationandhowbesttorespond.Itstopsthemfromtakinginitiativeandacceptingresponsibility.Anditpreventsthemfromdoingwhat'sbestforthemselvesandfortheirowncareers.
Onlybygivingupthissupportrole,LaRoucheinsists,canwomenhelperstrulylearntosupportthemselves.That'sbecausethemereactoflettinggoofthecompulsiontosupportothers(totheexclusionofone'sownneeds)putsanendtoaconcurrentoverrelianceonothersforsupport.Shesuggeststhatwhenwestopcaring"toomuch"aboutothersandexpectingotherstocare"toomuch"aboutus,webeginfillingupourcaringgapbyfocusingattentionandsupportonourselves.
Admins,whetherwomenormen,shouldheedLaRouche'sadvice.It'sanoccupationalhazard,likeperfectionism:Youspendeveryminuteofyourworkdaytoilingtoassistsomeoneelse(oracrewofsomeoneelses),sothere'spreciouslittletimeorenergyleftovertothinkaboutyourself.Insomeways,ofcourse,there'snothingnewaboutthis.
BackinwhatwemightcalltheAgeofLoyalty,whenjobsecuritywasinflower,workersknewthatbydoingtheirjobsthebesttheyknewhowtheywouldberewarded,promoted,or,attheveryleast,keptworkingbytheiremployers.Littletimeorattentionneedbeaccordedtoextracurricularcareerdevelopment.Youtookcareofsomeoneelse(yourboss),hetookcareofyou.Thatsimple.
Sometimeduringthe1980s,however,themusicdiedandtheAgeofLoyaltycametoanend.Nownoonecanmerelydo
Page49
herjobandtakeforgrantedit'llstillbethereevenaweekfromnow.We'veallgottohaveaplan.We'veallgottohelpourselves.
Self-SupportMindMap
OnewaytohelpyouspeedthisprocessalongmightbethroughaSelf-SupportMindMap.
Haveyoueverheardofamindmap?It'sacreativitytechniqueforexploringanissuebyopeningituptotheartisticcornersofyourbrain.It'sanonlinear,daydreamishapproachthattakestheperspectiveofproblems-as-discovery.Italsoletsyouexamineanissueovertimebyallowingforongoinginputsandideas.
YoucanconstructyourownSelf-SupportMindMapbyscrawlingthewordsHowISupportMeinthecenterofasheetofposterpaper(ortwoormore8½by11sheetsofpapertapedtogether),asshowninFigure3-1.Usingmarkersorcrayons,mapoutviatentaclesorwavylineskeycharacteristics,vexingproblems,goals,potentialsolutions,nextsteps,andsupportiveresources.
Attheendofeachlineortentacle,youmightwritesuchcategoriesas"Careerdesires,""Personallife,""Educationalinterests,"ActionsImusttake,''Peoplewhocanhelpme,"ResourcesIcancallon,"andsoon.Thenyoudrawpicturesalongeachlineand/orshootoffsecondarylines/tentaclesfromthemainlinestodenotesubpointsandsideissues.
Forexample,subpointsof"Educationalinterests"mightinclude"Finishingmydegree,"Takingrelevantworkshops,""Readingmorebooks."You'llthenmakenotestoyourselfaroundthesepoints,suchas"Callcollegesforcoursecatalogs,""Gotolibraryandscancomputersection,"or"Checkwithadult-edcenterforrelevantworkshops."Someoftheseelements,orsubpoints,mightconnectnaturallywitheachother(say,"Readingmorebooks"with"Careerdesires").Ifso,runadottedlinebetweenthetwoandshowthe
connection.
Tomakethewholethingtrulycolorfulandfun,pasteinmagazineexcerpts,photos,quotes,andcartoons.Attachrelevantobjectsifthey'llfit:aribbon,abutton,afortunefromafortunecookie.Inshort,makeyourmindmapacollageofyour
Page50
Figure3-1.Sample"HowISupportMe"MindMap
Page51
thinkingandimagination.Letitgrowandgrowuntilyouhavethefullest,mostvibrantunderstandingofhowtoactivelysupportyourselfasyousuccessfullyadvanceyourcareer.
Tokeepyourexplorationofthisissuealive,takealookatyourmindmapeverydayandkeepaddingtoitorchangingit.Tapeitonyourbedroomorofficewall,whereyoucaneasilyseeit.Astimegoeson,yourSelf-SupportMindMapwillevolveorganically,aswillyourideasandresolveaboutachievingyourgoals.
AchievementDeficiency
Whatareyouproudof?Whataccomplishmentsinyourlifedoyourecallenthusiastically?Canyouimmediatelycomeupwithtwoorthreegoodones?Howabouttwentyorthirtygoodones?Ordoesyourmindinsteadgoblankwhenweasksuchquestions?Ifitdoes,you'reundoubtedlyavictimofanothercertifiedmemberoftheFearofFailureGang:AchievementDeficiency.
Adminsdisplayanotorious,almostgleeful,capacitytodiscounttheirabilitiesandachievements.Theyoftenassumethatanythingthey'vedonecanbechalkeduptoluck,ortosomeoneelse'shelp(theHelperMentality!),orthatataskthey'vedoneortalenttheyhaveisreallynothingveryspecial.InGivingAwaySuccess,SusanSchenkelcitesthisalltoocommoninnerbarrierasparticularlyingrainedinwomen.
"Therearemanywayswediscountourselves,"shewrites,explainingthat"whenwomenaresuccessful,itmustbeexplainedinsomeotherway."Schenkelcallsthisthe"femininediscountinghabit,"deprivingwomenofongoingpositivefeedback.Missingoutonsuchfeedback,shesays,locksoutinformationneededtomake"optimisticpredictions."Thispreventsconfidence-buildingandtheupgradingof"unrealisticallylowexpectations.''
Sheconcludesthat,totheextentwomenattributesuccesstoluck,easytasks,orotherpeople'sefforts,"wetellourselvesthatwearen'tincontrolofourenvironment."Hence,AchievementDeficiency,theideathatyou'veneverreallydoneanythingspe-
Page52
cialinyourlifeandprobablyneverwill.AchievementDeficiencydeclares,"I'mjustnotthatgood,special,orpowerful."
Younggirlsinparticularhavebeentaughttoheedthissign.Whileboysmaybeencouragedtoscaleawall,girlswillbeadvisedtonoteventryit.Theymightgethurt,fail,orGodfor-bidgetdirty!!
Oneofus(Ken)recallsdistinctlyacurriculumtrackinhishighschoolduringthe1960scalled"thecommercialcourse."Otherschoolsystemsbackthencalledthis"thebusinesscourse"oreven"thesecretarialprogram."Aboy,asKenrecalls,rarelyenrolledinthatcurriculumor,ifhedid,everyonewonderedabouthim.Anymalewhotrulydreamedofgettinginvolvedinthebusinessworldnaturallytookclassesin''thecollegecurriculum"andwentontohighereducation.Commercial,business,andsecretarialprogramswereforgirlsonly.
Smallwonderthenthatlegionsofadminsgraduatefromtheireducationalexperienceseachyearbelievingtheycancontributelittlemorethanmerelyhelpingouttheirmorehighlyachievingmalebosses.Eventhosewhounderstandthecounter-productivityofsuchthinkingstill"diss"themselvesbyplayingdowntheiraccomplishments.Somewherealongthewaytheylearneditjustwasn'tfeminine.Thus,muchofthedissingofadminsgetsreinforcedbytheirownwordsandactions.
AchievementRollCall
OnewaytogetthisFearofFailureGangmemberoffyourbackistogetmoreintouchwiththerealityofyourlifeachievementstothinkaboutthem,writethemdown,readthem,certifythatthey'retrue.It'stooeasytoforgetthatyoureallydidthesethings,youreallydid.
Solet'slineafewupforinspectionandpaythemsomeheed.Ontheaccompanyingworksheet,listatleasteightprofessionalachievements.Ifyoucanthinkofmore,grabanothersheetofpaper
andlistthemtoo.
Besideeachachievement,notethereasonsyoufeelgoodaboutwhatyouachieved.Whenyouhavefinishedmakingthislist,readon.
Page53
Achievements WhyYou'reProud
1._______________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________
3._______________________________________________________
4._______________________________________________________
5._______________________________________________________
6._______________________________________________________
7._______________________________________________________
8____________________.___________________________________
Howdidyoudo?Didyoucompletethelist?Ifyoudidn't,gobackandcompleteitnow.Yes,yes,youhaveindeedachievedatleastafewgreatthingsoverthecourseofyourcareer.Nowgobackandthinkharder.
LookingatYourList
Nowhowdidyoudo?Webetyousurprisedyourself!Didyoucomeupwithmoreachievementsthanyouthoughtyouwouldbeforeyoustarted?Whatreasonsdidyoucomeupwithforeachachievement?Whatdoyourreasonssayaboutyou,aboutthekindofpersonyouare,aboutyourcapabilities?
Yourcompletedlistwillpaintapictureofaverypowerfulhumanbeing.itshowsyourcapacityforaccomplishingmostanythingyousetyourmindto.Canyourememberhowyoufeltbeforeyousetyoursightsontheseeventualachievements?Maybeyouwerescared,anxious,self-doubting.Butyoupushedthroughtheseinnerbarriersanyway;youfaceddownyourfearsandmadeitthrough.
Well,guesswhat?Youcandothatagain.
Mostpeople(notjustadmins)findthisassignmentdauntingatfirst.Ifyoudidn't,ifyoujustenjoyeditandmustered
Page54
yourenthusiasmforitandcompleteditquickly,thenscoreabigfatA-plusforyourself!Ifyoustruggledwiththelist,butyoupushedyourselfthroughtocompletingitanyway,yougetanA-plustoo!
Ifyoudidn'tcompletethelist,though,it'stimeforyoutodoso.Look,weknowyoucandothisandsodoyou.Justgobackthere,younglady,andfinishup;it'sallgoingtobefine.We'llleaveyourA-pluswaitingforyouhereontheedgeofyourdesk.Pickitupwhenyou'redonewithyourlist.
Recordingyourachievementsandtakingnoteofthepersonalabilitiesyouemploytomakethingshappencanhelpyoukeepyourpersonalpowerinview.Wheneveryoufindyourselfdoubtingyourtalentandpotential,justwhipoutthislistandtakealookatit.Bythen,you'llundoubtedlyhaveanewachievementortwotoaddtoit.
Byregularlyrenewingyourunderstandingabouthowcapableyouare,you'llalsorenewandreinvigorateyourconfidenceinattainingyourcareer(andlife)dreams.
TheOverwhelmFactor
Howdoyoulikethetitleofthissection?Doesn'tTheOverwhelmFactorsoundlikeamoviestartingMichaelCaineandBrendaVaccaro?MichaelCaine'saBritishagentdashingthroughthebusy,rainystreetsofLondon,pullingBrendaalongwithhimasshetriestoholdontoherbroad-brimmedhat.BigBenistollinginthebackground,butthey'vegottogettoScotlandYardbeforethebombgoesoffinBuckinghamPalace.Gettheretoolate,andit'scurtainsfortheQueen,England,andtheEmpire....TheOverwhelmFactor,aMiramax/UnitedArtistsrelease,comingthisChristmastoavideostorenearyou.
Wellsurprise!theOverwhelmFactoractuallyreferstoyetanother
memberoftheFearofFailureGang,anotherinnerbarriercommontoadmins.Anddoublesurprise!wehavearealmotionpictureinmindthatwillhelpdescribetheOverwhelmFactor:thefilmWhatAboutBob?,popularafewyearsback.
Page55
Inthis"screwballAmericancomedy,"astheadsliketosay,RichardDreyfussplaysanotedpsychiatristwhohaswrittenabest-sellingbookcalledBabySteps.Hehopesthemessageofhisbookwillhelpdaffy,neuroticBillMurraygethislifeto-gethersothathewillleaveDreyfussandhisfamily,vacationingatalakeresort,alone!ButneedweaddthatdealingwithaBillMurraycharacter,itdoesn'twork?That'sallwe'regoingtosayaboutthemovie'splot.
Interestingly,backhereinreallife,wefindthemessageofDreyfuss'sBabySteps"book"veryinstructive.Wethinkthemovie'swritersreallyhadsomethingthere.
Feelingabitoverwhelmed,anyone?Havingtroublewithwhatlifeseemstohavehandedyou?Yousayyou'veseentheBigPicturebutyou'renotsureyoucanhandleit?
Yoursolutionissimple:Takeafewbabysteps!
Manyadminsstopthemselvesintheirtrackswheneveranobstacleintheircareerpathloomstoolarge.Thoughadminswillthinknothingoftakingonlarge-scale,derring-doprojectsfortheirbosses,stayinglateuntilallhours,tunnelingthroughmountainsofpaperwork,typing,spell-checking,filinguntilthecowscomehome,they'lllessfrequentlytakeonthesamechallengesforjustthemselves.That'swhenalltheotherfearskickinatthesametime.FearofFailure,FearofSuccess,theHelperMentality,AchievementDeficiencytheyallshowup.
Sotakebabysteps.Onestepforward,that'sit;stretchonefootoutinfrontofyou,that'sright.Nowputitdownagain.Goooood!You'regettingtheidea.
Nowtheotherfoot.Iknowthisfeelsshakybut,ahhh,that'sit,getitoutthere.Goodagain.ByGeorge,Ithinkshe'sgotit!You'retwostepsforwardnowwouldyoutakealookatthat!You'reonyourway!
Whenfacedwithaseeminglyoverwhelmingproject,breakitdownintostages,steps,ortinypieces.Whatmayseemlikeoneheckofanimpossibletaskcanactuallygetaccomplishedwithaconsiderablylighterloadofstress.Youmightnotevenknowforsurewhereyou'rereallygoing,whattheendoftheroadyou'reonwilllooklike.Butonethingyouprobablydo
Page56
know:Youcan'tstaywhereyouareandmakeeverythingchange.
SoremembertheoldChineseadage:"Ajourneyofathousandmilesmustbeginwithasinglestep."Rememberthateachnewstepbringsyoucloser.Evenbabysteps.
MyLifeasaTempformermaleadminCarySchwartz
Nowahighschoolmathteacher,Can/SchwartzworkedforKellyServicesasatempearlyinhiscareer.Hequicklymovedintothecreditindustryandlater,aftergoingbacktoschoolforamaster'sdegree,intohighschoolteaching.Hereflectshereondifferencesbetweenmenandwomenheobservedduringhistempingdaysanddifferencesheseestodayinhisclasses.
"Ididn'ttypeandIwasmale,soIguessthatpeggedme.Ididn'tgetmanyassignmentsinhighlyvisibleplaces,likereceptionlobbiesorassomeone'spersonalsecretary.Theyseemedtoputmeinalotofbasementsinstead.
"Iremembermuchofmytempingdaysassototallymindless.OnejobIhad,I'dbelookingupcustomerinformationinthesebiggiantlogbooks,hundredsandhundredsofpages.Thereweren'tanycomputersinthiscompanyyet(itwasabout1987),somyjobwastophysicallylookupacustomer'snameandverifythattheinfowascorrect.Isatwithanothertempalldaylong,andweboththoughtthejobwashysterical.Weseemedtobelaughingalldaylong.
"AnothertimeIwasstationedinahugeroomwithsomekindofweirdgiganticcircularfilingunitthatkeptswingingaroundincircles,inandoutofthewall.Peoplewouldcomeinandhandmeafileandbarkatme.'Filethis,'they'dsay,thenwalkout.Thatwasthewholejob.
"Thentherewasajobinwhichtheyputmeinaroominthebasementofthisbank,andtotellyouthetruthIcan'tremembernowwhatthey
wantedmetododownthere.AllIcanrememberisthatifIdidn'thavearadioondownthere,Iwentnuts.
"OftheothertempsI'dmeet,Ididn'tsensealotofultimategoalsintheirlives.Iwasusuallytheonlymaleand,lookingbackonit,nowthatI'vebeenahighschoolteacher,Ithinkthatmayhavehadalottodowithmale-femaleconditioning.Forexample,Inoticethattheboysinmyclassesarealwayslouderthanthegirls,andthat
Page57
intimidatesmanyofthegirls.Thegirls'workitselfisgenerallyofhigherqualitybuttheirparticipationsuffers,theirwillingnesstotakeachance,toriskfailureinfrontofothers.AndevenwiththeawarenessIhaveoftryingnottofavorboysovergirls,Istillseegirlsgettingedgedoutbytheboysandholdingback.
"Maybethat'swhatwasgoingonbackinthosetempjobs.Ialwaysknewtempingwouldnotbepermanentforme.IneversawitasanythingmorethanafunphaseasImovedontosomethingelse.
"Butforalotofthewomenwhodidit,Ithinktheyhadalreadygivenup.Itsometimesseemedtobeasenseof'whybother?'Thefewerrisksyoutook,thefewermistakesyoucouldmake.Whyspoilagoodthing?Thesejobswere'easy'and'comfortable.'Controlled,predictable,secure.Atleasttheyseemedthatway.
"Socouldschoolhavedoneittothem,thentheworkplace?Don'ttakeanychances,don'tcompetewiththeboys,don'teventry?Especiallyintheworkplacewhereitwasonlyfuntomebecauseitseemedsoabsurd.Iknownowthatifyoucaninjectsomefunintoalearningatmosphereandtakeawaytheconsequencesofbeingwrong('You'refired]'or'Youfailed!'),thenpeoplewillbewillingtotryanything,toexperiment,tolearn."
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:NancyCassesso
Currently:Salesassociateforoffice-andschool-supplycompany,maintainingaccountswithestablishedcustomersandmarketingnewproducts
Adminskillsusedtoday:"Ifcustomerscalledandneededsomething,asanadminIwouldhelpthemout.Idoessentiallythesamethingnow,onlyIdoitoutoftheofficeaswellasinside.Adminwork
helpedmeunderstandhowtohandlepaperworkefficiently,howtoprepareforameeting,andhowtorespondquickly."
Howchangewasmade:"Iheldmyselfbackforalongtime.Thisjobwasactuallyofferedtomeafewyearsago,whenIwasworkingforthecompanyasanadmin,butIturneditdown.Ididn'tthinkIcouldhandleit.ThingschangedwhenIstartedtakingmorerisksinmylife,bothprofessionalandpersonal,andbelievinginmy-
Page58
self.Nowwhenpeoplesay,'I'mjustasecretary'or'I'monlyanadmin,'Igetannoyed."
Bestadviceforadmins:"Exploreanyandallpossibilitiesthatintrigueyou.You'llneverknowwhatyoucandountilyoutry."
Page59
4What'sUniqueAboutYou?Imagineyouareholdingamega-lotteryticketinyourhand.Yes,weunderstand:You'dnevereverbuyalotteryticket;that'snotyourstyle.Weknowthat.Youthinklotteriesaresuchalongshot,nooneeverreallywinsthematleastnooneyou'veevermet.Certainlyyoucouldneverwin.
Evenso,let'ssuppose,onawhim,inararefitofinsanity,youboughtaticketearliertodayforthisweek'supcoming,stupendous$56millionjackpot.Thedevilmadeyoudoit.
Nowit'stimeforLotteryLive!onTV.Again,weknowyou'dneverbecaughtdeadwatchingthisfive-minuteon-airhomagetolegalizedgambling,butforsomereasontonightyoudo.(ElDiabloagain!)Actually,youhadn'tplannedtobutyouwereflippingchannelsandsuddenlybabagazinga!there'sthesnazzyopeningjingleandhere'sthatticketyoupurchasedearlierthatday,rightthereonyourcoffeetable."Oh,whattheheck,"youthink."Iboughtthedarnedthing,didn'tI?Whynotseewhatcomesup?"
Amomentlater,thelotterymachine'sPing-Pongballsgozippingaboutintheircages,thendroponebyoneintopresetslots.Thenumber3comesdownfirst,then4,then3again.Youglancesomewhatbemusedlyatyourticket.Youhave3and4too,younotice.Ha-ha.Funny.Then,alittlestartled,younoticethatyourthirdnumber,likethatonthescreen,isalso3.
Despiteyourbetterjudgment,yourheartbeginstobeatalittlefaster.Yoursecondthreenumbersare5,7,and2.Surely,there'snochancethat...Thenextballonthescreendrops.It's5.
Page60
Isyourheartbeatingfasterstillnow?Youbetitis.Thenextballcomesdown."Itcouldn'tpossiblybeaseven,"yousayoutloud,thoughthere'snooneelseintheroom.WhatcouldIbethinkingof?Theballslidesintoplace.It's...7!
Holywinner'scircle,Batman!Ifthenextnumber'sa2,you'reamillionairefifty-sixtimesover.Lordabove,what'retheodds?Thelastballdrops."Me,me,me,"youcryoutloud.Thenyoustartchanting,"2,2,2,2."You'remorespiritualtonightthanyou'veeverbeeninyourwholelife."Please,God,please,"youpray.You'realsolikesomemaniacupontheroofofCaesar'sPalaceinLasVegas."C'mon,2!"youscream,''2,2,2,2!"
Theballslidesintoplace.Knowwhat?It'sa2!PeoplehearyouroarallthewaytotheFijiIslands."Iwon!Iwon!"Thatlotteryticketinyourclammy,shakinghandisworth56milliondollars.You'rerich!
Question:NowWhatWouldYouDoIfYouWereReallyRich?
Writedowneverythingyouwoulddointhefirsttwentyminutesofyournewfoundabundance.Keepyourselffightthereinthemoment,rightinfrontofyourTV,inyourlivingroom.Whatexactlydoyoudonext?
1.
2.
Page61
3.
4.
5.
Afteryou'vefainted,pickedyourselfup,calledfriends,spouse,family,yourgrocer,yourmailman,emptiedthatdustybottleofchampagneyou'vebeenkeepingaroundforever,thenwhat?
Thesceneshiftsnowtothenextmorning,meresecondsafterleavingLotteryHeadquarters.Yourfirstcheckhasbeendepositedelectronicallytoyourcheckingaccount.Nowwhatdoyoudo?
Listbeloweverythingyouplantodowithyourwinningsinthefirstyear.Aftertaxes,yougetabout$1.5millionthisfirstyear.(Canyoumanageonthat?)Hereandonthenextpage,listabsolutelyeverythingyoucanthinkof.Everything.
Page62
Haveyoulistedeverything?Haveyougonethroughpayingoffdebts,buyinghousesandcarsforfriendsandfamily,squirrelingasizablesumawayinthebank?Haveyoupurchasedtraveltickets,playedlotsofgolf,boughtallthesoftwareyoucouldn'taffordbefore(orvitaminsoroutfitsorbaubles)?Haveyoupackedyourkidsofftothefinestuniversities,securedseasonticketstotheballetoryourfavoriteprofootballteam?Whenwesayeverything,wemeaneverything!
Onceyou'veimaginedeverythingyoumightpossiblydowithyourwinningsandyoujustcan'timagineanythingmore,considerthisnextscenario:
Sayit'saTuesdaymorning.You'vegottenupasusualinyourpurpleminkbathrobeandyourgoldlamebedslippersandyou'verungoneofyourmaidstohurryupwithyetanotherfabulousbreakfastinbed.Ho-hum,salmonsouffléandcaviarjellyontoast.GuavajuiceflownindirectfromTahiti.CoffeedeliveredpersonallybyJuanValdez.Whateverdothesimplefolkdo?
Anhourlater,asyou'rerelaxingbyyourOlympic-sizeswimmingpoolandgazingattheducksinyourpersonalpond,theonenexttoyourprizewinningrosegarden,youaskyourselfaquestion:WhatamIgoingtodotoday?
You'resickofpackingandrunninginandoutofhotelsandgettingonandoffyourprivatejet.Sotravel'sout.
Shopping?Please...aroyalbore.Besides,you'vegoteverything.
Page63
Movies,theater,asportingevent?Seenit,doneit,beenthere.
Todayyouwanttodosomethingdifferent.Youwanttogivesomethingthistime,contributetotheworld,takeonachallenge.Youwanttowork.
Whatdoyoudo?Whatwouldyouwanttodo?Remember,thesky'sthelimityou'refilthyrich.Allyou'vegottodoischooseitandit'syours.Youcanchooseanything.Sochoose,already!
Inthisspace,writedownanythingthatcomestomind.Don'tbeshy;don'tworryifit'srealisticorattainabletoyounow.Justplayalongwithus.Anythingthatcomestomindwillbejustgreat,thankyou.Thenresumereading.
Choice1.OwningaCompany
Nowonthelinesbelow,writedownthenamesoffiveactualcompaniesthatyou'dlovetoown.Orlistfivetypesofcompaniesyoumightliketoownforexample,adirigiblemanufacturer,acorn-huskingservice,amagazineconglomerate,agourmetcoffeeshop,avideostore.Yourchoice.
1.2.3.4.5.
Whatcompaniesortypesofcompaniesdidyouchoose?Remember,you'retheboss.Youcanchooseanykindofcompany
Page64
andrunitthewayyoulike(withinlegallimits,ofcourse).Thinkaboutwhyyouchosethecompaniesyoudid.Whatattractedyoutoeach?Wasitthecompany'sproductorservice?Wasitthewaythecompanyisrun(workingconditions,customerservice)?Wasittheindustrythecompanyisin?
Onthelinesbelow,summarizetheprincipalelementsthatattractedyoutothecompaniesyouchose.
1.2.3.4.5.
Choice2.GoingBacktoSchool
Nowconsidergoingbacktoschool.Remember,moneyisnoobject.Infact,youcan'tstoplaughingwhentheadmissionsclerkasksifyou'dlikeafinancialaidapplication.Hardy-har-har!That'sagoodone,Norton!
Onthelinesbelow,writedownalistofcoursesyou'dliketotake,degreesyou'dliketoearn.Iftherearespecificschoolsyoumightliketoattend,jotthenamesoftheseschoolsdownaswellonthesamelineasthecourseordegreeprogram.You'llgetintoanyschoolyouapplyfor,remember.Moneytalks.
1.2.
Page65
3.4.5.
What'smostimportantherearethecoursesandthedegreeprogramsyouchose.Theyofferyoucluestothetypeofworkyoumightliketodonext.Sowhichcourses,whichdegreeprograms?Whatexactlyappealstoyouaboutthesecourses?Doanyrelatetothecompaniesyouchosetobuy?Isthereanythemeorpatternemerging?Whichsubjectsdidyouchoosethatsimplysoundasifthey'dbealotoffuntostudy?Remember,youdon'tneedtowork,butyoucanifyouwantto.Sinceyouwouldn'tbedoingitforthemoney,whatkindofworkwouldbejustlikeplay?
Below,summarizethereasonsyouchosetheseschoolsandcoursesofstudy.Placeheavyemphasisonwhyyourchosenstudiesmightbefun.
1.2.3.4.5.
Choice3.ContributingtoaCause
Nowconsidercontributingheavilytoacause.Don'tjustthrowyourmoneyaround,though.Thinkaboutsomethingyoucouldreallycareabout.Whatkindofaworldwouldyoulikethistobe?Whatsocietalproblemwouldyouliketosolve?Whatsufferingwouldyouliketoerase?Whatkindofboostwouldyouliketogivesomeone?
Onthenextpage,listfivecausesyouwouldcontributeto.Placeafigurefortheamountofyourcontributionafterthenameofeachcauseororganization.Don'tforgettosignthecheck.
Page66
1.2.3.4.5.
Sowhogetsyourlargesse?Whatcausesdidyouchoose?Whateveryoudecideherecouldhavetremendousimpactonthekindofworkthatwouldbemeaningfultoyou.Itcouldofferyouapersonalsenseofcontributiontotheworldthroughyourworklife.Whyshouldworksimplybecarryingoutotherpeople'sorders,otherpeople'svisions?Whatkindofaworlddoyouwant?Whynotimplementyourvaluesthroughyourwork?
Below,summarizeyourthoughtsaboutthekindofworldyouwanttohelpcreateandhowyoumightliketocontributetoyourvisionthroughyourownefforts.Don'tworryabouttheultimaterealizablenessofyourvision.Ifwedon'ttry,wehavenochanceofsucceeding.Justthinkhereaboutwhatyoucareabout.
1.2.3.4.5.
Choice4.TradingPlacesWithSomeoneElse
Nowhowabouttradingplaceswithsomeoneelseintheworkworld?Youcandothisifyouwantto,right?Justbribesomebodytoletyoudotheirjobforawhile.(Everyonehastheirprice,right,Moneybags?)Whomwouldyouchoosetotradeplaceswith?Whomdoyouenvyfortheworktheydo?.
theydo?.
Onthenextpage,listfivepeopleyou'dbeexcitedtotradeplaceswith:
Page67
1.2.3.4.5.
Whomdidyouchoose?Wasitpeopleyouknowpersonally,orwasitpeopleyou'veobservedfromafar?Whatappealstoyouabouteachperson'swork?Whywouldhavingtheirskillsandcarryingouttheirlineofworkmeansomuchtoyou?Summarizeyourfeelingsaboutthesequestionsbelow.
1.2.3.4.5.
AssessingYourChoices
Nowreviewallyourresponses.Lookthemoverandnotehowtheyconnectwitheachother,feedoffeachother,supporteachother,evencontradicteachother.Ifanydocontradicteachother,couldthisseemingcontradictionbeseeninapositivelight?Howcouldyourcontradictionsbecomplementaryorcombined?
Here'sanexample:Supposeyounoticeyou'reinterestedinfarming.Youloveallaspectsofitcows,sheep,agriculture,thebarnsandtractorsandfarmimplements.Youalsowanttowork
Page68
indoors,however,inanicecozyofficesetting,withquietelevatorsandbrassydoorhandlesandpersonalcomputers.Howcouldyouworkonafarmandstillgotoworkeverydayindoors?
Considersomeideasbelow.Playaroundwithyourthoughts.Letyourimaginationrunfree.Anyideasarevalid.Justconsiderwhatkindofoptionsyoucancomeupwiththatwouldaccommodatebothfarmingandworkingindoors.
1.2.3.4.5.
Finishedbrainstorming?Webetyoucameupwithsomeprettywild(andyetfeasible)ideas.Hereareafewofours:
YoucouldworkforagovernmentagencysuchastheFarmBureau.
Youcouldworkinthemainheadquartersofalargecorporatefarm.
Youcouldbeafieldinspectorwhovisitsfarmsfromtimetotimebutdoesn'tspendeverydayonthem.
Youcouldworkinafarmmuseum.
Youcouldworkforafarmers'lobbyinggroupinWashington.
Getthewaythegameisplayed?Atfirstglance,wedon'talwaysseehowourseemingcontradictionscanbeaccommo-
Page69
dated.Buttheyalwayscan.Ourimaginationscanbeprettypowerfulinstruments.Useyourstoday.
"MyWorkInterests"MindMap
Abouttimeforanothermindmap,wouldn'tyousay?Withallthesenewthemes,ideas,patterns,clues,directionsrunningaroundinyourheadnow,you'vegottogetahandleonthem.Whatbetterwaythana"MyWorkInterests"MindMap?
Placethewords"MyWorkInterests"inthecenterofasheetofposterpaper,orusethespaceprovidedintheframeonthenextpage.Runenoughlinesortentaclesoutfromthecentertorepresentallofthecategorieswe'vehadyoureview.Remembertospinoffanysubcategoriesorideasforexploringeachmaincategory.Addlotsofpicturesanddoodlesandconnectwhateverneedstobeconnectedwithdottedlines.Youknowthedrill.Thisshouldreallygetyoumoving!Fromhereon,it'sgoingtobefun,fun,fun!
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Intermission
Feelfreenowtogetup,stretch,goouttotherefrigerator,ortakeawalkoutside.We'llberesumingouractioninjustafewminutes.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Heythere,everyone!Goodtoseeyoubacksorefreshedandrevitalized.Whatdidyoucomeupwith?Asbefore,noticeanythemesthatrunthroughyourmindmap.Whatkindofworkinterestskeepcomingatyou?Whatkindofconditionsdoyoufindyouwanttoworkunder?Whatkindofpeopledoyouwanttoworkwith?Whomdoyou
wanttoserveascustomersorclients,andwhy?Whatkindofpersonalsatisfactionwillyoureapfromyourworkcontributions?
Areyoucomingupwithanycrystal-clearanswersyet?Isanythingleapingoutatyou?Ifso,congratulations!You've
Page70
"MyWorkInterests"MindMap
Page71
beguntoidentifythekindofworkyou'dliketomoveto.You'rewayaheadofthegameifyoucandothisnow.Goodforyou!
If,however,youranswersarestillnotquitesoclear,don'tfret.We'renotthroughyet,notbyalongshot.Maybe,though,youcandiscernafewclues.Ifso,tuckthemawayforfuturereference.Clues,asDetectiveColumboorNancyDrewwillattest,arewhatgetusdowntheroadtowardacompletesolution.Andyes,youwillgetthere.Justkeepcollectingyourcluesanddepositingtheminyour''MyWorkInterests"MindMap.Yourunderstandingoftheworkyouwantnextwillgrowandgrow.Don'tgiveuptheship.
What'sUniqueAboutYou.
Sofar,we'vebeenguidingyoutowardanswersthatwillhelpyouknowwhatnewworkyoumightwanttodo.Wethinkthat'sthebestplacetostart,incontrasttomoretraditionalapproachesthatbeginwithwhatyouhavethusfardemonstratedyoucando.Whileit'svaluabletobeclearaboutwhatyourskillsareit'scertainlypartofthemixthatdefineswhoyouareandwhatvalueyouholdinthemarketplacesuchknowledgedoesn'tassistyoumuchinmovingtoanewlineofwork.Forthat,you'vegottoknowwhatexcitesyou.
Yourdemonstratedskillsatbestrepresentonlyasmallsliceofthepotentialyoucarryaroundwithyou.Theydon'tspeaktoyourcapacityforlearningnewanddifferentskills,basedonyourtalentsandenthusiasm.Focusingonlyonskillsmerelytrapsyouinlimitingthinking.
That'swhyyoumustbecautiouswhenyourlovedones,friends,colleagues,evencareeradvisers"wisely"cautionyouaboutthelongoddsofyourbreakingoutofthepink-collarghetto.They'reonlytryingtohelpwhentheysaythingslike:
"It'satoughjobmarketoutthere."
"You'vegottobecrazytoleaveagoodjoblikethis."
"Allyou'requalifiedtobeisanadmin."
"You'dhavetostartatthebottomifyouswitchedfields."
"Whywouldanyonehireyouforajoblikethat?"
Page72
"Maybeyoushouldjusttryforanexecutiveadminposition."
"Iwouldn'twanttoseeyougethurt."
It'sniceofthemtowanttohelp,buttheproblemisthatsuchadvicedoesn'thelp.Forthemostpartitkeepsusfocusedonwhatwe'vedoneinthepastandnotonwhatwemightaccomplishinthefuture.Itspeaksonlytoskillsandnottopotentialorundevelopedtalent.Whatthey'renotheedingishowfrequentlythesemoldsgetbrokenandhowstrongourhumanspiritreallyis.
Thoughnorecordsarekeptonhowmanypeopletrytochangetheircareersandhowmanysucceedorfailinthebargain,anecdotesaboundthatproveitcanbedone!Andeachtaleofsuccesspointstotheabundanceofhumantalentwaitingtobeputinmotion.Youareindeedmorethan"justanadmin"or"justasecretary."Youaresomuchmore.
TalentsandSkillsUnite!
Solet'sturnnowtoyourtalentsaswellasyourdemonstratedskills.Wewanttolookatthekindofworkyouwanttodoaswellashowfaryou'vecomeinshowingthatyoucoulddoit.Yourskills,aswe'vejustpointedout,tendtobefocusedonfirstandforemostbecausethey'reouttherethey'veservedasliving,breathingmanifestationsofyourcapabilities.Othertalentsmayhaveshowntheirfacesinyourworklifeaswell,althoughsometimesajobdoesn'tletusshowcertaintalents,whichthenliequietlyinsideus,waitingfortheirbigchance.Consequently,we'vegottoinventorytalenttooifwe'regoingtodefineclearlyallofwhat'suniqueaboutyou.
Talentsandskillsmustbeseennotasaboxtotrapyouinbutasexpansiveandversatilefacetsofyourself,applicabletomany,manysituationsandneeds.Onlyourinnerbarrierspreventusfromseeing
whereelseourtalentsandskillscancontribute.Ourimaginations,incontrast,unlockcloseddoors.
Listentoafewreflectionsofsuccessfulformeradminswho
Page73
sawthelightonedayandrecognizedthetransferabilityoftheirtalentsandskills:
Stephanie:"BackwhenIfirstlearnedtotypeinhighschool,Ididn'tseehowitcouldhelpmebeyondsecretarialwork.Thatwasthen;thisisnow.Withcomputersthenameofthegame,I'mwayaheadofeverybody.Itgotmeapromotionandacareerswitchintotheresearchlab."
Gilda:"Ihaveexcellentorganizingskills.Theyservedmewellasanexecutiveassistant,butnowthatI'minaccountmanagementtheysavemesomuchtime.Ilookaroundatmyco-workersandIseethemlateforappointments,forgettingtoreturnphonecalls,losingpaperwork.Thosekindsofthingsaretheleastofmyworries.Instead,Igettoconcentrateonwhatreallyneedstobedonewatchingourclientaccountsandkeepingclientshappy!"
Jamie:"Iwasalwaysgoodatgreetingcustomersandmakingthemfeelcomfortablewhentheyvisitedmyreceptionlobby.NowIdothesamethingasacustomerservicerepresentative,butIgetpaidalotmoreforit.AndI'veearnedsuchgreatperformancereviews,I'mnowbeingconsideredformanagerofthedepartment!Thosedaysworkingthereceptiondeskreallypaidoff!"
Patrick:"IwasalwaysporingoverthecompanybudgetwithmybossbackwhenIwashisassistant.Forsomereason,Ihadaknackforseeingdetailshedidn't,andheusedtoacknowledgemeforit.NowI'macorporatecomptroller.Budgetsherearemoresophisticatedthantheywerebackinmyadmindays,butit'schieflythesameactivity.I'mgoodatittoo.Ialwayshavebeen."
Everyonestruggleswiththenotionof"transferableskills"becauseit'ssohardtoseeourselvesobjectively.Yetwhenwestepbackandobservewhatwe'vegottenacknowledgedfor,whatwe'veshowna
"knack"for,webegintodefineouruniqueness.
Page74
"OnlyMe"Collage
Page75
"OnlyMe"Collage
Findaphotoofyourselfandpasteitinthecenterofasheetofposter-sizepaper,orusethespaceprovidedintheaccompanyingframe.Makeitonethat'sallsmiles.
Nowdraworpastearoundyourphotosymbolsorpicturesthatcharacterizeyourtalentsandskills.Figureoutwhatthesearebyanalyzingyourdailyactivitiesandbystudyingyourprofessionalachievements.Whathaveyoufoundthatyouaregoodat?Whathaveyoulearnedtodowell?Whatfunctionsdoyouperform,eventhoseyoudon'tfeelparticularlygoodat?Whathaveyoubeenpraisedfor,rewardedfor?Whathaveyoulearnedoraccomplishedthatyouneverthoughtyoucould?
Notehereanytalentsthatdon'tgetexercisedmuch(oratall)inyourworksetting.Maybethesearethingsthatyoudowelloffthejob.Maybeyoujustthinkyou'dbegoodatthemifgiventhechance.Lookbackatyourlistofpeopleyouenvyfortheirjobs.Dotheydothingsyouthinkyoucouldexcelat,ifgiventhechance?Pasteordrawthesetalentsandskillsin.
Usecut-outsfrommagazinesandnewspaperstosupplementyourimagination.Completethissegmentofyourcollage,thengoontoournextinstructions.
EnlistingYourFriendsandColleagues
Nowlet'sgetafewotherbrilliantmindsintotheact.Askyourfriendstocontributetoyourcollage.Whatdotheyseeinyouthatperhapsyou'vemissed?Aretheretalentsandskillsthey'veobservedinyouthatyouhaven'tdepicted?Showthemyourcollageandaskfortheircomments.Thenpasteincut-outsordrawintheirideas.
Next,dothesamewithcolleagues.Thesearethefolkswhoreally
knowhowyouoperate.Youmaybesurprisedathowsupportive(anddelighted)they'llbewhenyouaskfortheirhelp.Chooseonlypositive-mindedcolleagues,however.There'salwaysoneninnyineverygroupwholivesforthechancetodragyoudownintoadark,dankcareerpit.Stayawayfromhimorher!Youwantthistostayfun.
Page76
AnalyzingYourResults
Theoreticallyyoucouldkeepaddingtoandsubtractingfromyour"OnlyMe"Collagefortherestofyourlife.It'saprocessthatdoesn'thavetoend.You'reaneverchangingmasterpiecethatkeepsgrowing,learning,achieving.Keepthinkingofnewthingsandwatchingyourcollagechangeshape.
Butforthemoment,let'stakestock.What'syourfirstimpressionhere?Whatkindofapicturehaveyoupaintedofyourself?Whatskillsandtalentsareconfirmedinyourcollage?What'sherethatyouhadn'texpectedtofind?Doyourtalentsandskillssuggestausefulnessinanycareerareasthatappealtoyou?Doyourtalentsandskillssuggestcareerareasyou'dneverconsideredbefore?
Onthelinesbelow,makealistofallskillsandtalentsyouseeinyourcollage.Ifyourunoutofroom,keepgoingonseparatesheetsofpaper.Youwanttohaveasclearapictureasyoucanofwhat'suniqueaboutyou.Whileanyonespecificskillortalentwon'tbeuniquetoyou,thecombinationofallofthemwillbe.Inthenextchapter,we'llinvestigatecareerareasyoumightwanttopursue.Alongtheway,you'llwanttorefertothislistandcollage(which,remember,youcankeepaddingto).Indoingso,you'llpinpointtowhatextentyoupresentlydisplaythespecificskillsetortalentsetadesirablecareerrequires.
1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.
10.
Page77
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:ChantalWeaver*
Currently:FieldrecruitmentspecialistforTJMaxx,thenation'sleading"off-price"retailer,helpingstaffnewstoresnationwideandworkingwithfieldrecruitmentmanagersontheiradvertisingcampaigns
Adminskillsusedtoday:Talkingtopeople,administrativework,phonework
Howchangewasmade:"I'dalwaysbeeninterestedinHRandinrecruiting,butIdidn'tknowwhichaspectofit.ItookanadminpositioninthetrainingdepartmentatTJMaxxwiththeideaofsegueingintorecruiting."
Chantal'sstrategyinvolvedconductinglotsofcareerconversationswithpeopleinvariousdepartments,pickingupinparticularonrelationshipsshedevelopedfromheradminposition."Peoplefromotherpartsofthecompanyhadtointeractwithourdepartmentatonetimeoranother."
Shealsofoundinherboss,MargBalcom,thenthecompany'sassistantVPofrecruiting,anoutstandingmentor.WhenshetoldMargwhatshewantedtodo,Margimmediatelyreplied:"OK,let'sgetstarted.Iwantyoutoscheduleonehouraweektomeetwithme,duringwhichI'llteachyouwhatyouneedtoknowtomoveon."
SaysChantal:"Thishadneverhappenedtomebefore.Inmypreviouscompany,theatmosphereforadminswhowantedtomoveonhadbeenverydifficult.Youweren'tencouragedtoexploreanewcareer.Heresupportmadeitselfavailableassoonasyouaskedforit."
ManysessionswithMargandmany,manycareerconversationslater,
apositionopenedupintherecruitingdepartmentandChantalwasreadyforit.Shescoredhighinherinterviewandgotthejob.
Bestadvicetoadmins:"Ihighlyrecommendmeetinglotsofpeopleandtalkingtoanyonewhoworksinanareayoumightliketotransitioninto.Ifyourcompanydoesn'tencourageit,doiton
*Author'snote:Afterourinterview,ChantaladvancedhercareerfurtherbyacceptinganewpositionwthHewlett-Packard.
Page78
yourowntime."SheexplainsthatinherpreviouscompanyshehadgottentoknowVPsandmanyothersbymeetingthemforlunch.
Shealsodescribesaprojectshe'dinitiatedatTJMaxx,arelocationresourceguidefornewminorityhires,thatbroughtherintoworkingcontactwiththerecruitingdepartment:"Iputaroughdrafttogetherandmetwiththerecruitingdepartmenttolearntheirthoughts.ThatwaytheygottoseewhatIcoulddoandIlearnedmoreaboutthem."
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:GwenChampion
Currently:Directmailmanager,SimpsonDesign,Inc.,Tulsa,Oklahoma
Adminskillsusedtoday:Coordinationoftasks,keepingdeadlines,planningandlookingaheadtoupcomingprojects
Howchangewasmade:"I'dbeenfeelingforalongtimethatwhatIdidwasn'tallthatdifferentfromwhatI'dseenothersdoinginthecompaniesIworkedfor.Myjobmighthavepaidlessandreceivedlessstatus,butmanyofthemanagersIobserveddidthesamethingsIdidchattingwithpeople,arrangingmeetings,makingdecisionsonthespot.
"Oneday,ItoldmybosswhatI'dbeenfeeling.IsaidIwaswillingtodowhateveritmighttaketomoveahead.I'dgobacktoschool,I'dtakeonextraprojects,whatever.
"Shesaidshe'dbeenwaitingformetocometoherandaskforherhelp.Sheexplainedthatshesawittobeherjobtoguideanyoneonherstafftonewplacesintheircareer,butsheinsistedonwaitingforthemtoinitiateit.'You'renotreallycommitteduntilyousayitoutloud,'shetoldme,'andasksomeoneforhelp.'
"Afterthatsheintroducedmetomanypeople,keptmeawareofopportunitiesinthecompany,tutoredmeinhowtonegotiateforanewposition,andencouragedmetogobacktoschoolatnight(whichIdid)."
Bestadviceforadmins:"Neverbeafraidtotalktopeopleaboutyourambitions.It'seasyforadminstofeelasthoughtheyhavenorighttoanyambitions,thatthey'vebeenselectedforthislotinlife.Youmaybeafraid,butgoaheadanyway.Tellyourselfyoudeservesomethingbetter."
Page79
5WhatCanYouContribute?It'seasytodownplayhowvaluableweare.It'salltooeasytootounderratetheskillsandexpertisewebringtoourjobs.Wegoaboutourworkdaytoday;wegetbetterandbetteratitbutfailtorecognizehowmuchimprovementtakesplace.Theeasewithwhichweperformoursometimescomplicated,alwayssophisticateddutiesreplacesouroriginalmazeofconfusion,awkwardness,anduncertainty.Noonecomplimentsusmuchanymoreaboutwhatwedo;noonetellsuswe'remakingprogress.Wejustplodalong.
Forthemoment,then,let'skickbackandwaxphilosophicabouttheroleyouplay.Haveyoueverthought,forexample,aboutyourworkin"larger"terms?Haveyouacknowledgedyourselflatelyfortheindispensablecontributionyoumakeinyourworkplace?Canyouseehowmuchlesseffectivethewholeoperationwouldbewithoutyouyoupersonallyasapartofit?
Asanadmin,youprobablygetschizophrenicsignalsabouthowvaluableyouaretoyouremployer.Ontheonehand,you'retold,"Icouldneveraffordtoloseyou,""You'remyfightarm,"and"Wecouldneverhavedoneitwithoutyou."Ontheotherhand,shouldyoucomearoundaskingforaraise,moretimeoff,orgreaterresponsibility,suddenlyyourbossesandcolleaguespulltheirwagonsinacircle."Butyou'rejustasecretary,"youhearforthesixmillionthtime.Orhowaboutthese:"There'snomoneyinthebudget,""Twoweeksoffisthebestwecando.""Alotofgirlswouldlovetohaveyourjob."
Page80
Smallwonderthenthatmostadminsthrowuptheirhandsatthethoughtofcareeradvancementandresignthemselvestoafive-clay-a-weekpressurecookerfortherestoftheirworkinglives.Contributiontosociety?Personalvalue?Forgetaboutit!
Ifyouwanttoadvanceyourself,you'vegottohackyourwaythroughthisthicketofmixedmessagesandmakeyourwaytoaclearing.What,infact,doyouwanttocontribute?Whatkindofalegacydoyouwanttoleavebehind?Istheresomethingaboutwhoyouareandwhatyoudoforothersthat'sespeciallymeaningfultoyou?
DreamingofRetirement
Topeoplewholovetheirwork,dreamsofretirementneverenterthepicture.Whenpeoplebelieveinwhattheydo,whentheyfeelthattheworldgainsgreatvaluefromtheircareercontributions,theyscornretirement.Notdoingwhattheydowouldbemorestressfulthandoingit.
TakeGeorgeBums,forexample.Whenhewaseighty-five,heannouncedhe'djustsignedafive-yearcontractwithCaesar'sPalaceinLasVegas."Imaginethat,"hesaid."Fiveyears!Imaginemesigningacontractofthatlengthoftimewithanybody!"Afterhiscustomarypuffonhiscigar,hedroppedhispunchline,''NormallyIneversignacontractforlessthanten!"
GeorgeBurnshasneverunderstoodwhypeopleretire.Heloveswhathedoes,seeingtheeffectitmakesonhisaudiencesnightly.Heclearlyknowshiscontribution.
Whomelsecanwecite?HowaboutBobHope,BillyGraham,JimmyCarter,LionelHampton,andMotherTheresa?OrthelateLinusPauling,JessicaTandy,BuckminsterFuller?Wekeeponworkingwheneverweseeclearlyourimpactonothers'lives.Itmakesour
workworththetrouble.
Asanexperiment,let'ssupposeyouareheadingforyourretirementparty.Let'simaginethatyou'rebeingdriveninalimousinetowardthebigeventalldeckedoutinyourfinestthreadsandlickingyourlipsatthethoughtoftonight'ssumptuousfeastandthepresentsamassingonagifttable.Hundredsofguestswillbustleabout,eagertohonoryou.
Page81
It'sgoingtobeaswelltime,youcanbetonit,butasyousettlebackinyourlimo,youbegintowonderwhatthespeakerstonightaregoingtosay.Oh,youknowthey'llhavegreatthingstorecallaboutyou.They'lltoastyouandtelleveryonehowgreatyouare.Butwhatexactlywilltheysay?
Youwatchthetreesoutsideglowinginthetwilightasyoubeginthinkingaboutwhatyou'dlikethespeakerstosay.You'rethinkingaboutwhatyou'vetriedtodoinyourlifeandtheeffectyou'vetriedtohave.Afterawhile,you'vegotitprettywellsetinyourmindhowyou'dliketoberemembered.
HowWouldYouLiketoBeRemembered?
Hereandonthenextpage,jotdownafewtributesyou'dliketohearaboutyourselfduringspeechesatyourretirementparty.Keepinmindthesequestions.Useaseparatesheetofpaperifyou'dliketolistmore.
1. Whatkindofanimpacthaveyoutriedtohaveonpeople'slives?____________________________
2. Whatspecificcontributiondoyouwanttoberememberedfor?_____________________________
3. Inwhatwayshaveyoutriedtoimprovetheorderofthings?_______________________________
4. Whatvaluehaveyoutriedtoaddtothewaythingshavealwaysbeen?________________________
Page82
5. Whatproblemshaveyoumosttriedtosolve?_________________________________________
TheArrivalof"TheJob"
Nowthatyou'vethoughtaboutyourskills,talents,andcontributions,it'stimetoconsiderconstructinga"partnership."Intheworkworld,theconceptofpartnershipisanoldoneinsofarasitisconsideredanarrangementbetweenindividualentitiesofequalstature.Ithas,however,laindormantthroughoutmuchofthiscenturyascorporatehierarchieshavedevelopedandstratifiedtheworkworld.Yetseeingyourselfasequaltowhomeveryoumightnextworkfororwithwillbecrucialtoseeingyourselfassomeonewhoseuniquenesscanstaypowerfulandcontinuallymarketable.
Intheoldendays(theveryoldendays),partnershipsweremorecommon.Workerspliedtheirtradewithothersofsimilareconomicmeansandsocialposition.Farmer,tinsmith,black-smith,weaverwhateveryourstationyougenerallyranyourownbusiness,soldgoodsorservicestoavarietyofclienteleinthetownandcountryside,andpurchasedortradedgoodsandserviceswiththosewhoprovidedsomethingyoucouldn'tsupplyforyourself.Thoughkingsandlordsdwelledhitherandyon,forthemostpartpeopleengagedincommerceinaspiritofequalitywithinthesamegeneraleconomicclass.Becausemostpeople'slaborwassovisible,sodown-to-earth,they,ofcourse,couldalsoseeclearlyhowtheirworkcontributedtothegeneralwelfare.
Somewherealongthewaycame"TheJob."Itallstartedoutinnocentlyenoughalittlemachineshophere,acraftscooperativethere.Somehow,though,asthenineteenthcenturycrankeditselfintoafrenzy,workplacesbegantogetbiggerandmore
Page83
strongbodieswereneededtohaulobjects,fitpiecesofthingstogether,screwonbolts,andthenrepeatallthesetasksoverandoverandoverfrommorningtilldusk,dayafterday.
Peoplebegantomigrate,too.ThepredominantworkmodelbecameaMonday-through-Friday(orSaturday),forty-plus-hours-per-week,fifty-weeks-per-year"job"slot,compensatedwitha"livingwage"(incontrastwiththeoldideaofafeeforservices)andtwoorthreeweeks'"vacation"(whichusedtobetakenwheneveronewanted,throughouttheyear).Somejobslotsevenoffered"benefits"suchashealthcare,aretirementplan,andlifeinsurance.
Whatatfirstglancemighthaveseemedprogress,however,insidiouslystoleagreatdealaway.Asindividualworkerswereplacedintonarrowjobslots,theysufferedadisconnectionwithwhattheirworkreallymeant.Theystoppedexperiencingthesatisfactionofthecustomerattheendoftheline.Intheautoindustry,forexample,aworkermightdrillaholeintoonecornerofacar'schassisforeightorninehourseachday,fiveandahalfdaysaweek,fiftyweeksayear.Thiscouldgoonyearafteryear,decadeafterdecade."Whatdoyoudo?"anautoworkerwouldfindhimselfbeingaskedatasocialgatheringoronthestreet.He'dlikelyhavetwopotentialresponses:"Idrillholes"or"IworkforGeneralMotors."Never:"Imakecars."Hedidn'tmakecars,atleastnotinhisownmind.Hemightseethemdrivingalongtheroad,butthatwasafarcryfromthehole-drillingdutiesheperformedeveryday.
It'snotsurprising,then,thatthisdisconnectionwouldbefeltbytoday'sadminstoo.Astheprofessionofadministrativeassistanthasgottenmoreandmorespecialized,manyadminsfindthemselvesunsureofwheretheyfitin,ofwhattheimpactoftheirday-to-daydutiesreallyis.Whenpeoplearejustdoinga"job"thatis,aseriesoftasksdefinedbysomeoneelseratherthandirectlyaffectinganend
result,(customers),theycometofeellikereplaceablecogsinagiganticmachine.Theycertainlydon'tseethemselvesasequalpartners.
TheDisconnectionDilemma
ConsiderthecaseofJoanie,anadministrativeassistantwithalargeresearchfirm.Joaniespendsherdaystypingupresearchre-
Page84
portsonstudiesofchemicalspills,environmentalhazards,recyclingplants.Althoughsheinputsthesereportsintolargedatabases,someoneelseanalyzesthemandanadministrativeassistantinanotherwingofthebuildinginputstheresultsofthatanalysis.
Finalreportsgoouttotheclientcompany,generallyabiggovernmentagencywhereanotherstaffofanalyststhinkaboutthem,puttogethertheirreactions,andthenhaveapooloftheirownadminsinputthisnewreportintoyetanothercomputer.Somewheredownthelineareportbasedonallthisanalysis,reactiveanalysis,andreactivereactiveanalysisgetsdeliveredtothePresidentoftheUnitedStates,orthesecretaryoftheinterior,ortheundersecretaryoftheinterior,ormaybetotheStateDepartmentortotheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.BasicallyJoaniehasnoideawhereitallendsup,andlongagoshegaveupcaring.
"Say,Joanie,"weholier,"whatdoyoudoforaliving?"
"Ityperesearchreportsintoacomputerallday,that'sall."Hey,whatelsecanshetellus?
PartnershipstotheRescue
There'sawayoutofthis"disconnectiondilemma,"sostaywithus;we'releadingyouthere.Ifyoukeeplookinginsideyourself,definingnotonlyyourskills,talents,andabilitiesbutyourpassionsandcontributions,youcancreatepartnershipsinyourworklifesimilartothosethatexistedbeforetheAgeofJobs.Onceyoudothat,you'llfindyourselfintouchwiththemeaningandimpactofyourworkcontributionsandthusexperiencemoregenuinesatisfactionfromwhatyoudo.
Inordertoachievethis,you'vegottonowgobeyonddefiningyourownuniquenessandnextidentifywhowantsorneedsit.Withwhom
canyoupartnertocreateawin-wineconomicexchange?Whohasaproblemthatyoucansolve?HowcanyoupeddleyournewlyID'dskillsandtalentssothateachofyouinthispartnershipwins,thatis,soyou'llfindyourselfwithworkthat'smeaningful,challenging,lucrative,andenjoyableandyourpartnerwillgainaservicethatadvanceshis,her,oritsgoals?
Youmayhavetobreaktheboundsofconvention,perhaps
Page85
eventhewayyou'vebeenbroughtup.Ourparents,afterall,wereallbornandraisedintheAgeofJobs.Thatmeanstheybecameacculturatedtoattitudesandbehaviorsassociatedwithhowtobeasuccessfulemployee.Manyoftheseruncountertohowtobeasuccessful"partner."Sowe'vegottolearnnewwaystothinkandact.
Tohelpyoureconditionyourself,considerthefollowingstatementsmadebyprofessionalsintoday'sworkworld.Whichseemintunewiththeprinciplesofwork-worldpartnership,andwhichwithbeingagoodemployee?Recordyouranswerbycheckingtheappropriatebox.
Harriet:"IknowwhatI'msupposedtodoeachday.That'sonegoodthingaboutwhereIwork.Mybossalwayshasitclearlylaidoutformepackagingmail,upgradingthesoftware,recheckingcorrespondence.He'sextremelywellorganized."
Employee?_ Partner?_
Debby:"I'mconstantlyonthelookoutfornewprojects,newthingsIcanlearnfrom.Itdoesn'ttakemuchextraefforttofindthemeither.Ijustkeepaskingpeople,'HowcanIhelpyou?'andtheytellme!"
Employee?_ Partner?_
SueEllen:"I'vegotthisideaforanewwaytogreetcompanyvisitors.Insteadofjusthavingthemsigninatthereceptiondesk,wecouldhandthemacompanybrochureandofferthemcoffeewhiletheywait.Wecouldspreadgoodwillandpromoteourselveswhilewemakethemalittlemorecomfortable.I'vealreadysuggestedthistoouroperationsmanager."
Employee?_ Partner?_
Thelma:"IknowI'mgoodatwhatIdo.Iworkovertime,takeworkhome,dopersonalerrandsformyboss.Igowaybeyondwhat'sexpected.SowherearethosetwoextrapersonaldaysI'veseenotherpeopleonmylevelget?AndwhyamInot
Page86
beinggivenmoreresponsibilityandauthority?Ithinkitmaybetimetospeaktotheunionaboutallthis."
Employee?_ Partner?_
Alexandra:"I'vebeenwantingtomoveupfrommyjobforalongtime.Iworkinafinancialinvestmentscompany.Mygoalistobecomeacertifiedfinancialplanner.Istartedasatempthreeyearsago,mostlyasafilingassistant,butI'vebeentakingcoursesatnightinfinancialplanningandInevermissaguestspeakeratlunchorachancetositdownwithoneoftheinvestmentcounselorsandpicktheirbrains.IfeelconfidentIcanbeaverygoodplanner.I'vejustgottoconvincesomeonetoletmeintothetrainingprogram."
Employee?_ Partner?_
Lucy:"Well,Ilikethat!Howdarethey?Iputinforatransfertogofromtheaccountingdepartmenttothemarketingdepartmentsixmonthsago,andnowIseethey'vehiredtwelvenewpeople,allfromtheoutside.AfterIsubmittedthatapplicationIneverheardanotherword.Idon'tthinkthere'sachanceinhellforsomeonelikemetoadvanceinthiscompany.It'shopeless."
Employee?_ Partner?_
Theanswerstothisexerciseareprettyobvious.Wetriedtomakethemthatwaybecauseweweremoreinterestedinmakingclearthecontrastbetweenanemployeementalityandapartnermentalitythanintrippingyouup!Sowe'llscoreallofyouanAonthislatestquiz.
Asyoucansee,theemployeetendstobepassiveandwillingtofollowordersandjustdowhat'sexpected(likeHarriet).Whenshe
doesgobeyondminimalexpectations,shedoesthingslikefilloutapplicationsandfollow"proper"procedures,andthenshefaultsotherindividualsortheentiresystemwhennoonenotices(Lucy).Sherefusestotakerisksandfeelsjustifiedinnotdoingso.Therationaleseemstobethataslongasshe'sdoingwhatshe'sbeentoldtodo,sheoughttobetakencareof(Thelma).Theemployeeattitudeisoneofentitlement.
Page87
Apartner,instead,intuitivelyknowsthatnoone'sgoingtotakecareofher.Sheseesthattosucceedandadvanceshehastogetherselfnoticedbyinitiatingideasandgoingoutandfindingsomeoneinauthoritywho'llpayattention(Debby,SueEllen,andAlexandra).Noone'sgoingtomakeiteasyforher;shejusthastobelieveinwhatshe'sdoingandriskrejection.
Apartner'sideamightbetocontributeanimprovementtoacurrentsystem,likegreetingvisitorsinthereceptionlobby(SueEllen),oritmightbemorepersonal,suchasgettingenrolledinacompanytrainingprogram(Alexandra).Apartneralsoappreciatesthevalueofhelpingoutbyaskingcolleagueswhattheyneed(Debby),thengettinginvolvedinwhateverchallengesthatwillgiveherthechancetogrow.Sheenhancesherprofessionalvalueinthemarketplacebythisbehaviorandaffordsdecisionmakersanopportunitytoseewhatshecando.
HowtoBethePerfectPartner
Inbusiness,everyone'salwayslookingforaperfectmatch.Wherecanwefindcustomerswhowantourproductorservice?Doesyourresumématchthejobrequirementsspelledoutinthathelpwantedad?Howdotwobusinesspartnerscomplementeachotherthatis,dotheirindividualskillsandtemperamentsadduptoagoodteam?
Youmustalsolookforamatchwhenexploringnewdirections.Whatproblemsorneedshavebeenwaitingforsomeonetocomealongandhelpwiththem?Whenyoufindone,you'llnextwanttoask,"Couldthat'someone'beme?"
IntheChinesewrittenlanguage,thesymbolforcrisisalsosignifiesopportunity.Thatisthewayyouwanttobethinkingwhenyouscurryaboutinsearchofyourmatch.Specifically,askyourselfthesequestions:
"Whatproblemsatmyplaceofworkneedtobesolved?"
"Whatprojectshavebeenonhold,waitingforsomeonetohelpgetthemstarted?
"Whatnewideascoulddramaticallyimproveprofitsandcustomerrelations?"
Page88
"Whatnewsystemscouldbeimplementedthatwouldspeedupserviceand/orcutcosts?"
Thesequestionsshouldgiveyouthegeneralidea.Anyhelpyoucanofferyourcompanyoradepartmentormanagerthatwouldimprovethewaythingsarecurrentlydone,orincreasebusiness,orsolveamajorproblem,orfillaneed,orgetsomethingstartedmaybean"opportunitymatch"waitingtohappen.Adecision-makergetsbusyatworkanddoesn'talwayshavethetimeorenergytopayattentiontoeverythingthatneedstobedone.Hisorhersecretprayeristhatsomeonewillsuddenlycomealongandoffercompetentassistanceandasackfulloffreshideas.That'swhereyoucomein.
FindingThatPerfectMatch
Oneday,SharonCasey,anadminfortheVPofoperationsatabiotechfirminSouthCarolina,findsherselfsittingatlunchwiththecompany'slabtechnicians.Beforelong,she'slunchingwiththemtwoorthreetimesaweekandtalkingwiththemabouttheworktheydo.Afteraboutamonthofthis,Sharonrealizesshe'sbeenreallylookingforwardtotheselunchesandthatshenevertiresofhearingaboutprojects,adventures,andthemishapsoflifeinthelab.
Shebeginstowonderabouttransferringthere.Atfirst,shefiguresallshecanhopeforisadministrativework,sameassheisdoingnow.ButPhyllisandKatearethelab'stwo,andtheydon'tseemtobeplanningonleavinganytimesoon.
Onedayatlunch,oneofthetechniciansmentionsaresearchprojecthe'sbeenwantingtogetfundedforalongtime.Hefeelscertainthathisideameetsallthecriteriarequiredbythepertinentgovernmentagency,buthe'sbeensoswampedlatelyhehasn'tbeenabletocompletethepaperwork.
Boing!Sharonhasabrainstorm.
"Tim,"shebegins,takinghimaside."IthinkImightbeabletohelp.Whatiflworkedwithyoutocompletethepaperwork?I'msureifyoujustshowedmehowtofillintheformsIcoulddomostofitforyou.Wecouldgetenoughofyourproposalinshapesoyoucouldfinallysubmititforfunding."
Page89
Timhasbeenlookingforthetimetospendonthisforsomemonthsnow,nottomentionsomeonewhocouldtypeandmakesenseofthecomplicatedgovernmentforms.Sharon'sofferisadreamcometrue."Ireallyappreciatethis,"hesays."Yes,ofcourse,I'llacceptyourhelp.But,Sharon,mayIaskwhyyouwouldbedoingthis?It'sonlygoingtocostyoumoretimeandtroubleonyourend."
Sharonhasaclearresponse."Tim,I'vebeenlunchingwithyouandyourcoworkersforoveramonthnow,andIcan'tbelievehowfascinatedI'vebecomewithwhatyoualldo.Infact,it'sgottenmemoreinterestedinwhatthewholecompanydoes.LastweekIreadourannualreportcovertocover,andI'veevenbegunsubscribingtoacoupleofindustrytrademagazines.Isometimesimaginemyselfworkingintheresearchdepartmentbecauseitsoundslikesomuchfun.IguesswhatI'msayingisthis:IfyoueverhearofanypositioninthelabthatImightqualifyfor,I'dlovetobeconsideredforit."
Timthinksforamomentandthensays,"Youknow,ifthisfundingcomesthroughforme,I'llneedaresearchassistant."ButterfliesbeginbumpingupagainstthewallsofSharon'sstomach."Youmightneedtodosomeadminworkforme,"hecontinued,"butthere'ddefinitelybelabworkI'dneedhelpwithtoo,whichyoucouldlearn."
Sharonhadfoundherperfectmatch.She'dhungoutwithfolkswhointerestedher,begunreadingandlearningmoreabouttheworktheydid,andkeptherearsopen.Oncesheheardaboutaproblemshecouldhelpwith,shevolunteeredherservices.Thenshemadeknownherpersonalgoals.Bythatpoint,hernewpartner,Tim,hadbecomemorethanwillingtohelpherout.
Now,weknowwhatsomeofyoumaybesaying(especiallythe"employee-minded"):"Hey,KenandBarbara,thisallsoundsgreat,butscenarioslikethiscomealongonceinalifetime.Reallifeismuchlessgenerous."
Isthisreallyaone-in-a-millionscenario?Isitunlikelyyouwouldeverrunacrossasimilarsituationinyourlife?WasSharonCaseymerelylucky?Theanswerstoallthreequestionsareno.Scenariossimilartothisonehavehappenedtomany,manyofourclients.Mostofthem,bytheway,alsostartedout
Page90
disbelievingsomethinglikethiscouldhappentothem;yet,aftertheygottheircareeradvancementcampaigningear,somethinglikeiteventuallydid.
However,bywayofpayingslighthomagetoyourskepticism,letusaddthefollowing:Althoughthiskindofscenecanplayitselfoutaseasilyaswe'vedepicted,andalthoughitwilldosomuchmoreoftenthanyoumightthink,never,never,neverexpectitto.Yousee,expectationtendstofosterpassiveframesofmind.Wesometimesgetalittletoocomfortablewhenweexpectsomethingwillhappen.Wedon'ttryashard,doasmuch.Ifyoudon'tbelieveus,checkoutthedictionarydefinitionofthewordexpect.Amongtheentriesyou'llfind''towait,"await,"and"toconsiderprobableorcertain."
Whenitcomestocareeradvancement,you'vegottoputoutaneffortof100no,makethat1000percent!Therearesomanypotentialforksintheroad,ruts,fallenrocks,discouragingwords.Youcan'tletyourguarddownforoneminute!Passivityhasnoplace,nordoeswaiting,feelingoverconfident,orgettingtoocomfortable.
InsteadfollowthestepsSharonCaseytook:
1.Observe.Whatdoyounoticethat'snotworkingwellinyourcompany?Whatcouldbeimproved?Youdon'thavetohavealltheanswersinhandatfirst.Youjustneedtodevelopaknackforspottingproblems.
2.Locatewho'sinchargeoftheproblem.SharonheardTimgrousingaboutaprojecthecouldn'tfindtimetogetofftheground.Hisprojectsoundedlikeitneededaskill(helpwithpaperwork)shecouldofferhim.Thatwashercue.
3.Decideifthere'saroleyougenuinelywanttoplay.Ifthereis,makeyourwantspublic.IfSharonhadheardofasimilarneedintheaccountingorthemarketingdepartment,wouldshehavevolunteered
tohelptheretoo?Probablynot.Herexcitementwasfocusedontheresearchlab.That'stheplaceshewantedtoendup.Tim'sneedforherhelpofferedtheopeningtogetherthere.
SniffingOutTrouble
There'sacardiothoracicsurgeonatoneofNewYorkCity'smajorhospitalswho'sbecomerenownedaroundhisoperating
Page91
roomforsniffingouttrouble.Manytimeshe'llaskastaffphysicianornurseaboutamatterthatdoesn'tfeelrighttohim,thensensethatthestafferisunabletodiscovertheproblem.Onsuchoccasions,Dr.Bobmutters,"There'ssomethingwrongaroundhereandI'mgoingtofindoutwhatitis."Thenheproceedstodoso.
Youshouldemulatethissurgicalbloodhound.Fortunately,forusandtheworldingeneral,therearealwaysproblems.There'sanabundanceofneedstofillandtherealwayswillbe.That'swhyyoucanfeelconfidentacareermatchisinyourfuture.Youjusthavetolookforit.
Onthenextpage,puttogetheranewmindmapfocusingonhowyourcompanyisdoing.Youcanincludegoodthingsyourcompanyisdoingifthatwillhelpgetthejuicesflowing,butdon'tforgettoincludeanyproblems,needs,orcrisesthatcometomind.Writeyourcompany'snameinthecenterandbranchoutwithyourwavylinesandtentaclesasyoudidinpreviousmindmaps.Justseewhatyoucomeupwith.
[Note:Ifyouarethinkingofmovingtoanothercompany,orifyouareunemployedandtargetinganumberofcompanies,useonlyoneofthesecompaniesforthisexercise.Tousethemallmightmakethemindmaptoocomplicatedandconfusing.]
Read
Yournextstepistoread.Getholdofthecompanyannualreport,thecompanypresskit,thecompanynewsletteranyinformationthatthecompanypublishesaboutitself.Readthismaterialthoroughly.Takenotesasyouread.Noticethoseareasthecompanyisinvolvedinthatinterestyou.Askyourselfifyoucouldimagineworkingonthisorthatproject,orinsuchandsuchadepartment.
Next,getalittlecritical.Doyouagreewitheverythingyou'rereading?Doyoudisagreewithanythingthecompanyisdoing,orthe
wayit'sdoingit?Canyouspotanyflawsinthecompany'sthinkingorstrategy?Didyounoticeanymissingpieces?Putthewholecompanyunderyourmicroscope.
Gobackandaddyourlatestthoughtsandideastoyourmindmap.
Page92
"CompanyEvaluation"MindMap
Page93
MoreStufftoRead
Inadditiontowhateverprintedmaterialsyoucangetfromthecompany,hustledowntoyourlocallibraryandseewhatyoucanfindthere.Lookupbooksandmagazinearticlesnotonlyonyourcompanybutonyourindustry,onsimilarcompanies,andonthefieldorprofessionyou'rebecominginterestedin.Ifyou'renotsurehowtofindallofthis,steprightuptothereferencedeskatyourlibrary.Tellthereferencelibrariansittingtherethatyou'redoingsomecareerexplorationandyouneedsomehelpgettingstarted.Beforelong,thatreferencelibrarianwillbecomeoneofyourbestfriends.Don'tforgettosendherafruit-cakearoundtheholidays.
Tosupplementlibraryresearch,besuretoregularlycruisemagazinestandsandbookstores.Librarieswon'talwayshaveallthebestperiodicalsorallthelatestbooksonasubject.Keepaucourantbydoingyourownadvancework.Youmightendupsuggestingtoyourreferencelibrarianothermaterialsherlibraryreallyoughttohave.She'llthankyouforit.
Andoneotherpointofinformation:Inthesehigh-techtimeswemustpayattentiontotheemergingtechnologiesthatallowustobringlibrariesandbookstoresrightintoourhomes.Ifyou'rehookeduptoan"on-lineservice"(AmericaOnline,Prodigy,orCompuserve,tonamethebetterknown),you'llfindarticlesavailabletherethatyoucanreadon-screenandevenprintoutforyourfiles.Thesecansaveagreatdealofrunning-aroundtime,obviouslyawelcomebenefitsinceinyourregularadminlifeyouprobablydoenoughrunningaroundasitis.
Nowgobackandaddtoyourmindmapanyplansyouhaveforlibrary-typeresearch.Then,afteryouhaveimplementedyourplans,noterelevantfindingsfromyourresearchandaddthesetootoyourmindmap.Thisthingisreallygonnagrow!
CareerConversations
Mostbooksoncareerexplorationusetheterminformationalinterviewtoindicateatechniqueforlearningmoreaboutanintriguingjob,career,company,orindustry.Informational
Page94
interviewstypicallydenoteone-on-onequestion-and-answersessions,usuallyconductedinpersonataformallyappointedtime.Theinterviewer,eitherapotentialcareerchangerorajobseeker,asksthequestions.Theinterviewee,usuallyamanagerorotherexpertoradecision-maker,patientlyanswers.
Informationalinterviewstypicallytakeplaceintheinterviewee'sofficeforaboutthirtyminutes(orlongeriftheintervieweegetsonaroll),andwhenit'salloverbothshakehandsandtheinterviewerleaves.Thereallyconscientiousinterviewersmailthank-younoteswithinadayortwo.Mostofthetime,afterthat,thetwoneverseeorhearfromeachotheragain.
Wantouropinionofthisprocess?Threewords:Wehateit!Nottheprocessexactly,moretheformit'sconductedin.Here'swhy:
Informationalinterviewstendtolimit,notenhance,yourchancetobuildvaluablecareerrelationships.Theyare,inouropinion,constricting,limiting,andboxy.Theysetupadynamicbetweenbothpartiesthattendstostuntcontinuedgrowth:"OK,yougotwhatyouwant;goodlucktoya!"Thatmightaswellbewhattheintervieweehearswhensheleavestheinterviewer'soffice,becausethat'susuallytheattitude.
Theotherproblemwithinformationalinterviewsisthattoomanypeopleareouttheredoingthem!Manyprofessionalsthusgetbombardedwithrequestsforthemandendupformulatingcannedrejectionssothattheywon'tfindthemselvesgivingawaytoomuchprecioustime.Voicingyourrequestbyspecificallyusingtheword"informationinterview"raisesaredflagandsetssuchrejectioninmotion.
Asanalternativetotheinformationalinterview,wepreferwhatwecallthe"careerconversation."Canyouseeadifference,simplyinthe
toneofeachlabel?Informationalinterviewsbad!Careerconversationsgood!
Howwouldyoucomparethesetwotechniques?Whatdoesthenameofeachimply?Whydoyousupposewefeelsostronglythatacareerconversationwouldhaveitalloverthesomuchbetter-knowninformationalinterview?
Inthecolumnbelow,recordyourideasbycheckingoffwhichtechniqueseemstobetterfitthecharacteristiccited.Keepinmindtheverysoundofeachtechnique'snameasyoudeliberateyouranswers.
Page95
InformationalInterview
CareerConversation
Conductedfrequentlyonneutralground
____ ____
Two-waycommunication ____ ____
Couldbeloosetimeframe
____ ____
Generallybyappointmentonly
____ ____
Communicationveryformal
____ ____
Generallyonunfamiliarterritory
____ ____
IfyoucheckedthelinesunderCareerConversationforthefirstthreeandthelinesunderInformationalInterviewforthebottomthree,thenyouwerethinkingwhatwewerethinking.Youreadourminds!Tous,careerconversationsoffermuchmorelatitudeforgettingtoknowsomeone,sinceyoucouldbeconductingoneoff-the-cuffvirtuallyanywhereatasocialgathering,ataprofessionalevent,inthesupermarket,onthesidewalkoutsidethepostoffice.Goodcommunicationisatwo-waystreetyoutalk,theytalk,youtalkagain,theytalksomemore.There'saloosetimeframe,tooyourtalkingtogetherendswhenitends,whenit'stimetoend.Everybodyactsnatural.
Informationalinterviews,ontheotherhand,feeljustasthetitleimplies:stiff,formal,clinical.Youmeetonalienturf,whichhelpsyougettoknowyourinterviewee'ssurroundingsbutalsosetsupan
unequaldynamicforyou.It'sasifyou'rethispoor,work-worldwaif.Yougooutandmeetpeopleintheiroffices;theynevercometoyours.Communicationisoftensetupinaveryrigidformatyouquestionthebigexpertandhedeignstoansweryou.Withinalimitedtimeframe,ofcourse("Icangiveyoutwentyminutes,OK?");histimeislimited.(Butyoucan'thelpthinking:"Andwhatmine'snot?")
Aninformationalinterviewissooftensetuponsuchuneventermsthatit'sboundtofosteralowerself-imageonyourpart.That'sofcoursethelastthingyouneedasyouworktokeepyourspiritsandoptimismupduringyourcareerexplora-
Page96
tions.Instead,whatyouwanttofeelistheequalofotherprofessionals.Youwanttofeelthatthey'renotlordsorladiesonhigh,butcolleagues,teammates,andworkingstiffsjustlikeyou:potentialpartners.
WouldyoucallSharon'sexchangewithTimanIoraC?ItwasobviouslyaCalltheway!Infact,sinceshe'dbeenlunchingwithTimandhiscolleaguesformonths,Sharonhadbeenhavingroundsandroundsofcareerconversationswiththemforallthattime.Whatbetterwaytogettoknownotonlytheinformationyou'reseekingfrominformationalinterviewsbuttheprofessionalsthemselvesaswell?
You'vegottobuildyourrelationshipswithpeopleasyougatheryourinformation,asSharonhad.BythetimeTim'stimeproblemscametolightduringtheirlunchconversations,Sharon'sowncompetencehadbecomefirmlyestablishedinTim'seyes.CanyouimaginehowdifferenttheexchangemighthavebeenhadSharonexperiencedonlyabrief,stiff,twenty-minuteinformationalinterviewwithTimfiveorsixmonthsbefore?Canyouimagine?
SharonisspeakingtoTimoverthephone:
Sharon:Maybeyoudon'trememberme,butwemetfivemonthsagoinyouroffice.Foraninformationalinterview.
Tim:Urn,hmmm.Ican'trememberexactly.WhatcanIdoforyou?
Sharon:Well,I,uh,IheardyoumightbelookingforaresearchassistantsometimesoonandIwantedtoapplyforthejob.
Tim:Whatkindofexperiencedoyouhaveworkinginalab?
Sharon:Well,uh,nonereally.I'manadministrativeassistantoverhereinoperations.ButI'mverywillingtolearn.I'mveryinterested!
Tim:Well,youknowthefundinghasn'tcomethroughyet,andIdon't
knowwhenitwill.ButifyousendyourresuméovertoHumanResources,they'llholditforme.
Sharon:Yes,well,I'lldothat.Iappreciateyourtalkingtome.Thankyouverymuchforyourtime.I'llsendmyresuméouttoday.
Page97
Doesthephrasesnowball'schanceinhellcometomindatall?Lookforwaystogettoknowpeople,toreallygettoknowthem.Combineyourresearchtechniqueswithlessformalizedrelationshipbuilding.Youwantpeopletorememberyou,tounderstandwhatyoucandoforthem,tobewillingtotakeachanceonyou.Ifyourelyonmore-distant,-impersonalizedmethods,you'llcontinuallyhavetroubleclosingthegap.
"NeverFeelTrappedasanAdmin"
A"QandA"WithEthelCook
PrincipalofCorporateImprovementGroup,locatedinBedford,Massachusetts,EthelCookisaprofessionalorganizer,trainer,consultant,andmotivationalspeaker.Ethel,whowasanadminformanyyears,focusesherconsultingpracticeonteachingadminshowtoworkmoreeffectivelyaswellashowtoadvancetheircareers.Sheconductsaseminarcalled"ManagementSkillsforExecutiveSecretariesandAdministrativeAssistants"fortheAmericanManagementAssociation.
BarbaraLitwak:Howhasthejobofadministrativeassistantchangedoverthelasttenyears?
EthelCook:Inthepast,adminsranaroundtyping,doingerrands,answeringthephones,filing.Theystilldoallofthat,butnowtheydoalotmore.Muchadminworktodayisproject-orientedwritingreports,creatingspreadsheets,analyzingdemographics,preparingpresentations,doingpublicity.Adminsarethewaymiddlemanagersusedtobe.
B.L.:Thatsoundsasifitcouldopenalotofdoors.
E.C.:Ifyoubothertoeducateyourself,youcanreallybecomeanexpert,especiallyinareasthatarenew.Forexample,ifyoumakeita
pointtolearnallyoucanaboutnewtechnologiessoftwareprograms,theInternet,phonesystemsyoucanbecomethecompanyresourceperson.Everybodywillbecallingonyou!Thatmayjustifyyourbeinggiventhatroleasajob,elevatingyoufromadminstatus.Youcanmake
Page98
aproposalthatthejobof"resourceofficer"becreatedandthatyoushouldfillit.
B.L.:Howdidyoumovefromadminworktotheworkyoudonow?
E.C.:Ikeptgettingboredwithadminwork.Iwasalwayslookingforwaystomakethejobmorestimulating.SoIstartedtryingtohelppeople.Mymottowas,"HowcanIhelpyou?"ThatgotmetomakeaconnectionbetweenwhatothersneededdoneandhowIcouldfitin.OnedayIfoundmyselfteachingpeoplehowtofile,howtoorganizetheiroffices.Ididitasanemployeethen.NowIgetpaidaheftyfee.
B.L.:Soundsasifyourtransitionwentprettysmoothly.
E.C.:Notatall!Ittookalotofpersonalgrowth,aswellasnetworking,togetwhereIamtoday.Ispeakforalivingnow,butIcouldn'tdoitatallthen.Ijustdidn'thavehighenoughself-esteem.Butonceyoustartdownaroad,youhaveatendencytokeepgoing.
B.L.:What'sthenumber-onestrategyadminsshouldemploytoadvancethemselves?
E.C.:DowhatIdid:Findawaytofillsomeone'sneed,especiallythatofyourbossorsomeoneelseinauthority.You'lldevelopnewskillsandpeoplewillgettoseewhatyoucando.
Ioncehadabosswhowashavingalotoftroubledealingwithtwoothersecretariesinhisoffice.Theytendedtobehardpersonalities,veryconfrontational.Iwenttohimandsaid,"Ifyoudon'twanttodealwiththem,I'lldoitforyou.Justhavethemgothroughme."Ilearnedalotafterthataboutnegotiationskills,anditmademethemostvaluableadminthere.
B.L.:Whataboutwhenyourbossdoesn'twantyourhelp?
E.C.:Itdoeshappen.Iworkedforamanageronetimewhodidn't
evenwanttohavecontactwithmeorhisotherad-mins,letaloneanyextrahelp.IaskedhimoncehowIwasdoingandhetoldme:"Idon'twantyoutoaskmeanyquestionsdirectly.Putyourquestionsonpaper.IfIchoosetoanswerthem,Iwill.IfIdon'twanttoansweryou,I
Page99
won't."Thenhesaid,"AndIdon'twantyoutofollowupwithmeeither."Brrrr.
Whenyourunupagainstabosswhowon'tletyouhelphimwithextraprojectsandobviouslyisn'tgoingtosupportyouinyourcareeradvancement,lookaroundforsomeoneelse.AtoneplaceIworked,mybosswouldn'tspendthetimetomentorme.Hisboss,though,neededhelponsomethings,soIofferedmyservices.Istartedgettingsomerealplumassignmentsfromthat,whichexpandedthebreadthofwhatIknewaboutandcoulddo.Youmustneverfeeltrappedasanadmin,becauseyou'rereallynot.Wheneveryoufeelthatway,rememberit'sallinyourhead.
B.L.:Whatshouldyouaskforinreturnforhelpingoutothersinthecompany?Whatwillensurethatyou'lladvance?
E.C.:Training.Education.Learningthings.Ifyou'reinasmallcompany,takeadvantageoftheneedforeveryonetowearalotofhats.Takeonotherjobs.Ifyou'reatalargercompany,interactwithpeopleinotherdepartments,andnotjustwiththeotheradmins.Lookaroundforpeoplewhorespectyou.Beflexible,cooperative,ateamplayer.StayawayfromgossipcirclesandavoidNationalSecretariesDay.
B.L.:NationalSecretariesDay?
E.C.:IbelieveNationalSecretariesDayshouldbeabolished.Adminsandsecretariesareprofessionals.Whyaretheybeingsingledoutforaspecialday?DowehaveNationalEngineersDay?OrNationalManagersDay?Thisonlykeepsalivetheideaofthepink-collarghetto.It'slikethatoldcommercial:"PromiseheranythingbutgiveherArpége."Adminsdon'tneedflowersoranannualfreelunch;theyneedtraining,education,andgenuineopportunities.
TreatyouradminlikeaprofessionaliswhatIsay.Remember:
Flowersdie,lunchgetsdigested,butlearningstayswithyouforever.
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:MarciaMiller
Currently:Presidentofherownfirm,DesktopDesignandPublication,aLexington,Massachusetts,provideroftraininganddocumentationmaterials,productmanuals,andInternetsitedesign
Page100
Adminskillsusedtoday:Typing,officemanagement
Howchangewasmade:''Ihadtakenatypingcourse,whichhelpedgetmeajobasanofficemanagerforasmallengineeringfirm.AsitturnedoutIdidn'tdoawholelotoftypingbecausethecompanyreallyneededsomeonetoorganizetheofficeandkeepitrunning.I'dheardaboutthejobthroughafriendwhoworkedatthecompany.
"IwasmorefortunatethanalotofadminsorsecretariesinthatIalsohadacollegedegree;andevenbetterforme,itwasinscience.SoIwasreallyoverqualifiedforthisjob,afactthatbecamequicklyobvious.SoImoveduptheranksinaveryshorttime,firstfillingoutvariousHRfunctionsthatneededtobedone,thengoingontothepositionofmarketingmanager.WhenabigprojectinSaudiArabiacameup,Itookovertheproject'sadministration.Thatsolidifiedthemomentumofmycareer,andIneverwentbacktoadminworkagain."
Bestadviceforadmins:"Workinasmallcompany.You'llwearmanyhatsthere,soit'sagreatwaytogainmanydifferentkindsofskills."
Page101
6PositioningYourNewSelfforSuccessYou'vegottobecareful.Therearethosewhowillhelpyouandthosewhowillnot.Professionalsineverycomeroftheworkworldencounterthetendencyofotherstopigeonhole:
"You'reanengineer,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowaboutadvertising?""You'reinadvertising,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowabouttraininganddevelopment?"''You'reintraininganddevelopment,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowaboutfinance?""You'reinfinance,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowaboutengineering?""You'reanadministrativeassistant,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowabout...anything?"
Oursocietyoftenviewsadminsasflunkies,automatons,empty-headeddrones.It'sajob,manyassume,thatanyonecando.It'sjustnotthathard.
This,when,takentotheextreme,cangetdownrightdegrading.You'renotevenheldinthesameregardasotheradults,asBarbaraoncelearned.
WhileworkingattheprestigiousKennedySchoolofGovernmentatHarvardUniversityasanadmintoanenvironmentalconsultant,Barbarabecamefriendlywithaprofessorinanotherdepartmentwhoseemedtovalueherwitandprofessionalism,andtheytalked
Page102
frequentlyaboutK-Schoolissuesandalsoaboutworldissues,politics,lifeingeneral.Theyseemedtostrikeupaprettygoodrapport.
OnedaythisprofessorcalledBarbaratohisofficetodiscusssomething"inconfidence."Barbarahadbeenlookingforanewopportunity,sincehercurrentpositionseemedtohavereachedaplateau,andherprofessorfriendknewit.Maybehewasgoingtoofferhersomething.
Barbarasettledintoachairintheprofessor'soffice,andhegotrighttoit."MywifeandIaregoingoutoftownnextmonthforacoupleofweeks,"hebegan."I'veobservedthatyouseemtoberesponsibleandconscientious.Wouldyouconsiderwatchingourhouseandmindingourfourteen-year-olddaughterwhilewe'regone?"
Dumbfounded,butdiscreet,Barbarapolitelyrefusedwithanexcuseaboutbeingawayherselfduringthattime.Butinside,shebothragedanddespaired.Wasthatallhesawherasababysitter?
Yourimageasanadmin,then,hastobedealtwitheveryday.Asyoubegintobuildyourcareerrelationships,youcan'tbetoocarefulaboutensuringthatyou'reseenthewayyouwanttobeseen.Stereotypicalthinkingrunsdeep.Youmustalwaysaggressivelyclarifywhatyoucandoandwhatyou'relookingfor.Takenoprisoners.Evenyourverybestalliesmaywanttohelp,butnotknowhow.It'syourjobtoshowthem.
LeadingYourAllies
Whenwesayit'syourjobtoshowpeoplewhatyoucando,wemeanyouoftenhavetoliterallyleadthem.Demonstratetothemwhattheycandoforyou,thenshoutittotherafters."DoyouunderstandwhatitisIreallydo?"maybeoneearlyquestiontoaskanypotentialally.Shouldtheysayyes,askthemtoarticulateit.Verylikely,nomatter
whattheysay,theywon'tknowhowtopaintyourabilitiesandpotentialinasattractiveormarketableawayasyoucould.It'syourjobtohelpthemout,asMarisahastodo.
Page103
TheEducationofanAlly
MarisahasbeenworkinginamajormanufacturingplantinVirginia.Asshebeginsexploringoptionsinsidehercompany,shefindsherselfinterestedintheinspectiondepartment.Theideaofcheckingproductsamplesbeforethey'reshippedintriguesher,andshealsoenjoysthecamaraderiesheobservesinthedepartment.Theincreaseinpayforworkingthereappealstoheraswell.
MarisamakeslunchplanswithMerle,thedepartment'schiefinspector.AlthoughMerlehasnoauthoritytohireher,Marisafeelsthattalkingwithhimmaygiveheraclearerideaaboutwhatqualificationsthedepartmentmanagerisseekinginanewinspector.ShegetsMerletoacceptherinvitationtolunchsimplybybeinghonest.
"I'minterestedinlearningmoreaboutyourdepartment,"shetellshim."I'mcuriousaboutpossiblecareeropportunities,andsinceyou'vebeentherethelongest,I'dliketoaskyouafewquestionsoverlunch.Mytreat."
Merle'sfirstresponseisthathedoesn'tthinkthereareanyopeningsinthedepartmentatthepresenttime.Besides,hedoesn'thandlethehiringhimself.
"That'sOK,"Marisaresponds."I'mnotlookingtoapplyrightyet.Ijustwanttolearnmore."
"OK,"saysMerle."Howabouttomorrowateleven-thirtyinthecafeteria?"
Thenextday,astheysitdowntolunch,MarisaagainsummarizesforMerlewhyshewantstomeetwithhim.Asisoftenthecasewhenpotentialcareeralliesarefirstapproachedforhelp,MerleassumesthatMarisaisreadytoapplyforajob.Healsoassumesthatsheis
seekinganotheradminposition.
"Youknow,I'dliketohelp,Ireallywould,"hedrawlsinhisGeorgiaaccent,"buttobehonestIdon'tthinkourdepartment'ssecretarywillbeleavinganytimesoon.She'sbeenwithusthirty-fiveyears,andshetellsmeshe'shangingonforherretirement.That'saboutfiveyearsfromnow."
[TimeforMarisatoeducateMerle,again.Merle,likemostpotentialallies,needshertoexplainherintentionstwoorthreetimesbeforehe'llgetit.That'sbecauseMarisa'srequestisnottheusual,straightforward"Canyougetmeajob?"butratheranappealforMerle'sopinionsandguidance.Applyingforajobcomeslater.]
Page104
"Merle,"shebeginscarefully,"whatI'mactuallyinterestedinisleavingmyworkasanadministrativeassistantanddoingsomethingelse.I'vebeeninvestigatinglotsofoptionsrecently.Theinspectiondepartmenthascometointerestmethemost.Whoknows?MaybeI'llbecomeaninspectorsomeday,likeyou!"
Merlestabsataforkfulofsaladandshovelsitintohismouth.Chucklingalittlenervously,hesays,"Withallduerespect,Marisa,Idon'tknowifthiswouldbetherightjobforyou.Yousee,there'snotalotoftypingtodowhenyou'reaninspectorlikeme.You'vegottopayattentiontotinydetailsandhavegreateyesight.You'realwayssearchingfordefectsinthematerial.You'vealsogottomovelickety-splitwhenashipmentisreadytogoout.Thatrequiresanawfullotoffingerdexteritysoyoucanpluckoutthebadstuffatamoment'snotice.Canyouseethatyoumightnothavetherightskillsforthislineofwork?"
[NoticehowMerlehaspigeonholedMarisabytheadminworkshedoesnow.Hedoesn'tmeanto;heisjustcallingitasheseesit.Infact,he'dprobablybethefirsttosaythathehimselfwasn'tqualifiedformuchelsethaninspectionwork.It'sasiftheskillsandtalentsweutilizeinourcurrentjobscouldn'tpossiblybetransferredtoanyotherlineofwork.Fortunately,Marisahadspentoodlesoftimelisteningtous,sosheknowswhattodonext.]
"Merle,"sheasks,"doyouknowwhatIdo?"
"Well,"Merlerepliesconfidently,"1thinkIdo.Illunderstanditright,youtypeletters,answerlotsofphonecalls,andtakeafairamountofdictation.AndfromwhatI'veseenwhenI'vebeendownatyouroffice,you'redarngoodatittoo."
"Thanks,Merle,"Marisasays."I'vealwaysappreciatedanicecompliment."
"Notatall.Justbeinghonest."
"Butthoughyou'recorrectldotypeletters,answertonsofphonecalls,andtakealittledictationIalsodosomeofthesamethingsyoudointheinspectionroom."
Eventhoughhe'shardatworkonhisentreenow,Merleisstilllistening."Howso?"hewondersaloud.
"Well,thinkofitlikethis:WheneverItypealetter,I'mpayingattentiontotinydetails,justasyoudoinyourinspectionwork.I'vealsogottohaveagoodpairofeyessoIcanfindtyposandothererrorsontheseletters,nottomentionthatmyfingerdexterityneeds
Page105
toberightuptherewiththebestofthemsothatIcantypefast,collatereports,andoperatecalculators,postagemachines,andcopiers."Shepausestoletallthissinkin,thenfinisheswith,"Andasformovingfast,I'mlikeawildtornadowhenacallcomesdownfromthepresident'sofficeforacopyofoneofourreportsorsomething.Believeme,whenthepresident'sofficecalls,it'sallhandsondeck!Takingyourtimejustdoesn'tcutit."
Merleisimpressed."Hadn'tthoughtofitthatway,"hesays,swiggingthelastofhisdietsoda."Y'knowIcan'tsayifI'dbeabletodotheworkyoudoitsoundsprettyspecializedthewayyoutellitbutifyouwantmyopinion,I'dsaythatwithalittlebitoftrainingandsomemorepractice,you'ddorealfinedownintheinspectionarea!Whydon'tyoucomeoversomeafternoonandI'llshowyouaround.I'llintroduceyoutothebosstoo.He'sbeenthinkingaboutaddingonafewtraineesinthenextmonthortwo."
Seehowyoucan'ttakeanyone'sunderstandingofwhatyoudoforgranted?Inthesameregard,youcertainlycan'ttakeforgrantedthenotionthatotherpeoplecanautomaticallyenvisionyourvaluetothem.It'sgreatwhenithappensonitsownthatsomeonespotsyouordiscoversyoubutouradviceis,neverplanonit.Instead,youmustcarefully,methodically,patientlyleadyouralliesthroughthequagmireoftryingtoseeyouasthevaluable,evolvingprofessionalyouare.Yourimageasanadminbynomeansrepresentsallyoucando.
LeadingHR
Youwon'tnecessarilyhaveaneasiertimeexplainingyourselftohumanresources,butyoushouldplantoutilizethemanyway.Theyusuallyknowofpresentandfutureopeningsinthecompany.Still,you'llhavetoworkwiththemthesamewayasyoudowhenyou'rebuildingyourothercareerallies.HRfolksaretrainedtothinkinterms
ofdemonstratedskillsandpreviousworkhistories,soyourproposaltotakeonsomenewchallengeintheorganizationmaystillfallonperplexedears.Merle'sreactionsinmanywaysechoedthoseofthemostseasonedHRpro.What'sworse,HRwillwanttolookatyourresumé,whichoftenencapsulatesyourprofessionalcredentialsinawayyou'drather
Page106
notdisplay.YourresumésendstheHRspecialistszippingaboutthroughyourpastwhileyou'dpreferthemtohelpyouinopeningupyourfuture.
Itmightbeofvaluetoyou,then,totakeamomentandthinkabouthowyoumightexplainyour"transferability"toHR.Whywouldyourparticularadminskillsbea"plus"inanewcareerarea?YoucanreferbacktoMarisa'sexplanationstoMerle.Shecited,forexample,herskillwithtypingasaplusintheinspectiondepartmentbecauseitshowedhercarefulattentiontodetails.
Useanewcareerdirection(NCD)you'vebeguntothinkaboutasaguideforthefollowingexercise.Ifyou'restillconsideringanumberofnewdirections,chooseoneatrandomandusethat.You'llofcourseneedatleastarudimentaryunderstandingoftheskillsandtalentsyournewcareerdirectionentails.
MyCurrentAdrninSkills WhyaPlusinNCD
1._______________
2._______________
3._______________
4._______________
5._______________
6._______________
7._______________
8._______________
9.________________
10._______________
Page107
Tableisonpreviouspage.
Let'sreturnnowtoBarbara'sdaysattheKennedySchool.
Afterwrigglingoutofthatuncomfortableencounterwiththeprofessor,BarbarabeganpayingregularvisitstoHR.Initially,thesevisitsonlykeptthatdepartmentawarethatshewaslookingforsomethingelse,thatshewantedtotransfertoanotherdepartment.Timeandtimeagain,shewastold,"Nothingrightnow,Barbara,butwe'llletyouknow."
ButBarbarakeptcomingback.Overtime,shebuiltsolidrelationshipswiththeHRstaff,whogottoknowherpersonallyaswellasunderstandtheexactsituationshewaslookingfor.ThisallpaidoffwhenonedayacallcameintoHRfromoneoftheschool'stopdeans."Knowanygoodadministratorswhocouldworkinmyoffice?"heasked.TheHRassistantdirectorwhoansweredthephonethoughtofsomeoneimmediately."Wesuredo,"shesaid.Withinadayorso,Barbaragotthejob!
Seehowitworks?It'sallaboutadvertising,keepingyournameinpeople'sheads.Whenpeopleneedsomeonelikeyou,youwanttobethefirstpersontheythinkof.It'snosecret,afterall,whyBurgerKing,McDonald's,andWendy'sallvieforyourattentioneacheveningstartingaroundeighto'clock.Theywanttobethenumber-onefastfoodjointyourushofftowhenthoselate-nighthungerpangskickin.Theyknowyou'veheardtheirnamesbefore,buttheydon'twantyoutoforgetthemnow.They
Page108
workhardatbuildingarelationshipwithyoueverynightandwitheveryoneyouknow.
CuttoBarbaraagain,nownestledinthegorgeousColoradoRockies.
Thistimeourcareerheroine,joblessthoughfocused,targetedadvertisingashernextcareerdirection.Havingjustcompletedhermaster'sinmasscommunication,she'dbeenlookinghardforanykindofadvertisingpositionatallintheadmittedlylimitedmarketplaceofBoulder.
Hopingtogetajumponthecompetitionanywayshecould,shebegandroppingbytheofficeoftheBoulderDailyCameranewspapertocheckoutitswantadsbeforetheyevenhitthestreet.Bypoppingindayafterdayjustbeforenoon,shesoonbecamefriendlywiththeCamera'sreceptionist,Jean.
"Whatkindofworkareyoulookingfor?"JeanaskedBarbaraoneday.
Barbaraexplainedthatworkinginsomeaspectofadvertisingwasherdream.
Aboutaweekortwolater,Barbaracamebyjustalittlepastherusualtime.Jean,veryexcited,wavedherin."lwaswonderingwhenyou'dgethere,"shecried."There'ssomethingI'vegottotellyou."TheCameraitself,shesaid,wouldsoonbelookingforsomeonetostartasanaccountexecutivetraineeinitsadvertisingdepartment.Nooneelseknewaboutthispositionyet,sinceithadn'tbeenadvertised.
"And,"Jeanexplained,"itwon'tbeadvertisedifwefindsomeonetofillitfirst."
JeanthenintroducedBarbaratotheadvertisingmanager,whotookheraroundtomeettherestofthestaff.Beforetheweekwasout,Barbaralandedherfirstofficialjobinadvertising]Hercareerally,
Jean,withwhomshe'dbeenhavingdaily,off-the-cuffcareerconversations,hadcomethroughforher,hook,line,andsinker.
VisitingOtherDepartments
BacktoMarisanow.She'dmadeitapointtogettoknowsomeoneinadepartmentshewasinterestedin,thenfollowedupwithavisitthere.ShesawMerle'soperationforherselfandfur-
Page109
theridentifiedthatsheindeedwantedtoworkthere.Rememberthatsometimesthingsinlifefailtoliveuptoourpriorimages,andworkiscertainlynoexception.SoMarisaneededtophysicallyexperienceherpotentialnewworkplaceinordertoproceedtothenextstepofactuallyapplyingforajob.
Ofcourse,Marisahaditeasy,right?SinceMerlehadinvitedher,shedidn'tevenhavetoraisetheissue.Butthat'satypicalscenario:Onceyoubuildanenjoyablecareerrelationshipwithsomeone,theywillwanttohelpyouinanywaytheycan.They'lloftensurpriseyoubytellingyouaboutjobopenings,invitingyoutovisittheirdepartment(orcompany),introducingyoutoalltherightpeople.Merleofferedalloftheseandmore.
Itcangetevenbetterthanthat.Wetriedanexperimentonceduringacareerworkshopinwhichwesenteveryoneoutafterlunchtodocareerconversationswithstrangers.Notjustanystrangers,however,butspecificallywithstrangerswhoworkedinpositionsofauthorityatcompaniesourworkshopparticipantsknewtheydidnotwanttoworkfor.
"Choosecompaniesthatdothingsthatyoudon'tcareabout,"weinstructedthem."Anddon'tcallaheadforappointments.Justdropinunexpectedlyandasktospeakwithamanagerorsomeoneelseinauthority.Thenhaveacareerconversationwiththemforaroundfifteenortwentyminutesabouttheworktheydo."
Youcanimaginethepessimismandshakingofheadsintheroom.Aspeopleleft,fewbelievedtheywouldevergetaninterviewwithoutanappointment.Evenfewerimaginedanythinginstructivecouldcomeofthisassignment."WhywouldIwanttotalkatlengthtosomeonedoingworkIdon'tcareabout?"theywantedtoknow.
Threehourslater,everyonereturned,chattering,excited,bushy-tailed.
Beforewecouldgetoutourofficial"How'ditgo?"theybegantellingtheirstories.
"IgotrightinandspentanhourwithaCEO,"Johnsaid.
"Iwastreatedtoatourofacompany'sentirefacility,"Elizabethsaid.
"Imeteveryonewhoworkedforthiscompany,"Kathleensaid.
SaidAlicia:"Igotofferedajob!"
Page110
EveryoneturnedtowardAlicia.Foramomenttheroomgotquiet.Wecouldseelooksofshockonthefacesofmostoftheothers.
Suddenlyahalf-dozennewhandswentup."Igotofferedajobtoo,"someonesaid."Metoo,"saidanother.''Metoo.""Andme."
Tallyingtheresultsofthisexperiment,wefoundthatofforty-eightworkshopparticipants,fortyhadmanagedtogettheirimpromptumeetingswithpersonsofauthority,andsixofthesehadbeenofferedgasp!jobs!
Hadtheyaskedforthesejobs?Hadtheyfeignedinterestinworkingforthecompaniestheywerevisiting?Hadtheyannouncedthattheywerejobhunting?Hadtheyhandedoverre-sumés,turnedtheircareerconversationsintointerviews?
Allanswerstothesequestionswereno.They'dfollowedourinstructionstotheletter,lettingthedynamicsofhumaninteractiontakeover.Bysimplypresentingthemselvesinanon-threateningway,showingthemselvestobecuriousandenthusiasticindividuals,andtakingaseriousinterestinthecompaniestheywerevisiting,theyhadenabledtheir"hosts"tomakejudgmentsaboutthemforthemselves.
Whywouldthishappen?Well,iftherewasajobopeningatthemoment,oraneedtobefilled,oraproblemthathadn'tyetbeensolved,thesemanagersmayhavebeenwaiting,perhapssubconsciously,for"therightperson"towalkthroughtheirdoorsandsavetheday.Thoughthese"rightpersons"hadexpressednodirectinterestinworkingforthecompany,themanagerscouldplainlyseetheirpotential.Youcouldalmosthearthefollowingwheelsturningintheirheads:
"Hmmm,Ihaveahunch.Idon'tknowmuchaboutthislady,butsheseemstohavealotontheball.MaybeshecouldhandlethisAllentownaccountforme.Iwonderifshe'dbeinterestedinworking
here?Iguessitwouldn'thurttoask."
Inyourefforts,then,toexploreopportunitiesthatmightbeallaroundyou,beginarrangingmeetingswithpeopleintheirofficesormakingdatesforwhatwecall"opportunitiesluncheons"(orcoffeesorbreakfasts)inthecompanycafeteriaoratanearbycafeorlunchspot.Explaintothoseyouapproachthatyou'recuriousabouttheworktheydobecauseyou'reconduct-
Page111
inga"careereducationalcampaign"foryourself.Forthatreason,you'dliketositdownsometimeandtalkabouttheirwork,theirdepartments,theircoworkersanythingthatwouldfamiliarizeyouwithacareerareathatintriguesyou.
Don'tworryatfirstaboutwhoyoumeetwith.Youcouldmeetatfirstwithanadminifyouliketogetyourselfwarmedup.Visitingdepartmentsgetsyounaturallyintouchwithdecision-makers,technicians,salespeople,administrators.Itletsyouseefirsthandhowotherdepartmentsrun,andthistellsyousomethingaboutyournextstep:"DoIwanttolearnmore?""AmIstillintrigued?""HaveIseenormetanyoneinthisinitialsurveillancewhomI'dliketotalktoagain?"
Don'tbeafraidtopitchyour"careereducation"ideatoanybodyandeverybody.Sometimeswegetintimidatedbypeoplein"high"positionsorwhoseemsoinvolvedinwhatthey'redoingthatthey'dneverofferusthetimeofday.Butyou'dbesurprised!Remember,about80percentofourclientscamebackfromsuccessfulmeetingsandsixgotofferedjobs!Whenyoustripawaytheirfacadespeoplearejustthat:people!You'llbeamazedathowapproachablesuch"unapproachables"canreallybe.
Noteofadvice:Whensuggestingan"opportunitylunch"(orcoffeeorbreakfast),alwaysoffertobuy.Youmaygetwavedoffonthis,butmakealungeforthecheckanyway."Oh,it'sOK,Ireallywantto,"yousay."Whenwegettogetheragain,we'llgotoareallyexpensiveplaceandthenI'llletyoupay."Ha-ha.Goodone.Remember,thegoodwillyou'llcreatebyaskingforthismeetingandthenshowinghowmuchyouappreciateitwillgoalongwaytowardsolidifyingyournewrelationship.Ifyoumakesomeonefeelyou'vetakenadvantageofthem,however,allyoureffortswillgorightdownthetubes.
"But,hey,BarbaraandKen,thisisboundtogetexpensive!"Don'tbetoosure.Thatalldependsonhowyouhandleit,andalsohowyoulookatit.Youcan,forexample,meetlotsoffolksforcoffeeattheirofficeswherethejavaisfree.Sometimesthoseyoumeetwillinfactinsistonatleastpayingfortheirshare,ifnotthewholething.Oneofouradminclientsoncehadamanagersaytoher,"Listen,I'llletyoupickupthechecknexttimeafteryourpromotion!"
Page112
You'vealsogottoconsideranyexpenseyouincurasaninvestment.Whenyouthinkaboutapotentialraiseinincomeof,say,$2,000to$5,000initiallyandofwhoknowshowmuchinthelongrun,yourreturnoninvestmentforlunchesandcoffeesstartslookingprettygood.Thisisn'tmoneywashingdownthedrain,afterall;it'syourtravelandentertainmentbudget.Startingnow,myfriend,you'regoingplaces.
SteppingOut
Speakingofspendingmoney,wehaveanothergemofasuggestionforyou.Foranominalfeehereandthere,youcangarnerallthecareerconversationsyoucouldeverwant.Inmostcasesyouwon'thavetoaskpeople,approachpeople,orpersuadeanyone.Yournewcareerallieswillwalkrightovertoyou.
Whattheheckarewetalkingabout?Why,professionalorganizationsandspecialevents,silly.
Whichnonprofitassociationrepresentsthenewcareerofyourchoice?Thinkingofgoingintosales?There'sundoubtedlyachapteroftheSalesandMarketingExecutivesofAmericanearby.Contemplatingacademia?HowaboutcheckinginonthelocalbranchoftheNationalTeachersAssociation?Gotyourheartsetonacareerasabankloanofficer?GoattendthemonthlymeetingoftheAmericanBankersAssociationsomewhereinyourarea.
There'satradegroupforeveryendeavor,andyoucoulddoworsethanparticipateinthosethatarerelevanttoyourinterests.Forafeeoften,twenty,maybethirtydollars,youcanwalkintoahotelfunctionroomandimmediatelystrikeupaconversationwithwhoeverisstandingoverbythehorsd'oeuvres.You'lllearnabouttrendsintheindustry,howparticularindividualsviewtheirprofessions,whothemajorcompaniesareinthearea,whoamongthesecompaniesarecurrently
hiring,howpeoplegotstartedinthisbusinessthewholeballofwax!
Effortlessly,you'llencountercareerconversationsbreakingoutalloverthejoint,andyou'llalsogetaneducationalprogramwithanexpertinthefieldspeakingonatopicyou'llfindfascinating.Youmayevengetahotmealtoboot.Wowee-zowee!Whocouldaskforanythingmore?
Page113
You'llalsowanttocheckoutconferencesandtradeshows.Therearealwaysspecialeventsofthistypegoingon,frequentlysponsoredbyyourlocalprofessionalorganization.Joinoneoftheseorganizations,andyou'llreceivemailingsthatwillalertyoutosuchevents.Again,investinginaconference,tradeshow,orotherspecialeventcanonlydoyougood.Iteducatesyouprofessionally,itputsyouintouchwiththemoversandshakersofthefield,anditfeedsyourearswithopportunities.Italsogivesyouthechancetosocializeandhaveabitoffunasyoumoveyourprofessionallifealong.
Bonus:Ifyoureallywanttogetsomemileageoutofprofessionalorganizations,conferences,andspecialevents,getinvolved"behindthescenes."Areyoucuriousaboutthetraininganddevelopmentfield?JoinyourlocalchapteroftheAmericanSocietyofTrainingandDevelopmentandvolunteerforcommitteework.Maybeyou'llworkonthechapternewsletter,theprogramcommittee,themembershipcommitteewhateveryou'dmostenjoy.Thatwayyou'llbuildnewcareerrelationshipsreallyfast,aswellasbecomequicklyknowledgeableandwellknowninthefield.
And,ifyou'retryingtostaywithinabudget,helpoutwithprogrammingorconferenceplanning.Thatwayyou'llgettogotomanyeventsfreeofchargeasavolunteerstaffer.You'llalsogettoknowintimatelysomeofthetoppeopleinth
efieldasyourubshoulderswiththem"backstage."
MakingYourBossYourMentor
Youmayrecallthatatthebeginningofthisbookwegaveyouthreescenariosofcommonkindsofadminexperiencesandaskedifanyofthemrangtrue.Thescenariothatmighthaveseemedmostoutofplacewasthethird,inwhichouradminheroine(Barbara,remember?)foundherselfinaninterviewwithamanagerwhosaid,"AnythingI
candotohelpyouprofessionally,justask.Iseethisasapartnership,atwo-waystreet."
Whilesuchattitudesonthepartofadmins'supervisorsarenotunheardof,formanyadminstheyseemaboutasclosetohomeasthefarsideofthemoon.Inotherwords,practicallyspeaking,theydon'texist.
Page114
Solet'stalkabouthowtomakethemexist.Itcouldbe,forexample,thatyourbosshasalreadygivenyousignalsthathe'smorethanwillingtomentoryou,butyouhaven'tpickeduponthem.Oritcouldbethat,giventhefightcoaching(byyou),hecouldgetthatway.Whateverthecase,toomanyadminsassumetheirbosseshavenointerestinhelpingthemalong.Frequentlynothingcouldbefartherfromthetruth.
PaulFalcone,authorofTheCompleteJob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff,says,"Withoutyourboss'support,you'llhavetoproceedquietlyandthat'stough.Othermanagersprobablywon'tevenwanttotalktoyouiftheyknowyourbossdoesn'tapprove.Butyoucanprobablymakeyourbossyourmentor,whichisthebestscenario."
Howdoesoneelicitmentorshipfromone'sboss?Trythesequestionsonforsize:
1. Doyoucurrentlyenjoyopen,freecommunicationwithyourboss?Canyoutalktohim,offerideas,tellhimwhenyou'refeelingoverworked,confused?Doeshegiveyoutimeoffwhenyouneedit?
2. Doesyourbosseverconfidehisfeelingsinyouoraskyouforfavors?Doesheoffertodofavorsforyou?Doesheaskyoufrequentlyhowyouaredoing?
3. Doesyourbossoffertosendyoutotrainingprogramsandoutsideseminarsandconferences?Doesheseeyouasaresourcetobedeveloped?Doesheeverbringinoutsideconsultantstotrainhisstaff(includingyou)andtohelpeveryonegrowprofessionally?
4. Ishepatientwithyourmistakes?Doesherecognizethatlearningtakestime?Doeshepitchinandhelpyouwhenever"crunch"timerollsaround?
Afterreadingthesequestions,what'syourgeneralreaction?Yourbossdoesn'thavetodoorfeelallofthesethings.Whatwe'retalkingabouthereishispotential.
Haveyoueveractuallyaskedyourbosstomentoryou?Haveyouaskedhimifhe'llpayforanyprofessionaltrainingsyoumightbeinterestedin?Haveyouaskedifyoucouldattendtrainingsthatarenotstrictlyadmin-related,suchasanaccount-
Page115
ingseminar,anengineeringconference,asalestrainingprogramsomethingyou'reexploringandwouldliketolearnmoreabout?
Remember,intoday's"post-job"societyyou'vegottodoalltheinitiatingyourself.Morepeoplearewillingtohelpyouthanyouknow,butyou'vegottopickuptheballandexplaintothemhow.Yourbossisnoexception.
Ifyou'reunsureaboutyourboss-as-mentor,firsttestthewaters.Falconeadvisesthatyoustartbyseekingreimbursementand/ortimeoffforatrainingprogramorworkshop,especiallya"nonadmin"one.Findsomethingthatinterestsyou,thenproposetheideatoyourboss.Ifhesaysyes,you'llknowyou'reontosomething.Yournextstepmightbetostrikeupaconversationaboutcareeradvancementingeneralthatis,whatarehisfeelingsabouthowpeopleshouldtrytogetaheadinthesedifficulttimes?Seewhathesays.Ifallthisfeelspositive,goonestepfurther:Askhimabouthelpingyouout.Hemayverywellsayyes.
"But,hey,KenandBarbara,whatifmybosssaysnotoatrainingreimbursementandgiveseveryindicationthathethinkscareeradvancementisforhimandhisbuddiesandnobodyelse?"Well,then,ladiesandgentlemen,you'vegot,aswesayinthebusiness,"aproblem"!Notaninsurmountableone,mindyou,butaproblemallthesame.
WhattoDoWhenYourBossWon'tMentorYou
Obviously,whenyourbosswon'tbeyourmentor,youhavetwochoices:(1)Findsomeoneelse,or(2)findtwoormore"someoneelses."
Isthereaformalmentoringsysteminyourcompany?Ifnot,couldyoustartone?Youdohavetobealittlecautiousherebecauseyou
don'twantanonsupportivebosstoseeyouspendingtoomuchofyourtimethinkingaboutmovingonandnotenoughonyourworkforhim.Butifyoukeepupwiththeday'sworkloadinacheeryandenergeticfashion,thereshouldn'tbetrouble.Withaformalsysteminplace,you'llbepartofanofficialstructure,sowhocouldblameyouforyourparticipation?
Ontheotherhand,ifthere'snoformalstructureandyou
Page116
can'tstartone,you'dbestgoaboutenlistingtheaidofamentorontheq.t.Notthatyouneedtokeepthewholethingtopsecret;justdon'tbroadcastit.Dowhatyouhavetodo,attendtoyourofficialresponsibilities,andthen,wheneverpossible,attendtoyourcareerresponsibilitiesaswell.
FindSomeoneElse
Findinganythingwillusuallyrevolvearoundournumber-onecareeradvancementtechnique,thecareerconversation.
Howcanyouusecareerconversationstofindthepropermentor?Tut,tut,nothingtoit:Justaskaround.
You'llbeginbyaskingpeoplefornominations"inconfidence."Theveryprocessofaskingfolksforhelpwillenrolltheminyourcareeradvancementcampaign.It'llinvolvemanytosuchanextentthatthey'llbecomeimpromptumentorsforyourightthereonthespot.An"instantmentor"systemweloveit!
Puttogetherafewcriteriawhenyoubeginyoursolicitations.You'llwanttofindamentorwho'sreallyrightforyou,afterall.Whatkindofpersondoyouwanttofind?Therearesomeobjectivestandardswecanrecommend,butafterallissaidanddoneyou'vegottotailoryoursearchforthe"perfectmatch"foryou.Choosecriteriabasedonthekindofpesonalityyoupreferandexperienceyouadmire.Muchofit,ofcourse,willbeagutreaction:"DoIlikethisperson?"DoIfeelconfidentabouthercommitmenttome?"DoIrespecthisideas?"
Alongwithyourpersonalcriteriaforchoosingtherightmentor,hereareothercriteriatokeepinmind:
1. Picksomeonewho'spositive.Youwantamentorwhowillkeepyourspiritsupduringthedownsaswellasduringtheups.
2. Picksomeonewho'sbeenthroughthemill.Successusually
deliverslesspersonalgrowththanfailure.Findamentorwhounderstandsfailureaspartofthemixandthuscancounselyouwheneveritrearsitsall-too-famil-arplug-uglyhead.
3. Picksomeonewhounderstandsthatcredentialsaren'teverything,especiallythesedays.Yourmentorshouldbe
Page117
awarehatchangeisheretostay.Upgradingourvaluebycontinualreeducationwillbreedmoresuccessthanleaningonpasteducationaltriumphsandtraining.Allisinflux.
4. Picksomeonewhoknowsalotofpeople.Onecan'thavetoomanycareerconversationsorcareerallies;it'sjustnotpossible.Muchofyouradvancementsuccesswillrestonothersgettingtoknowyou,andyouthem.Findamentorwhounderstandsthat.
Setdownonthefollowinglinesyourcriteriaforamentorwho'srightforyou.Jotdownanyideasthatcometomind.Whatcanyouaddtoourlistof"objective"criteria?
AppointaBoardofMentors
Rememberhowwesuggestedfinding"twoormoresomebodyelses"toserveasyourmentor(s)?Well,here'swhatwemean:Companiessetupboardsofdirectorstoadvisethemontheirbusinessstrategies,correct?Suchboardmembersarefrequentlyselectedwiththesamecriteriayou'llhaveinmindforyourmentor.Sowhynotsetupaboardofdirectorsforyourself?Maybeweshouldcallityourboardofmentors?
Certainly,two(ormore)headscanbebetterthanoneandmoreindividualsinvestedingenuinelyassistingyouinyourcareeradvancementcampaignarelikelytoresultinamultiplicityofeyesandearsoutthereinthestreets(orinthesuites)foryou.
Soscoutaround,ifyou'reinclined,formorethanonementor.Maybeyou'llsetupamonthlymeetinginwhicheveryonegetsacoupleofbig,fat,juicyslicesofdeep-dishpizza(your
Page118
treat,ofcourse)andachancetodosomecareeradvancementinteractionoftheirown(withother"board"members).You'llbesurprisedhowmuchfunatechniquelikethisonecanbringtotheoverallprocess.
MakingYourPresenceKnown
Whenpeoplegettoknowusandlikeus,theywilldotheirbesttohelp,nomatterwhatourbackgrounds.Thatdoesn'tmeantheywillsponsorusforajobwe'renotqualifiedfor,orajobthattheydoubtwecando,butitdoesmeanthatthey'llsponsoruswhenwedoseemrightforajob.Soanextorderofbusinesswhenseekingtoextricateyourselffromthepink-collarghettoistogetqualifiedinthenewcareerdirectionofyourchoice.
You'lldothisbyreturningtoschool,orenrollinginarelevanttrainingprogram,orlearningtoexplainhowyourcurrentskillsetistransferable,orbecominganapprenticeorassistanttoanestablishedexpert.
Asusual,you'llneedtocontinuetobuildyourcareerrelationships.Youcandothisinwayswe'vebeendescribing,butyoucansupplementitthroughanynumberoftechniquesthatmakeyoumorevisible.That'saneattrickfortheadminbecauseeventhoughonewouldthinkanadminismorevisiblethanmostshe'soften,forexample,thefirstvoiceheardorfaceseenwhensomeonecallsuponadecision-makeradmins,asweknow,aretooeasilydismissedasflunkiesandgatekeepersandthusnotseenfortheirvalueortheirpotential.
Somakeyourselfmorevisibleviaoneormoreofthefollowingtechniques:
Publicspeaking.Almosteverybodyhatestodoit,andevensomecelebrities(CarlySimonandBarbraStreisand,justtomentiontwo)
hatetogetupinfrontofotherssomuchthattheystayoffstagesandplatformsforyears.
Yetthoseofuswhododoitstandout.There'saninstantcredibilitythatcomeswithgettingupbeforeothers,evenwhenwe'reobviouslynervousorinexperienced."She'sgotgutstogetupthere,"manyintheaudiencewillsaytothemselves.And
Page119
that'showyouwantpeopletofeelaboutyouthatyou'rewillingtodowhatittakes,nomatterwhat.
Wherecanyou"publicspeak,"especiallyifyou'rejustgettingstarted?First,youcanpracticebyraisingyourhandatmeetingsandsharingyourthoughtswheneveryougetachance.That'llalsohelpgetyoumorecomfortable.
Youcanvolunteertointroduceotherspeakersatmeetings,luncheons,orotherevents,ortomoderateortakepartinpaneldiscussions.Thiswayyou'llgetpracticegettingupthereinfrontofaseaofstrangefaceswithouthavingtostayuptheretoolong.Justthirtysecondshereandtherecouldbuildyourconfidencedramatically.
Togetreallyintotheswingofpublicspeaking,joinaToastmasters'Clubatyourlocallibraryandvolunteertospeakatmeetingsandconferencessponsoredbyyourrelevantprofessionalorganization,churchgroup,civicassociation.Thereareplentyofopportunitiesaround.Standup,speakup,andyou'llbeseenandheardbyeveryone.
Taskforcesandcommittees.Isthereaquality-controlcommittee,amarketing-ideascommittee,acustomer-relationscommitteeanythingthatyouasanemployeecangetinvolvedinwithothersinyourcompany?Ifthereis,thengetonit!You'llsubstantiallyraiseyourvisibilitybyinteractingwithothersoversubstantiveissuesandhelpingmakeharddecisionsandrecommendations.Justoneortwotoursofdutyandyoumightevenbeelectedthecommitteechair.That'llreallyraiseyourcredibilitylevel!
Andremember,thissametechniqueworkswhenyou'relookingtogainvisibilityoutsideyourcompanyorifyou'reunemployedandlookingforanewposition.Joincommitteeswithinyourrelevantprofessionalorganizationortaskforcessetuptostudyagovernmentalproblem.Vieforpositionsonaboardofdirectorsthatgovernsa
privatecompanyoranonprofitagency.Onceagain,nooneonacommitteeorobservingitsworkwillinanywayviewyouas"justanadmin."
Companynewsletter.Say,rememberwhenyouwereeditorofyourhighschoolyearbook?Orareporterfortheschoolnewspaper?Well,guesswhatyoucandoanyorallofthatalloveragain!Andrightherewithinthecomfortofyourcurrentcompany!
Page120
Thecompanynewsletter(orannualreportorclosed-circuitTVsystem)frequentlygetsoverlookedasamagnificentvehicleforvisibility.Thinkaboutit:Youcanwriteforit,editit,takephotosforit,getwrittenaboutinit,getyourphototakenforit,getanannouncementaboutyouprintedinit.Justtaketheviewthatyoulovepublicityanywayyoucangetit!
Makesure,ofcourse,thatanypublicityyoudogetadvancesyourprofessionalgoalsandstature.Forexample,ifyouwanttotransitiontomanagement,writeanarticleaboutnewmanagementtechniques,doabookreviewofanewmanagementbest-seller,orgetyourselfinterviewedaboutmanagementtechniquesusedbyyouinyourownwork.
Any''don'ts"you'llwanttobewareof?Sure:anythingthatreinforcesyourimageasanadmin.Therefore,norecipes,nosewingtips,noessaysentitled"WhyILoveMyBoss"(please!),nophotosofyoutypingorfilingortakingshorthand.Yourpurposeistodragyourselfoutofthatpink-collarghetto,remember?Don'taffixleadweightstoyouranklesasyoutrytodoso.
WhomCanIApproach?
Inanotebookyou'vepurchasedjustforthispurpose,startlistingeveryoneyoucanthinkofwhomightqualifyasacareerally.Listname,address,phonenumber,andrelevantprofessionalandpersonaldetails.
Next,startcategorizingaccordingtopriority.Who'sanAwhomyouwanttoapproachfirst,who'saB,who'saC?Someyoumightwanttosendalettertofirst;othersyou'lljustpickupthephoneandcall.Leavespacetomarkdownwhathappensasyoubeginmakingcontact.Whoacceptedyourcalls?Whoreturnedyourcalls?Whoagreedtomeetwithyou?Who'sbeengreat?Who'sadud?
Ifyouhaveaccesstoacomputer,enterallthisdataonaspecialfile.Keepingaccurateandcompleterecordshelpsyouknowwhomtocalltoansweryourquestionsaboutparticulardepartments,companies,hiringmanagers.That'showthesuccessful,high-achievementprofessionalsgoaboutthis.
Andyou'rerapidlybecomingoneofthose.
Page121
You'veGottoPutNewIdeasOutThere"
A"QandA"withPaulFalcone
AuthorofTheCompleteJob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff,PaulFalconeisahumanresourcesmanagerforAamesFinancialCorporationinLosAngeles.HeisformerdirectoroftrainingancontingencyrecruitingwithTheLondonAgency,aplacementfirmspecializinginadministrativesupportrecruitment.Paulholdsamaster'sdegreefromUCLAandthreecertificationsinhumanresourcesmanagement,andhegivesmotivationalspeechesthroughouttheUnitedStates.
KenLizotte:Paul,whatholdsmanyadminsbackfromadvancingtheircareers?
PaulFalcone:ManyadminsfeeltrappedbecausetheytrytogofromAtoZ,anditcan'tbedone.You'vegottogotoBfirst,butpeopledon'talwaysrecognizethat.Forexample,alotofadminsthinkaboutgoingintomanagementbutfailtoobservethatyou'vegottohaveacertainbackgroundtogointoanyfield,andinmanagementthat'softensalesandmarketing.SofirstyouwanttogotoBsalesandmarketing.Afteryou'vegottensufficientexperiencethere,you'llbequalifiedtomoveon.
K.L.:Whatelseholdsthemback?
P.F.:Beingafraidtotakearisk.Youcanhavea"factorymentality,"whereyou'realwaysworriedaboutsecurityandyoujustfolloworders,oryoucanhavean"entrepreneurialmentality,"whichisthewayofthefuture.Toopenupmoreresponsibilities,you'vegottogetmanagementrecognition,andthatmeansputtingyourselfontheline.You'vegottomakeyourperformancetrulyaffectthebottomline.
K.L.:Howcanadminsdothat?
P.F.:Showthatyoucancutcostsandsaveyourcompanytime.You'vegottoputnewideasoutthere,takeachance.Youmightgetslappedonthewristforeventrying,butifyoudon'ttryyouwon'tstandachanceatbeingnoticed.
Thisisn'talwayseasyinalargercompany,bytheway.
Page122
Inlargercompanies,everybody'saspecialist,everything'sorganizedaroundfunctions.Inasmallercompany,though,there'softenmoreroomforself-expressionandforimpactingthefirm.Soifyouradvancementstrategiesaren'tworkingatalargecompanythatyouworkfor,thinkaboutmovingtoacompanythat'ssmall.
K.L.:Howcanyouenlistyourbossinyoureffortstoadvance?
P.F.:Italldependsonyourrelationshipwithyourboss.Myassumptionisthatyouandyourbossenjoyopencommunication.Ifso,makeyourbossyourmentor.Askforwhatyouneed:informationaboutotherdepartmentsorcareers,introductionstocontacts,reimbursementfortrainingsandworkshops.
K.L.:Whatifyoudon'tgetit?
P.F.:Ifyoucan'tmakeyourbossyourmentor,youmayhavetomoveon.It'sreallytoughtoadvanceinacompanyifyourbossisnotsupportive.Nooneelsewithinthecompanywillwanttohireyouforfearofalienatingyourpresentboss.
K.L.:Howcanyourcompany'scustomershelpyouadvance?
P.F.:Youmayfindyourselfinterestedinworkingforsomeonewhodoesbusinesswithyouremployer.Ifso,gotothemdiscreetlyandsay,"I'vedoneeverythinghereIcan,anditseemsthattheoptiondoesn'texistformetoadvancemuchfurther.Ifsomethingsurfacesinyourcompany,I'dlovetobeconsidered."
K.L.:Whatdoyoulookforwhenyou'rehiringsomeone?Wouldyoueverhiresomeonewithonlyadminpositionsonherresumé?
P.F.:Wehireadminstodo"postadmin"jobsallthetime!Ilookforpeoplewhoseemtohaveatrackrecordforreinventingtheirjobsinlightofacompany'schangingneeds.Peoplewhohaveaglobal
perspectivewillfindwaystoaddvaluetotheircompany;theycanseehowtheyfitintotheoverallunit.Ifyou'rethekindofpersonwholikestofigureoutbetterwaystodoaprocess,you'llshowyourselftobemorethan"just"anadmin.Remember,it'sthe"entrepreneurial"
Page123
mentalityeveryone'slookingfor.Ifyoucanshowpeoplethat,you'llgoplaces.
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:MaryMiller
Currently:AdministratorofmarketingandenrollmentforfourhealthinsuranceplansatMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,directingeffortstoenrollemployeesandstudentsinrelevanthealthcareprograms.
Howchangewasmade:"Anadinthenewspapercaughtmyeye.IknewthedepartmentbecauseIhadworkedatMITpreviously.IntheofficeIhadworkedinbefore,wehadbeeninvolvedinscrutinizingallotherdepartments,includingthisone.Ultimately,theexecutivedirectorwhohiredmehadbeenimpressedbythejobIwasdoingatmypreviousposition.SoIhad'auditioned'forthejobwithoutevenknowingit."
Adminskillsusedtoday:Organizing,planning,scheduling,settingupagendas
Bestadvicetoadmins:"Getvisible!Iusedtowalkintopersonnelofficestointerviewforadminpositionsandthefirstthingthey'ddoisputmedowninfrontofatypewritertocheckmyspeed.Itwasdevastatingtomyself-esteem!ItseemedliketheonlythingtheyfiguredIcoulddo.
"YetIknewmyselfbetter.IknewIcouldbringpeopletogether,sell,market,gainpeople'strustquicklyandeasily.Ijustneededtobegivenachance.ThewayIgotitwasthatsomeonehadobservedmedoingallthatbecauseIhadgottenvisiblebyhostinghigh-levelmeetings.SowhenthedaycamethatIwalkedintoherofficetointerviewforthepositionIholdnow,sheknewmeasmorethanjustanotheradmin."
Page124
7CareerTreasureChestRachelisbeginningtogetdepressed.She'sbeenanexecutiveadminfortheVPofproductdevelopmentatamajorelectronicsfirmforabouttwelveyears,andsheisdesperatelyoverdueforachange.Buteverywhereshesendsherresumé,thesamemessagecomesback:"We'llkeepyourresuméonfile.Sorry,noopeningsatthemoment."
Inonewayeachrejectionrelievesher.Shedoesn'twanttocontinueasanexecutiveadminforanybodyanyway.Sheonlyappliesforthesepositionsbecauseshedoesn'tknowwhatelsetodo."WhatelseamIqualifiedfor?"shekeepsaskingherself.
Butherdepressionreallybeginssettinginasthevolumeofrejectionletterspilesup."Nobodywantsyou,"theyseemtoscreamather."Staywhereyouare!"
Unfortunately,thisveryunprettypictureplaysitselfouteachandeverydayinthelivesofhundredsofthousandsofotherwiseverycompetent,veryastuteprofessionals.Itsassumptionslieinoutmodedideasabouthowonelooksforworkaswellasapersonaldearthofself-confidenceaboutone'schancesforsuccessinanewfield.Sadly,mostofusaccepttheseoutmodedassumptionsasthe"onlyway"ortheobvious,naturalstrategy.Wethenjustifythisthinkingbyexclaiming:"Idon'tknowanyotherwaytodoit!"Andthat'sreallyinterestingtousbecauseaswe'vecounseledhundredsandhundredsofcareerexplorersovertheyears,we'veheardthesamethingfrommanyprofessionalswhooughttoknowbetter.We'rethinkinghereof
Page125
topsalespros,ofmarketingandadvertisinggeniuses,andofresearchexperts.Cometothinkofit,we'vehearditfromjob-huntingcareercounselorstoo!
Alloftheseprosincorporatemanyoftheprinciplesweespouseforcarryingoutacreativecareeradvancementplanintheirregularprofessionallives,buteventheyfallbackonthetraditionalavenuesofjobsearchoncetheyareoutontheirown:Writeoutyourresumé,checkthewantadsintheSundaypaper,mailoutyourresumésonMondaythenwait!
AssumptionsThatNeedtoBeChallenged
1. Wecanapplyonlyforworkwe'vedonebefore.
2. Wemustbasemostofouradvancementplanonwantads.
3. ThesmartthingistodutifullymailoutresumésMondaymorning,thenpassivelywaitforareply.
4. Jobhunting,bydefinition,isalonelyendeavor.
5. Lotsofrejectionlettersmeanthatnobodywantsyou.
Giventhesewaysofgoingabouttheprocess,it'snowonderRachel'sspiritsbegantosink.
UpendingRachel'sAssumptions
Wedon'treallyknowwhereorwhenweallpickedupthekindsofsignalsthatgotusintothismess,butwedoknowthis:Ifyou'regoingtobeeffectiveinadvancingyourcareer,outmodedjob-searchthinkinghasgottogo!Rachel'snodifferentfromtherestofus.Shefellsmackintothesametrapthatkeepsmostfolksfromscramblingbackupontosolidgroundandstayingoncoursetowardtheirdreams.Wecouldsumuptheproblemwithtwoinsidiouslittlewords:isolationandpassivity.
Rachelletherselfbuythenotionofherlimitedvaluetothemarketplace.Butwe'veseenhowit'spossibletoextendyourvalueinthemarketplaceandtransformitintosomethingnew,somethingexciting,refreshing,conducivetogrowth.Inthesameway,weneedtorethinktools,resources,job-searchtechniques,andother"treasures"inourcareertreasurechestssothey'llbemoreeffectiveinadvancingourdreams.
Page126
OnewaythatmightaidusinthisworldwouldbetochallengeallofRachel'sassumptions.
Rachel'sAssumption1:
Youcanapplyonlyforworkyou'vedonebefore.
FlipSide: Embraceworkyouwant.
Asyougathertogetheryourboardofmentors,meetwithyourcareerallies,andvisitcoworkersinotherdepartments,you'llwanttobesureyoucommunicatewhatyoumostwantthemtohear.Thatmeansdrawingconclusionsfromtheresearchandcareerconversationsyou'vebeenconductingthusfar.Sityourselfdownnow(oh,you'realreadysitting,aren'tyou?)andcontemplatethefollowing"careerquestions."Insertanyanswersyou'vecomeupwithonthelinesprovidedbeneatheachquestion:
1.Ofallthecareeroptionsyou'vebeenexploring,whichonesmostmotivateandexciteyou?Listatleastone,nomorethanthree.
2.Whatkindsofpeoplewouldyoumostliketoworkwith?Describeindetailtheworkatmosphereyou'dmostliketofind.
3.Wherewouldyoulikeyournewsituationtobelocated?Howfarfromyourhome,inwhatdirection?Howmuchtravelwouldyouliketobedoing?
Page127
4.Whatkindofcompensationareyoulookingfor?Includenotonlyyourincomegoalsbutbenefits,vacationtime,investmentoptions,healthplan
5.Wherewouldyouliketobeinthefuture?Describehowyouseeyournextpositionfittingintoyourcareerplansfiveyearsfromnow.
CareerVisioning
Nowtakeyouranswersandcomposeyour"careervision."Intheframeonthenextpage,illustratewithcoloredmarkersorcrayonsexactlythekindofcareermoveyouwanttomake.Besuretoincludealldetailslistedabove.
Onceyou'vefinishedyourdrawing,completethisphrase,usingthespaceprovidedbelow:
Mycareervisionconsistsof:
Congratulations!Youarewellonyourwaynowtoclarifyingwhatyouwant.Ofcourseyouwillprobablyneedtocontinuecareerconversationstofleshoutmanyofthesedetailsortorefinethemandweighthowrealisticyourcareerideais.Butnomatter:Aslongasyoukeepthinkingandwritingdownnew
Page128
MyCareerVision
Page129
ideasandresearchingdetails,yourcareervisionwillbecomemoreandmorerealandattainable.
Whatifyoulistedmorethanonecareeroption?Sayyouliketwoorthreeequallyandyou'rebesideyourselftryingtofigureoutwhichonetoreallygoafter.Well,how'sthisforawildidea:Choosethemall!
Manyprofessionalstodayhavecaughtontoatrickbusinesseshavebeenhiptoforyears.It'scalleddiversification.Insimpleterms,youcommityourselftoaprofessionallifethatintegratestwoormorecareerareasatonce.Inadditiontoallowingyoutoenjoyyouroverallworklifemore,diversifyingprovidesalevelofsecuritythatrelyingononlyonesourceofincomecannot.
Graduatesofourprogramswhohavegonethisrouteincludeaformeradminwhonowoperatesadesktoppublishingbusinessduringthedayandoffersmassageonnightsandweekends,anex-adminwhonowteachesSpanishatacommunitycollegewhilealsorunningadancestudio,anex-secretarywhoteachesEnglish-as-a-second-languagetwodaysaweekandworksinacollegeadmissionsofficetheotherthree.
If,however,this"careermosaic"approachdoesn'tringtrueforyou,justkeepexploring,researching,careerconversing.Atsomepoint,you'llfindyourselfspendingmostofyourenergyononeortheotherofyourcareerdirections.Thatmayspelloutyouranswer.
Rachel'sAssumption2:
Baseyourcareeradvancementcampaignonwantads.
FlipSide: Usewantadsasclues.
You'vehearditbefore,we'resure:Classifiedhelp-wantedadsrepresentonlythetiniestpercentageofthejobmarket.Plusthey'retheultimateinfosteringisolationandpassivity.Thinkaboutit:Youknowlittleaboutthejob,littleornothingabouttheemployer,nothingatall
aboutwhowillinterviewyou,littleaboutcompensation,workingconditions,andthejob'sfuture.
Next,you'resupposedtofollowordersinthewantadtoaT:Mailinyourresumé(nophonecallsplease),includingyour"salaryrequirements"andreferencesfromeverybodyyou'veevermet.What?Shouldn'tyoucrateyourmotheranddogofftothemtoo?
Page130
Ifyou'relookingforworkoutsideyourcompany,carryonexactlyaswe'veadvisedyousofarregardingmethodsforseekingachangeinsideyourcompanythatis,buildrelationships,conductcareerconversations,createvisibility.High-energy,people-orientedday-to-dayactivitiesshouldabsorbatleast80percentofyourefforts.
Whatdoyoudowiththeother20percent?Answerads,ifyoulike,butalsousethemasclues.Understandthatadsarelikeicebergs:Youcaneasilyseetheverytip,butthere'salotmorewherethatcamefrombeneaththesurface.
Saythatyou'reinterestedinworkingincustomerservice.Youseeacoupleofadsforcustomerservice.Makeanoteofthekindofcompanythat'sdoingtheadvertising.
ThenonMonday,afteryou'vemailedoutyourresumétotheseads,getonthephoneandcallothercompaniesofthesamestripewhomightbeinthemarketforagoodcustomerservicerep.
Don'tcallhumanresources,though;callthecustomerservicedepartmentdirectly.Strikeupafriendlycareerchatwithoneoftherepsandletherdirectyoutohermanager.Ifthere'sajobavailableandyou'repreparedtopresentyourselfforit,gotoit.Ifyou'restillresearchingcustomerservicework,however,asktocomeinforacareerconversationoranopportunitylunch.Thekey,aswe'vebeensaying,istobuildrelationships.
Ads,then,offercluesthatotherworkisoutthere.Gatherwhateverdatasuchadsoffer,thenfiletheminyourmemorybank.Ifyoufollowcluestocompaniesthataren'tadvertising,youmightmeetdecision-makerswho'rebeenwaiting,withoutknowingit,tomeetyou.
Rachel'sAssumption3:
Mailoutresumésandwaitpassivelyforareply.
FlipSide: Neverusearesumé.
Thisone'satypo,right?Thishasgottobeamistake.Ormaybewe'rejoking.Actually,wemeanwhatwesay.Ifpossible,neverusearesumé.Inyoursituation,itwillrarelyhelp.
"ButKenandBarbara,"allofyouarewailing,"howcanInothavearesumé?I'vegottohaveareésume;everybody'sgotto
Page131
havearesuméWhat'reyatalkingabout,KenandBarbara,noresumé?''
Wehearyou.Wehearyou.Yes,yououghttohavearesumé.We'rejusttellingyounevertouseit!Gotthat?Yousee,manyofourmoresuccessfulclientshavemadetheircareerswitchesinjustthisway.Infact,manyofthemostsuccessfulpeoplewe'veevermetgaveupusingresuméslongago.That'sbecausethewaytheyhandletheircareeractivitiesagain,throughbuildingcareerrelationships,ongoingcareerconversations,andparticipationinprofessionalorganizationsmakesaresuméunnecessary.
Resumésgenerallyarerequestedbypeoplewhoaren'tsoldonyouyet.Yourresuméthenactsasabuffer,ameansoffurtherscrutiny,orawaytogetoffthehook(oroffthephone)."Well,sendmeyourresuméandwe'lltalkagainlater."Yeah,right!
Aftersendingyourresumé,you'llusuallybecomeadeadissueconversationover,resuméfiled,ontothenextcandidate(orproject).Ifyourresumédoesgetalengthylook-see,you'llprobablybejudgedasnotqualifiedforthepositionyou'reapplyingfor.
Andit'snosecretwhy:Yourresumétrumpets,ingreatdetail,theyouwhohasspentyearsasanadmin.Unlessyou'veputyourresumétogetherverycleverlyandcreatively,itwon'tadvertiseyourpotential,yourenthusiasm,yourabilitytolearnnewthings,oryourintensemotivationtogrow.Ratherthanserveupanaccuratepictureofwhoyouareandwhoyoucanbe,itdepictsonlyoneverylimitedsideofyouyourexperienceasanadmin.
Stillandallsigh!therewillbetimeswhenyoureallyoughttohaveone.Evenifyoudoeverythingwesayinthisbook,suchasbuildingavastempireofcareerrelationships,hereandthereyoumaybeaskedforaresuméingoodfaith.
Example:"I'dreallyliketogetyouintomydepartment,Claire,butthecompanydoesrequirethatIfileyourresumé.Welcometomystaff{Justletmehaveyourresuméasaformalityandwe'llbeinbusiness."
Atthispoint,you'llwanttohandoveraresuméthatspeaksexactlytothereasonsyou'rebeinghired,thosecharacteristicsyou'vesoldyournewbossonyourtalents,relevantskills,en-
Page132
thusiasm,potential.Youwantyournewemployerstosay,"Yes-sir,herewehaveit:Wehiredtherightgal!"
Anotherreasontohavearesumé,thoughandinsomewaysperhapsyourbestreasonmightbeasanexercisetoclarifyfurtheryournewvalueinthemarketplace.Youcan'taskyourselftoooftenwhatyouwant,andlikewiseyoucannevergettooclearaboutwhatyoumightoffertoanewemployer.Revisingyourresumécansubstantiallyupgradeyourunderstandingofyour"workself."
Nowwhatkindofaresuméwouldberightforyou?Howcanyoupaintyourselfassomethingotherthananadminwhenthat'sallyou'veeverbeen?Well,sincemostofushavebeenschooledinresuméwritingtoputdowneverythingwe'vedoneinourworklivesstartingfromourpresentjobandthenlistingalltheothersbackwardchronologically,we'reboundtobeconfused.We'vegrownupthinkingthat'stheonlyway.
Butanotherstyleofresuméwritingfocusesontalents,abilities,andachievements,andthat'stheonethatworksbestforanyonemakingamoveinanewcareerdirection.Manycareeradviserscallthisafunctional-styleresumé,butwepersonallyfindthattermclinicalanddrab.
Example:"Tellme,chum,justwhat'functions'doyouperformonyourpresentjob?"
God,arewetalkingaboutmachineryhereorhumanbeings?
Let'sjustcallthisasuccess-styleresuméandleaveitatthat.Thatshouldkeepusthinkingpositively.
Success-StyleResuméClose-Up
Solet'sgetstarted!Gobacknowthroughtheexercisesinpreviouschaptersandtakeafreshlookatyourtalents,skills,and
achievements.Howmanyofthesearerelevanttotheexcitingnewcareerdirectionyou'vecomeupwithsofar?Ifyou'veconductedplentyofcareerconversationsanddonelotsofreading,you'llhavesomeanswers.
Focusononlyonecareerdirectionperresumé.Ifyou'rethinkingaboutgoingfortwoormore,you'vegottofashionaresumétoserveeach.Computers,ofcourse,nowmakeitpossible
Page133
todothis,aswellastotailorresuméstoparticularjobs,companies,ordepartments.Yourcareerconversationswillhelpyouunderstandparticularprioritiesandvaluesinherentineachsituation.Youthenincorporatewhateverinformationaboutyouseemsrelevant,emphasizingthemostrelevantbyplacingithigheronthepage.Youcanalsodropirrelevantinformationsothatitdoesn'tgetintheway.
Takeaganderatthissamplewe'vedrawnupforyouinFigure7-1.
WhatkindofworkdoyousupposeElizabeth(Liza)isseeking?Whatworkdoyousupposeshe'sbestqualifiedfor?WouldyoubelikelytosurmisefromthisresuméthatLizahasspentherentirecareerasanadmin?
Yetthere'snothingfalseaboutthewayLizahasstructuredthisdescriptionofherprofessionalhistoryandabilities.She'smerelymadeitrelevanttotheworkshe'sseeking.Herobjectiveistohelppotentialemployersseeclearlyhowshecanfitin.
Theoldschool(Rachel'sschool)heapsalltheonusforfiguringouthowyoumightfitinonsomeoneelseapotentialboss,manager,employer,humanresourcesrepresentative.Yetthosefolkscanknowonlywhatyoutellthemaboutyou.Theycan'tknowwhatnewthingsyou'recapableofunlessyoumakeacaseforit.Thusratherthanwaitforajobinterviewtomakethiscase(asRachelwoulddo),yougetrightdowntothebusinessofsellingyourselfinthisresumé.
Whichonlymakessense,ofcourse,becauseifyoudon'tsellyourselffromtheget-go,howareyougoingtolandthatjobinterviewinthefirstplace?
PuttingYourSuccess-StyleResuméTogether
Tocomposeyourownsuccess-styleresumé,firstloosenyourselfup:wriggleyourfingersandtoes,rollyourneckaroundafewtimes,
shrugyourshouldersupanddown.Peopleoftengetverytenseaboutputtingtogethertheirresumé.Youdon'thaveto.Thisdocumentwillliberateyou.It'llbeanexpressionofyourdreamsandofyourBestSelf.Really.
1.Listalltalents,skills,andachievementsyoufindtoberelevanttoyournewcareerdirection.Makethislistaslongasyoulike
Page134
ElizabethDoolittle5HartfordStreet
Hereford,NewHampshire02119603-555-8761
Achievements
Coordinatedover100focusgroupsconsistingofupto500clientseach(AlfredBeverageCompany)
Processedmorethan10,000customersurveyprojects,includingtabulationof3,500customerservicequestionnaires(AlfredBeverageCompany,PickeringInstitute)
ParticipatedactivelyinCustomerResponseCommittee(RexCorporation)
Administeredandsupervisedcorrespondenceofapproximately5,000letterswithmajorclientele(allemployers)
Skills
Excellentclientliaisonskills
knowledgeofmarketing-orientedcustomerrelations
Excellentadministrativeskillsandsoftwareexpertise
ProfessionalHistory
ClientServiceCoordinatorAlfredBeverageCompany,Salem,NewHampshire
ClientServiceAssistantPickeringInstitute,Manchester,NewHampshire
CustomerTrafficManagerRexCorporation,Londonderry,NewHampshire
Education
CustomerServiceSkillsCertificateAmericanManagementAssociationseminar
DirectMarketingSkillsCourseHooksetJuniorCollege
CommunicationSkillsforWomenManchester(NH)AdultEducationCenter
BusinessAdministrationAssociatesDegreeKatherineGibbsSchool,Bostonwasgraduatedwithhonors
PersonalInterests
Treasurer,localchapter,CustomerServiceAssociationofAmerica
Greeter,CommunityChurchofHereford(NH)
AuthorofGuidelinesforGoodMemberRelations,ahandbookfortheHereford,NewHampshire,YWCA
Figure7-1.SampleSuccess-StyleResumé
Page135
youcancutitdownlater.Dothisonacomputerifatallpossiblebecauseyou'llthenbeabletoreviseandplayaroundwithyourlisteasily.Ifyoudon'thaveaccesstoacomputer,useasmanysheetsofpaperasyouneed.
2.Listeveryplaceyou'veworkedinyourprofessionallife.(Again,ifyou'renotusingacomputer,fillupaseparatesheetofpaper.)Putdownatitleforyourselffirst,thenthenameofyouremployer(ordepartment)underneath.Ifpossible,makesurethejobtitlesoundsasifit'sconnectedtothekindofworkyouwanttodonext.Trytothinkofsomethingthatdescribesyourworkinthispositionaccuratelybutslantsitinyournewcareerdirection.Don'tjustwrite"admin,admin,admin"ifyoucanhelpit.
Youmayneedyourpresentbossorpastonetobackyouonyourdescriptivetitle.Ifhe,she,ortheywon'tdoit,you'llhavetomakeajudgmentcall.Aslongasyoucanmakeacaseforthedescriptivetitleyou'veputdown,it'llprobablybeworthgettingchallengedaboutit.Obviouslyyoudon'twanttojustmakestuffup.Butyou'vegottofindawaytosoundlikesomethingotherthan"justanadmin."
What'sanexample?LookbackatLiza'sresumé.Inseekinganewcareerdirectionincustomerservice,shelabeledherselfaclientliaisoninhertwopreviousjobsandacustomerliaisoninherfirstjob.Infact,thesepositionshadbeenlistedofficiallyasadministrativeassistant,secretary,andreceptionist,inthatorder.Butthosearenomoredescriptiveofwhatshereallydidateachjobthanhermorecreativetitles.Infact,theywerelessdescriptive.
Sowhynotmakeherjobineachsituationsounddirectlyrelevanttocustomerservice?Weknowshedidalotofcustomerservice-typework;whyshouldn'tshegetcreditforit?Whatyou'reaimingforhereismoreaccuracyratherthanless.
"But,hey,KenandBarbara,whataboutme?Iwanttogointothelandscapingbusiness.HowthebeckamIgoingtogetaroundthat?Adminworkandlandscapingarelikenightandday!"
Three-wordanswer:Useyourimagination.Askyourselfwhatkindofworkanadmindoesthatlandscapersalsoperform.Have
Page136
youevertendedtothedetailsandtheoverallaestheticsofyourofficeenvironment?Haveyoueverbroughtflowersintokeeponyourdesk?Didyoueverwatertheplants?Maybeyouhelpedselectthepaintingsonthewalls?There'sprobablyalotanadmindoesthatconnectseventothelandscapingbusiness.Thinkaboutit.Maybeyouweren't"justanadmin,"filing,typingletters,goingforcoffee.Maybeyoumightalsohavebeencalledthecompany's"lobbyaestheticsmanager"or''offices-capeadministrator"or"interiorenvironmentalcoordinator."
Intruth,wepickedthisonebecauseit'salongerstretchthansomethinglikecustomerservice.Wewantedtoshowyouthatbyusingyourimagination(andifatallpossiblethesupportofyourcurrentorpreviousboss),youcanprobablycomeupwithsomethingthatbothisaccurateandportraysyouinanon-adminlight.
"Buthey,BarbaraandKen,that'sallwellandgood,butwon'tanypotentialemployersknowwhatI'mdoingandchuckmyresuméaway?"
Somemight,butmostprobablywillnot.Especiallyifyou'rerelyingonbuildingcareerrelationshipstogetyouinthedoorratherthanjustmailingoutresuméstoads.Theworstthat'slikelytohappenisthey'llatleastcallyououtofcuriositytobetterunderstandwhatyourresumémeans.Butthat'sgoodbecausethat'swhatyouwantedtobeabletotalktosomebody.
Onceyou'vegotthemonthephone,youcanexplainthat,yes,youdidperformlotsofconventionaladminduties,butyoualsowantedthemtoknowallaboutyourlandscaping-relatedactivitiesaswell.Ifyoububbleoverwithenthusiasmforthislineofworkandgetthemexcitedaboutyourknowledge,passion,andreadinesstomoveinthisdirection,you'relikelytoatleastgetcalledinforaninterview.Basically,you'vetoldthemexactlywhattheyneededtoknowthatyou'rethesortofdynamiccandidateforthislandscapinggigthey've
beenlookingfor.
3.Listyourschoolinginthethirdsectionofyourresumé,atthebottomofthepage(andtrytokeepittojustonepage).Ifyouhaveadegreeofanykind,putitdown.Ifyou'vetakenanyrelevantcoursesanywhereelse,listthose.Ouradmin/landscape
Page137
designer,forexample,mightlisteducationalexperiencessuchas"FloraandFauna,AnOverview"attheFreetownArboretumor"GardeningforFunandProfit"attheFreetownAdultEducationCenter.Anythinginyourexperiencethatrelatesdirectlytoyournewcareerdirectionshouldgodownhere.Everythingthat'srelevantbuildsyourcredibility.Note:Ifyouhaveonlyahighschooleducationandnothingelsenoadultedcourses,nojuniorcollegecertificates,noone-dayworkshops,nothing!thenleavethisentiresectionout.
4.Shouldyoulistdates?That'satoughone.Ifyou'rebuildingyourcareerrelationships,ofcourse,thisprobablywon'tmatter.Face-to-face,metwithyourfireandenthusiasm,mostpotentialemployerswilltendtolettheagequestion(whether"tooold"or"tooyoung")meltaway.
Ifyou'reflyingblind,however,sendingyourresuméouttoemployersunseen,you'llwanttoconveythatyou'restableandthatyoudon'tflyaroundfromemployertoemployeratthedropofahat.Yetsomeemployeesthinkfiveyearsatonecompanyistoolongwhileothersthinkthat'stoofew.Soit'sacrapshoot.
That'swhywe'regoingtosuggestyouleavedatesout.Letpotentialemployersyouhaven'tmetcallyoutodiscernyourage,ifthat'swhattheycareabout,illegalasthatmaybe.Again,oncetheycallyou,you'vegotthem.You'lljustturnontheol'admin-on-the-way-upcharmandwinthemover.
5.Shouldyoulistpersonalinterests?Ifthey'rerelevant,sure.Ouradmin/landscapermightlist"rosegarden,attendingannualflowershow,avidviewerofTheFlowerShopTVprogram."Doesthissoundamateurish,vapid,silly?Maybe,butwhenyou'remakingamajorcareerchangeandyourprofessionalqualificationsarelimited,againyou'vegottopulloutallthestops.Tonotmentiontheseinterestswouldbetoimplytheydon'texist.Thewaywefigureit,thiskindof
omissionmisleadsreadersofyourresumébyimplyingyoudon'thaveneartheenthusiasm,knowledge,orexperienceyoureallydo.Putitin.
6.Howaboutjobobjectiveorsummaryofqualifications?Nah,readersofyourresuméwillunderstandwhatyou'relookingforandwhyyou'requalifiedforitifyou'vestructuredthecontentsproperly.Justcuttothechase.
Page138
Sowhatdowehavehere?Asuccess-styleresumé,perhaps?Justabout.Allyou'vegottodonowis:
Cutdownyour"achievements"and"skills"sectiontomanageablesize.Cullrelevantitemsfromthatlonglistweaskedyoutomakeinstep1onpage133.Fit''talents"intowhicheversectionseemsmostappropriate,orcombinewith"skills"i.e.,"talentsandskills."
Makesureyourachievementsarenotonlyrelevantbutquantifiable,thatis,withnumbersincludedifpossible.(Liza'sresumédoesthiswell.Takealookatit.)
Positionwhatyoudeemtobethemostimpressiveitemsonthetopofyourlist.
Addinheadings.
Printoutthewholemasterpieceon"resumépaper."(Seeyourlocalprinterforsamples.)
Doallofthesethingsandvoilà!yagotyourselfonedangfancyresumé,pardner.
WhatAboutCoverLetters?
Manyhumanresourcesdirectorstellustheyconsidercoverlettersmoreanannoyancethananythingelse.Theybrushrightpastthemandontotheresumé.Thatmeansyourtimemaybebetterspentpolishingtheresuméitselfthanyouropeningepistle.
Ifyoumustwriteacoverletter,however,makeitbriefandtothepoint.Getthroughthenicetiesquicklyandfocusyoursecondparagraphonwhatyoumostwantyourprospectiveemployertoknowaboutyou.Butdon'tmakeitatome.
Rachel'sAssumption4:
Job-huntingissomethingyoudoalone.
FlipSide: Alwaysbringothersalong.
Ifyouhaven'tadoptedwhatwecalla"careermate"bynow,thengetonwithit!Traditionallypeoplethinkofcareertransitionsassolitaryendeavors.Yetitmustbeobvioustoyoubynow
Page139
thatweholdadifferentview.Whyelsewouldwerecommendcareerallies,buildingcareerrelationships,mentors,andpersonalboardsofmentors?There'snoreasonintheworldyouneedtakethiswalkalone.Peoplearewillingtowalkwithyou.
What'sacareermate?Basically,she'syourteammate,yourbuddy,yourcareerbestfriend.Therelationshipoftenworksbestwhenyourcareermateiscurrentlyengagedinacareertransitiontoo,orhasrecentlymadeone,becausethenshe'llunderstandwhatyou'regoingthrough.Butwhateverhersituation,she'llmakeacommitmenttoworkwithyouandtohelpyoukeepgoing,andifsheneedsthesamething,you'llcommityourselftoheraswell.
Becareful,however,whomyouchoose.Youneedsomeonepositive,creative,resourceful,andwhocaresaboutyou.Askyourselfthefollowingquestionswhenconsideringcareermatecandidates:
Ismypotentialcareermatesomeonewhohasprovedinthepasttohavemybestinterestsatheart?
IsmypotentialcareermatesomeonewhowillpushmewhenIneedtobepushed?
Doesmypotentialcareermatelistencloselytome?DoesshetrytohelpmefigureoutwhatIwanttodoinmylife,notwhatshethinksIshoulddo?
Ismypotentialcareermateanoptimisticpersonalitywholooksonthebrightsideoflifeandwhobelieveswebothcanwin?
Ifyoucananswerintheaffirmativetomost(orpreferablyall)ofthesequestions,thensignherup!Youwantsomeoneinthisrolewhocanreallyhelpyouandnotjustsomeoneyoulike.Thinklongandhardaboutyourchoice.Thentakethewinningcandidatetoakickoffdinner!You'reabouttohavelotsoffuntogether.
Rachel'sAssumption5:
Rejectionlettersmeannobodywantsyou.
FlipSide: Rejectionlettersmeannothing.
Page140
Youcanpretendtheymeansomething.Youcantakethempersonally,youcanfeelbad,youcantellyourselfyou'redoomed.Butalltheyreallymeanisthatyoujusthaven'tfoundyourperfectmatchyet.It'soutthere,though;youjusthavetokeeplooking.
Youmightdramaticallyimprovetheodds,ofcourse,bytakingtoheartwhatwe'vebeensayinginthesepages:Relymoreonbuildingcareerrelationshipsthanonimpersonalmailingsofyourresumé.Rejectionletterspileuponlywhencareeradvancementplansemphasizethosetraditionaltechniqueswesodisdain.
Yourlikelihoodofcareersuccessbymailmustbecalculatedinlightoftwosomewhatdishearteningfactors:
1. Yourcompetitionismuch,muchgreater,sincemostpeopletakethisroad.
2. Ifyouhavefewerface-to-facemeetings,youwillbejudgedprimarilyoninanimatepaperwork,notonwhoyoureallyareandwhatyoucancontribute.
Sosaveabundleonpostage.Stopmailingoutsomanydarnedresumés.Searchforyoursuccessinthepresenceofreallivepeople.
AdvancementToolsChecklist
Let'snowtakestockofyouradvancement"tools."Itdoesn'thurttohaveacareertreasurechestthat'swellequippedwithatoolboxorrepairkittosupplementalltheotherideaswe'veofferedyou.Remember,it'salwaysworkedforBatmanjustcheckouthisutilitybelt!
Inthelistbelow,whichitemshaveyoumadeavailabletoyourself?
Resumé
Coverletter
Accesstoawordprocessor
Callwaiting
Answeringmachine
Listofcareerallies,includingaddressesandphonenumbers
Page141
Carefullychosencareermate
Boardofmentors
Membershipinrelevantprofessionalorganization
Contactwithyouralumniassociation
Boxofprintedthank-youcards
How'dyoudoonthisone?Moreandmorethesedays,youhearcareeradvancementcampaignslikenedtomarketingplansinbusiness.Thatmodeldemandsthatyoumakeiteasyforcustomerstounderstandyourproduct(you)andtobeabletoreachyouwhentheywantto.Thuswiththefirstthreeitemsonthislistyou'recreatingbrochureandmarketingmaterials,includingthecapacitytotailorthesematerialstoyourindividualcustomers'(potentialemployers')needs.
Inthenextitem,you'reprovidingeasyaccesstoyou.Somefolksobjecttothissuggestion,however."Ihatecallwaiting,"theysay."Idon'tliketogetinterruptedduringacall."Well,we'veneverbeenpronetoshillforthephonecompany,butwewouldonlyaskyouthis:Ifapotentialemployerwantedtocallyoutosuggestyoucomeinforaninterview,wouldyouwantthemtogetabusysignal?Areyousoconfidentinyourchancesforemploymentthatyou'dtrustthemtokeeptryingandtryingifyourlinestayedbusy?Youwouldn'tworryaboutmissingsuchacall?
Thesameistrueforanansweringmachine,thoughmosteveryonedoeshaveonethesedays.Remember,theLordhelpsthosewhohelpthemselves.Getcallwaitingandkeepyouransweringmachineturnedonatalltimes.
We'vealreadytalkedatlengthaboutthenextfouritemsonthelist.We'donlyaddherethatyoushouldtrytokeepyourcareerallieslistascompleteandup-to-dateaspossible.Again,anymarketingexpert
worthhersaltwilltellyouthatyourmailinglistcouldbeworthtentimesitsweightingold.Reviewit,reviseit,workwithit.Yourcomingcareervictorywilllikelyemergefromit.
Haveyouforgottenaboutyouralumniassociation?Ifyou'vegraduatedfromacollege,juniorcollege,technical/secretarialschool,orevenyourhighschool,useitsresources.Theremightbeacareerlibrarythere,orfreecareercounselors,oranalumnidirectoryavailable.Socallthemcallthemrightnow.They'vebeenwaitingtohearfromyou.
Page142
Finally,there'sthethank-you.Doyoualwaysremembertodothis?Sure,sure,weallsaywedo,butdoyou?Ifyouranswerisyes,thenletusaskyouthisquestion:Whenwasthelasttimeyouwroteoutathank-youandmaileditoff?Behonestnow.
Andhere'sabetteronewhenwasthelasttimeyoureceivedathank-younote?
Seeourpoint?Ifeverybody'srunningaboutmailingoffsomanythank-younotestoeveryoneelse,howcomeyouandwedon'tpickupmoreoftheminourmailbox?
"Buthey,KenandBarbara,shouldIsendaformal,typedthank-youletterorahandwrittenthank-youcard?"
Thisone'sapersonaldecision,really.Sendingaformalthank-youmighthelpifyouwanttospelloutonceagainyourmostimpressivecareerattribute(asweadvisedyoutodoinyourcoverletter).Thismightmakethemostsenseafterajobinterview.Justbesureyou'velistenedcloselyduringtheinterviewforwhatyourpotentialemployerwantsmosttofind.Thenaffirminyourthank-youletterwhatyoualreadysuggestedduringyourinterviewthatyou'vegotit!
Personally,forourmoney,handwrittennotesflybest.Theyjustfeelmoregenuinetome,moresincere,moredemonstrative.TomPetersinhisThePursuitofWOW!apparentlyagreeswithus:"Writinganotedemonstratesalevelofeffort,andispermanent.Typedorhandwritten?Handwrittenbyacountrymile.Atwo-line,largelyunreadablescrawlbeatsapageandahalfspitoutbythelaserprinter."
We'rewithol'Tom.Themoreyoumakethisgameapersonalone,themorelikelyyou'llgetexactlywhatyou'vecomelookingfor.
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:AngelaMaffeo
Currently:Developingacareerinpsychologyandwriting
Adminskillsusedtoday:Organizationalskills,knowinghowto"read"people,typing,accountingskills,knowledgeoflegalissues
Howchangewasmade:"I'dspentmanyyearsearlyinmy'career'notseeingmyworkasasecretaryasacareeratallTomeitwasjustawaytomakemoneywhilestillspendingtimewithmy
Page143
kids.IusedtotakejobsinSeptemberandthenquitinMay.I'dspendthesummerwithmychildren.
"ThenonedayIwassittingoutbythepoolinthebackofourhouseandrealizedthekidsweren'tthereanymore.Theywereoffwiththeirfriends.SowhydidIhavetohangaroundalldaywaitingforthem?IknewthenthatIcouldstartmakingcareerdecisionsthatmatteredtome.
"ThoughIreturnedtoworkasusualthatfall,asalegalsecretary,thistimeIalsonetworkedlikecrazyandcameupwithaverypromisingopportunity.Ipreparedtoleavethelawfirm,butasIgavemynotice,thefirm'smanagingpartnerpushedajobdescriptionacrossmydeskandaskedifI'dbeinterested.Itwasapositionasachiefadministratorforatrustthatmanagedaprofessionalfootballstadium.
"Thiswasnotjustajobforanadmin.Itrequiredpeopleskills,negotiatingskills,accountingandbudgetingskills,understandingoflegaldocumentsawholerangeofthingsthatI'dacquiredduringmyadmindays.OneofmyfirstsecretarialjobswasataC.P.A.firm,whereIlearnedalotaboutaccounting.Later,asIraisedmyfamily,IservedasvolunteertreasurerforthelocalLeagueofWomenVoters.SoI'dpickedupalotofexpertisealongtheway.
"Itookthejob!Ireallyenjoyedittoo.Itwasstimulating,challenging,personallysatisfyingmanyoftheaspectsI'dmissedasadmintoalawfirm.Today,yearslater,asIdevelopmynewcareerinpsychology,I'vegonebacktousingmyadminbackgroundtopaymybillsviatempjobs,whichisoneofthegreatthingsaboutadminworkyoucanalwaysgetajobinitagain.I'moncemorefocusedonworkthatwillstimulatemeandonusingmyadminskillstohelpmebesuccessfulatit."
Bestadviceforadmins:"Focusonsomethingyoucareaboutanddon't
letanyonedissuadeyou.You'renotyourjob;you'reahumanbeingwithgreatpotential.Ifyourpresentworkdoesn'tstimulateyou,gooutandfindaformofworkthatdoes."
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:KristinaCavanaugh
Currently:Freelanceparalegal,SanMateo,California
Adminskillsusedtoday:Aneyefordetails,researchskills,efficiencywithpaperwork,aknackforasking"therightpeopletherightquestions"
Page144
Howchangewasmade:Forfiveyears,KristinaworkedasalegalsecretaryforamajorlawfirminSanFrancisco.Shelovedtheatmospherefromthestart,soakinguptheintriguethatcamewithhigh-profilecasesandtheinvestigativechallengeoflegalresearchbehindthescenes.Whenshetalkedaboutwheresheworkedandwhatshesawaroundherwithherfamilyandfriends,noonecoulddenyherexcitement.
"SometimespeoplewouldwonderjustwhatitwasthatIlikedsomuch,"sherecalls."Somepeoplewouldaskme,wasn'titboring,allthosefactstolookupanddetailstocheck,andtheploddingalongdayafterdaywithoutfanfare.OtheradminsIknewwhohadworkedinalegalofficesaidthatthey'dfoundlegalworktooboring."
Butforwhateverreason,otheradmins'boredomprovedtobeKristina'sstimulation."Ilovedgettingupeverydayandgoingtoworkatthelawfirm,"shesays,"butIalsoknew,afterawhile,thatIwasgoingtoneedtootogetinvolvedonamuchdeeperleveloneday."
Afterconsideringlawschool,sheinsteaddecidedtobecomeaparalegal.Itwouldtakeherfastertohergoalofstretchingbeyondhersecretary'sroleandgivehertimetoconsiderifshewantedtomoveupanyhigher."Insomeways,beingaparalegalisn'tmuchdifferentfrombeinganadminexceptIoftenworklongerhoursthesedays!Imaygotolawschoolsomeday,butfirstIwanttoseeifIcontinuetoenjoythiskindofwork.MaybeI'mnotyetconfidentenoughthatIcouldpassthelawboardsandreallybecomealawyermyself.Itseemslikesuchafar-offgoal.YetIgetmoreconfidenteverydayaboutthiswork,whichIcanreallyseemyselfstayinginmywholelife."
Bestadviceforadmins:"Ifyoudon'tliketheplacewhereyouworkorthepeopleyouworkfor,leave.Therearesomanydifferentkindsofworkatmospheres.Findaplaceyoulike."
Page145
8MovingOnandMovingUpThere'snoguaranteethatanythinginthisbookwillwork.There'snowayofknowingforsurethatyouwilleverachieveanyofyourgoalswithinthetimeyouallotforthem.Norcanyoubecertainthatyouwillachieveanyofthematall.Careeradvancementcansometimesbecomeaprotractedbattlethatnoteveryonecanwin.Manyinfactwillgiveup.Otherswillbedisappointedwithhowthingsturnout.
Stillotherswillwagetheverybestcampaignsimaginable,butsometimesthechipsrefusetofallwheretheyshould.AsthegreatjazzbassistRussellGeorgeoncesaid,"Baby,theydon'tgiveitaway."
Butyou'vegottotry.Withoutconjuringupyourhopesanddreams,withoutvaliantlyexpressingthemtotheworld,withoutembarkingonaplanofactiontomakethemreality,nothingmuchtendstohappen.You'vesimplygottofightforwhatyouwant.Sometimesyou'llwinandsometimesyou'lllose.It'scalled"life."
We'vefound,though,thatbyputtinggoalsdownonpaper,wecancreateaframeofmindthatfiresustopracticalaction.It'samysteriouscause-and-effectdynamic,notentirelyexplainable.Butitdoesseemtowork.
Infact,we'veseenitworkexactlythiswaymanytimes,notonlyinourownlivesbutinthelivesofourprogramgraduates.Againandagain,adminsandotherprofessionals,aftermakingaremarkablysuccessfulcareerchange,excitedlyreportedtoushowthey'drecentlytakenaglanceatcareergoalstheysetforthemselveswhileinourcareerprogram,someperhapsayearor
Page146
twointhepast,andhowamazedtheyweretoseehowmuchhadcometrue.
Thoughthey'dstoppedlookingattheirlistofgoals,stoppedplanningactionsteps,stoppedreviewingtheirprogress,they'dcreatedenoughmomentumtomakethingshappen.
Onedayjustforfun,theyglancedbackattheseearliergoalsandtookalookfornostalgicreasons.Loandbehold,they'dachieved,withoutevennoticingit,nearlyeveryone.Careergoals,personalgoals,fungoals,outrageousgoalsmost(orall)hadcomethroughforthem.The"how"ofthattheysometimescouldn'tevenidentify.They'djustgottenthemselvesona"belieftrack"thattheycouldaccomplishgreatthings,andgreatthingsindeedbegancomingtheirway.
YourCareerAdvancementPlanner
Intheaccompanyingworksheet,let'sputtogetherastructuredactionplannowforyou.Ifpossible,inputthisplanintoyourcomputersothatyou'llbeabletoeasilyreviseitasyougoalong.
Feelfreetomodifythisformatinanyway.It'sabasicframework,andyoumightwanttoaddotherfeaturesthatmightbettersuityou.Forexample,somepeopleliketoleavespacesfor"intermediate"careerpositionsthatwouldleadthemtotheireventualcareerdestination.
Andrea,anadminforanaccountingfirm,decidedshewantedtoonedaybecomemarketingdirectorforamajorcompany.Togetthere,shetargetedsuchintermediatestepsas"marketingintern,""marketingspecialist,"and"assistantmarketingdirector."Shefeltthesepositionswouldbelogicalexperiencestoprepareherforherultimategoal.Inherplanner,sheaddedspacesfortheseintermediatepositionsandthenmaderoomfor''steps"and"resources"sectionsbeneatheachone.
Beflexible,too,aboutdeadlines.Pleaseseethemasguidelinesonly.Understandthatunforeseencircumstancesoftenprevailovertimeintentions.Ifadeadlinecan'tbemet,justreviseit!Thepointofallthisactionplanningistokeepyourselfgoing,nottogetthere"ontime."Timeisanartificialconstruct.
Page147
Newcareerdirection:________________________________________
I'dliketoachievethisby:[Insertdate]___________________________
StepsINeedtoTake By:1._____________________________________ _______________2._____________________________________ _______________3._____________________________________ _______________4._____________________________________ _______________5._____________________________________ _______________6._____________________________________ _______________
ResourcesINeedtoGather By:1._____________________________________________________2._____________________________________________________3._____________________________________________________
Somefolkstreatagoaloradeadlineasafinalreportcardontheircommitment,theirability,ortheirself-worth.They'llgointoa"shamespiral"iftheydon'tdoexactlywhattheysaidthey'ddowithintheprecisetimeframetheysetforit.
Yetwhenallissaidanddone,itusuallywon'tmatteronelittlewhitwhetherornot,forexample,youattainyournewcareerdirectionintwoyearsorintwoandahalf.It'sallsoamazinglyarbitrary!Justgetyourselfonthatmagical"belieftrack"thatassuresthatyes,you'regonnadoit.Thenslipintothedriver'sseat.Thefactthatyou'redoingallyoucantogetthereiswhatreallymatters.
Page148
BuildingCareerRelationshipsRevisited!
Notlongago,Dorothy,asavvy,aggressiveexecutiveadmin,cametoBarbarareekingoffrustration.She'dbeenconductingherjobsearchforsomemonthsnowfullsteamahead.Sheknewwhatshewanted,she'dbeencarryingoutheractionsteps,andshe'dbeenmakingconnectionsandworkingonhercareerrelationships.
"YetIdon'tseemtobegettinganywhere,"shecried."IthinkI'mdoingalltherightthings,butI'mnotgettinganyoffersandalltoofewinterviews."
SheshowedBarbarahercareeradvancementplanner.She'daddedasectioncontaininginformationonhercareerallies.Over600nameswereinit,includingaddresses,phonenumbers,faxnumbers,notesaboutpersonalinterests(andfoibles),informationonvariouscompanies,listsofthemajorplayerseverything!
Dorothy[flippingthroughthepages,lookingforamagicanswer]:WhatamIdoingwrong?I'mmeetinglotsofpeoplebutnothingseemstobehappening.
Atfirstglance,Dorothydidseemtobedoingjustasweadvisedher.ButthenBarbarastartedaskingherquestions.
Barbara:Haveyouhadcareerconversationswiththesepeopleoverthephoneorinperson?
Dorothy:Ispeaktothemfirstoverthephone.ThenifitseemstomakesenseIgetthemtomeetmeattheirofficesoroverlunch.Andyes,Ipickupthecheckandmailthemthank-younotes.
B.L.:Whendoyoufollowupwiththemafterthat?
Dorothy:Iusuallymakeaphonecallabouttwoorthreeweekslatertoseeifanything'scomeupsinceIlasttalkedtothem.IfIdon'tget
theminperson,Ileaveavoicemessageforthem.Idon'twantthemtofeelI'mpesteringthem.
B.L.:Andwhendoyouspeaktothemafterthat?
Dorothy[alittletakenabackatthisquestion]:Afterthat?
Page149
B.L.:Yes.Afteryoursecondorthirdcontact,whendoyougetintouchwiththemagain?
Dorothy:Well,I,uh,Idon't.
B.L.:Youdon't?Youstoptalkingwiththem?
Dorothy:Well,asIsaid,Idon'twanttopesterthem.They'velearnedalltheycanaboutme,andtheyknowwhatI'mlookingfor.AftertwoorthreecontactsIfigurethey'llletmeknowiftheyhearofanything.
BarbararemindedDorothyofBurgerKing,McDonald's,andWendy'spumpinguswithTVadseveryeveningstartingaroundeighto'clock.ShesuggestedthatifDorothyturnedontheTVrightthenandthereorpickedupamagazine,shemightalsofindsomementionofToyota,JeepEagle,Chrysler/Plymouth,orOldsmobile.
B.L.[laughing]:Whydoyouthinkallthesecompanieskeep"pestering"ussomuch?
Dorothy[seriouslyandwithouthesitation]:Becausetheywantourbusiness.Becauseeachonewantsustothinkofthemfirst.
Themoralofthislittlestory?Whileit'sfinetotakecarethatyoudon'tbecomeapest,youmustalsobecarefulnottostrayovertotheotherside,whereyou'reneverheardfromagain,asDorothydid.Thosewhoadvertisetheirwarestousadnauseamdon'twanttobepestseither,buttheyalsodon'twanttobeforgotten.Theyknowthatit'salltooeasytoloseus.Sokeepadvertisingincessantly!
ListentothewordsofAlanWeiss,writinginhisfabuloushow-toguide,MillionDollarConsulting:"Itisactuallydifficulttocontactclientstoomuch.Itiseasytofailtocontactthemfrequentlyenough....Thesecretissimple:Establishanongoingdialoguewithclients.Intheworstcase,amonologuewilldo."
So,asBarbaratoldDorothy,byallmeansfindwaystokeepintouch.Makeyourwaysinteresting,relevant,nonthreatening,butkeepthemcoming.Ifyoudon't,yourcontactswillfigure
Page150
you'veeither(1)givenupyourjobsearchor(2)foundwhatyouwerelookingfor(andthusnolongerneedtheirhelp).
Nowthisofcoursepresumesthatyourcontactsthinkaboutyouatall.Memoriesfadequickly,andwithsomuchclutterinourlives,andsomuchelsethatclamorsforourattention,it'sprettyeasytoforgetaboutsomeonewemetonlyonceortwicemanymoonsago.
"Buthey,BarbaraandKen,howdowedothisanyhow?Howcanwekeepintouchwithourcontactswithoutpesteringthem?"
Heck,youwantanswersforeverything,don'tyou?OK,we'lltossyouafewbones:
Leavechattyvoicemessages.Mentionsomethingrelevantyouheardinthenews,oragoodbookyou'vejustreadthatyouthinkacontactwouldlike.Don'tmakethesemessagestoolong(twominutestops!),justlongenoughtoremindthemyouexist.You'llofcoursesaysomethinglike,"Justwantedtocheckinwithyou.I'mstillouttheresearchingforapositionasa[whatever].Letmeknowifyougetanyideasforme.Youcanstillcallmeat[phonenumber].Thanksagainforallyourhelp.Byefornow."
Sendcontactsacopyofanarticletheymightlike.Onceyou'vehadagoodcareerconversationwithsomeone,you'llknowalotaboutthem.Aretheyinterestedinflyfishing?Managementtrends?Chaostheory?Madonna?SamuelBeckett?
Justsendthemsomethingtoreadnowandthenwithanoteexplaining,"Thoughtyoumightliketoseethis."Knowwhat?Theyprobablywill.
Periodicallymailout"campaignupdateletters."Thesearekindoflikeanewsletter(youcanevenformatitthatwayifyoulike)inwhichyouletpeopleknowaboutyourprogress.
Item:"I'vehadthreeinterviewsthismonth.Twowentprettywell,andI'vealreadybeencalledbackforone."
Item:"I'mstilllookingforcontactsatGerardCorporation.Anybodyoutthereknowanyonewhoworksthere?Letmeknow?
Item:"I'vegottenmorefamiliarwiththeleadingcustomer
Page151
servicetechniquesintheretailindustry.It'salwaysfascinatingtometolearnaboutcustomerservicesincethat'swhatIwanttodo.Anybodyknowanygoodcontactsinretailforme,orbooksorarticlestoread?"
It'sliketheboardofmentorsconcept:Youwanttokeepyourcareeralliesonyourmailinglistinvolvedinyourprogressandcrystal-clearaboutwhatyou'relookingfor.Besuretoplasteryourphonenumberalloverthiscommuniqué.Itshouldbesomewhereatleastonceoneverypage.Neverassumethatyourphonenumberiseasilyathand.
HaveYouHuggedYourselfToday?
It'seasytoforget,isn'tit?Someofusdon'teventhinkwedeserveit.Rarelydoestheideashowupinacareerorbusinessbook.Haveyourewardedyourselftodayfortakingonthischallengeofcareertransition?Haveyouacknowledgedyourselfforhowstrongyouare,howwise,howbrave?Areyougivingyourselfthekudosyouneedtokeepyourspiritsupandyourconfidencehigh?
Yes,thisispartofyourjob,notjustyourcareermate's.You'vegottotaketimeoutnowandthentosmelltheresumépaper.You'vegottoremindyourselfwhythisbattleissoimportanttoyou.You'vegottocredityourselffortakingononeofthehardestclimbsinlifetheexcruciatingbaby-step-by-baby-stepcareerhiketothestars.You'rehalfwayupthemountainrightnow.Takeagoodlookattheview.Yougotyourselfthisfar.Congratulations!
AcknowledgmentMindMap
Howaboutanothermindmap?We'llcallthisoneYourAcknowledgmentMindMap.Thistimeyou'llstartoutwith"IAcknowledgeMyselfFor,"andthenproceedtodojustthatforallthepersonalprogressyou'vemade.Makeyourlinesortentaclesrepresent
"braveactions,""innerbarriersbroken,""newaccomplishments,""lessonslearned,"andsoforth.
Page152
AcknowledgmentMindMap
Page153
Whenyourunoutofgreatthingstosayaboutyourself,showthismaptoyourcareermateortoafriendorspouseorcoworker.Askthemtosharewhattheythinkyou'vedonethat'ssoimpressive.Asalways,havealotoffunwiththismapandusecoloredmarkersorcrayonstomakeitsparkle.
TakingDirectAction
Thereusuallycomesapointduringthisprocesswhenyoufeelasthoughyou'rehittingawall.Youknowwhatyouwant,youknowthefieldyouwanttoworkin,youknowexactlywhichdepartment,division,ornewcompanyyou'dliketobehiredby.Youcanseetheperfectjobtitleunderyourname.And,guesswhat,it'snot"administrativeassistant."
Whenthesekindsofvisionsbegincomingyourway,thetimehascomefortrumpetspleaseDirectAction!
Insomecases,DirectActionwillbefairlystraightforward.Ifyou'vedecidedtogobacktoschool,you'llcallforcollegecataloguesandbeginporingoverthem.Ifyou'vedecidedtostartyourownbusiness,you'llgetsomebusinesscounseling,perhapssecurealoanortwo,formulateyourbusinessplan,andstartsettingupshop.
Butifyou'vesetyoursightsonanewemployer-employeerelationship,you'vegottojumponanyjobleadsyoucomeacrossandgenerateasmanynewonesasyoucan.Remember,possibilitiesabound;you'vejustgottotaketheinitiativetoenticethemyourway.
Getstartedbyexaminingyourallieslist.Who'sbeengoodforyou,who'sbeenadud?Someonyourlistwillbeconstantlyfeedingyougreatideas,solidleads,encouragement.PlaceA'snexttothosewhohavereallyhelpedyousofar,B'snexttothosewhohaveonlybeenOK,andC'snexttothosewhohaven'thelpedmuchatall.Has
anybodybeendownrightdiscouraging,antagonistic,stupid?PlaceaDnexttothisjokerandcrosshimoffyourlist.Solong,frump-face!
Nowaskyourselfthefollowingquestions.Scanyourallieslisttojogyourmemoryifanswersdon'tcomereadilytomind.
Page154
Haveanyofyouralliesmentionedcurrentopenings,oropeningsthatmaybecomingupinthefuture?
Haveanyofyouralliesmentionedexpandingoperationsornewprojectsintheirdepartments(orattheircompanies)?
Hasanyonecommentedontheneedforsomeonenewtocomeinandsolveafesteringproblem?
Howmightanyofyouralliesbenefitfromaddingyoutotheirstaff,perhapsinwaysthey'renotevenawareof?
Naturallyyouwanttokeepinmindyourcareervision.Noteveryopportunityorjobopeningisforyou.Youmustcontinuallyaskyourself,"IsthissomethingIwant?"Becarefulofjumpingontoabandwagonjustbecausethere'sanopeningofsomekind.Youdon'twanttolandsomewhereasanadmininallbutthename.
Whenpeoplehavebeenatthisprocessforawhile,ifnothing'syetcomethrough,theysometimesbegingettingfidgety.Theystarttothink,"MaybeIoughttogetpracticalandtakesomethingIknowIcandofornow.Icankeeplookingformydreamontheside.Maybeit'snotyetmytime."
Bunkum!Yourtimeisnow.You'remerelyfeelingyourcourageandself-confidencestarttowaver.That'snatural,withallyou'vebeenthrough.Sogetbackonyourhorseandride.Remember,there'sgoldinthemthar'hills!
Golookagainatyouradvancementplanner,yourcareervision,andallofyourmindmaps.Youcandothis,youreallycan.Youcanmakethismove.
GettinginanAlly'sFace
Whatcanyousaytoyourallieswhenyouknowthey'vegot
somethingyouwant?Howdoyoutalkturkeywiththem?Howdoyoumovethisprocessalong?
Elementary,dearadmin:Youlevelwiththem.Yougettogetherandyouspeaktothemverydirectly.Youaskthemforexactlywhatyouwant.Youcallinfavors:
Page155
"Bill,asyouknow,I'vebeenexploringanewcareerlately,andI'vejustcompletedabusinesscourseinriskanalysis.Theinsurancefieldinterestsmemoreandmore.I'velearnedalotfromwhatyou'vetoldmeaboutyouremployer,PeopleMutual,andI'vedecidedI'dlovetoworkthere.Arethereanyopeningsyouknowof?Isthereanyonehiringyoucouldhelpmemeet?"
"Sarah,I'veappreciatedyourhelpthesepastfewmonthsasI'veexploredmycareeroptions.I'mnowcertainthatmarketingismyfuture.WhatcouldIdotobecomeapartofyourdepartment?I'dreallybeexcitedtoworkforyou."
"Beth,IgetmoreandmoreenthralledwitheverythingIlearnabouttherestaurantbusiness.I'vedecidedwhatI'dmostliketodoismanage.Doyouknowofanyassistantmanagementpositionsatanyestablishmentsintown?Irealizeyouhavenothingtooffermeyourselffightnow,butanythingelseyou'veheardofthatmightgetmestartedwouldbegreat."
Don'ttrytocopydownthesespeechesverbatim.They'redesignedjusttogiveyouthebasicidea.Youwanttosaywhat'sonyourmindinasnaturalatoneaspossible,butyoudon'twanttodemand.You'rejustcontinuingtoleadyouralliesinawaythathelpsyou.Youneedsomethingspecificfromthemnow,andyouhavetocommunicatethat.
Takingthismoredirectapproachnowmovesyouintoamoreassertivephaseinyourclimboutofthepink-collarghetto.Bynow,ifyou'vedoneyourhomework,you'veestablishedsolidrelationshipsinthenewcareerareaofyourchoice.Giventhat,you'llfindmanyalliesdelightedthatyou'reaskingforhelp.Somemayevenhavebeenwonderingwhenyou'dgetaroundtoit.Justrememberthatit'salwaysyourjobtomakeknownwhatyouwant,andtoarticulatetoyourallieshowtheycanhelpyouattainit.
Page156
TheDreadJobInterview
OnceyoubegintakingDirectAction,you'llalsobeginhearingaboutspecificopportunities.Atsomepointyou'lladvancetotheformalstepofjobinterviewinganddoingwhateverelseittakestocapitalizeonanopportunity.
Butexcuseus,didwehearyougaspalittlewhenwementionedinterviewing?What'sthat?Yousayyou'dratherwrapyourhandaroundared-hotpoker?Oh,comeonnow,youcan'tbeserious.Thingscouldn'tbethatbad.
Yetofcourseformanyofus(mostofus?),itis.Thefearcomesfromworryingaboutgettingit''right"fieldingtoughinterviewquestions,spittingbackperfectanswers,holdingontoyourcoolwhilequestionscomeflyingatyouleftandright.It'slikesharingteaandcrumpetswithJohnHouseman.
Keepthisinmind,then:Youdon'thavetogetit"right,"youjusthavetobeyourself.Soundstoosimple,doesn'tit?Yetit'strue.
We'renotsayingyoudon'thavetoprepare,orthinkoutyouranswers,orphrasewhatyousayintermsthatemphasizeyourstrengths.It'sjustthat,despiteallofthis,thatindefinableconnection,thechemistrybetweenyouandtheinterviewer,thatmysterious"something"intheairwillhaveasmuchtodowithanyfinaldecisionasallofyour"perfect"answersputtogether.
We'reforeveraskingaudienceswhatcriteriathey'veusedinthepasttohiresomeone.Wegetthesameanswerseverytime:
"It'sagutdecision.""Whetherthecandidatecanfitinwiththeculture.""HowwellIthinkwe'llgetalong.""Chemistry.""Thecandidate'senthusiasm."
You'vealreadyconvincedtheinterviewerthatyou'requalified(otherwise,whywouldhehavearrangedthisinterview?).Next,aswithresumés,yourinterviewshouldnotthrowyourpotentialemployeracurveball.Itshouldconfirmeverythingtheemployerhascometobelieveaboutyouuptonow.Ifyoujust
Page157
answerquestionstothebestofyourability,yourstoreofknowledge,experience,andcreativityshouldnestleyouthrough.
Butyoucan'tfabricatechemistry.It'seithergoingtobethereorit'snot.Becauseofthis,youcan'treally"fail."Ifyougenerateenoughjobinterviews,therightchemistrywillmaterializewithsomeone.Your"perfectmatch"isouttherewaiting.
Thisnaturalchemistryisobviouslywhatyoumostwanttofind.Otherwise,thatnewworkenvironmentwithyouinitwon'tbefunforanyone.Includingyou.
Ouroveralladviceisthis:Thebestjobinterviewisagoodcareerconversation.That'syourumbrella.Youwantyourinterview,afterall,tobe,asRick(HumphreyBogart)suggeststoLouisattheendofCasablanca,"thebeginningofabeautifulfriendship."YouwantittoassumetheloftypositionofSupremeCareerRelationshipforatleastthenextfewyears.It'sthebeginningofalong-runningdialogue.
"Buthey,KenandBarbara,howdoIdothis?It'saninterview,afterall,andI'mnotincontrol.Myjobistoshutupandanswertheirquestions."
That'sthewayyoumayhavebeentaughttothinkofinterviews,yes,butthat'syour"factorymentality"showingthrough.Again,putyourselfinthedriver'sseat.Shifttheprocessaroundsoitservesyourneeds.
InterviewHint1:ChatWhenYouFirstWalkIn
You'dbesurprisedhowoftenwe'retoldbyemployersthatthisdoesn'thappen.Peopleenterstiff,scared,subservient.Theydon'tactlikethemselves.Especiallyadmins.
Breakdownyourinnerbarriers!You'renotbackatyourworkstationorthereceptiondesknow.Youdon'thavetojustshutupandfollow
orders.You'reanadult.You'reaperson.Befriendly;commentontheweatherorhowniceabuildingitisortherouteyoutooktogetthere.Aslongasyou'renotobnoxious,critical,ornegative,itreallydoesn'tmatterwhatyousay.You'rejusttryingtobreaktheiceandsetatonethatyou'vecometointeract,notjustslavishlyanswerquestions.
Butnote:Don'tletyourselfbetheonlyonechatting.Whileyou'llwanttochatabitwhenyoufirstcomein,lordknowsyou
Page158
don'twanttorunoffatthemouth.Chattingisatwo-waystreet:Letthepersonyou'remeetingslipinafewwordsaswell.Watchwherehegoeswithhiscommentsandfollowtheconversationwherehetakesit.
Anythingyouhearnowcouldbeacluetohowtheinterviewerthinks,whathe'slookingfor,howyoucouldhelphiscompany.Keepchatting,butlethimslowlybegindoingmorechattingthanyou.Listencloselytowhathehastosay.Thisbearsrepeating:Listenclosely!
InterviewHint2:RealizeThatYourInterviewerMayBeJustasNervousasYou
Manyinterviewers,believeitornot,don'thavetheslightestideahowtoconductaninterview.Theyfumblewithyourresumé,askstilted,"textbook"questions,andstruggletojotdownyouranswers.Eccchhh!Whoneedsthis?
Easeyourinterviewer'smind,havepityonhim.Subtlyconverttheinterviewintoacareerconversation.Ifyougetyourinterviewertofeelrelaxedandenjoyinghimselfbytheendofyoursession,you'veaccomplishedwhatyoucamefor.He'lllikeyou.
InterviewHint3:Observethe"20/2Rule"
Whenansweringquestions,keepthemlongerthantwentysecondsbutundertwominutes.Tooshortananswerconveystheimpressionthatthespeakerhaslittletooffer,andtoolongananswerevokestheimageofaboorishwindbagwholivesforthespotlight.
Evenyesornoquestionsshouldbeelaboratedupon.Likeotherquestions,they'reopportunitiestoexpandyourcase.Let'slookfirstatthewrongwaytodoit,asexemplifiedbyCandidate1:
TheWrongWay
Interviewer:IseebyyourresuméyouwenttoDukeUniversity.
Candidate1:Yap.
Page159
Interviewer:Didyoulikeitthere?
Candidate1:Yap.
Interviewer:Yougraduatedwithhonors,thirdinyourclassthat'simpressive.
Candidate1:Thanks.
Interviewer:Anythingyou'dliketoaddthatwehaven'tcovered?
Candidate1:Nope.
Wow!Whatelectricity,excitement!Youcanalmostimagineaninterviewerjumpingupanddown,shouting,"Iloveyoursimplicity!Whencanyoustart?"
Nowcomparethatscenariowiththisunarguablymoreeffectiveone:
TheRightWay
Interviewer:IseebyyourresuméyouwenttoDukeUniversity.
Candidate2:Suredid.Itwasn'tmyfirstchoicebackinhighschool,butitturnedouttobetherightplaceforme.I'dthoughtI'dpreferasmallerschoolclosertohomeI'mfromWyomingbutasitturnedout,themanyopportunitiesatamajorschoolgaveme,Ibelieve,arichereducation.
Interviewer:Soyoulikeditthere?
Candidate2:Ohyes.Ithinkthat'swhereIfirstbeganenjoyingscientificresearch,infact.ThoughIstudiedastraightbusinesscurriculum,theyalwayshadmajorscienceexhibitsgoingonthere.Iwasfascinatedwiththem.That'swhythispositionasascientificresearchassistantappealstomesomuch.
Interviewer:Iseetoothatyougraduatedwithhonors,thirdinyour
class.Impressive.
Candidate2:Thankyou.Istudiedprettyhardthere.Ialwaysfeltmyeducationwasanopportunitytogrow,notjustpickupadiploma.SoIthrewmyselfintomystudies.Itookmycommitmenttomyworkloadprettyseriously.
Whatdoyouthink?WhomwouldyoupreferCandidate1orCandidate2?Obviously,byaddinghercharmandrespon-
Page160
sivenesstoherimpressivecredentials,Candidate2clearlymakesastrongshowing.Elaboratinguponwhatcouldhavebeensimpleyesornoanswers,sheidentifiesherselfas:(1)curiousandeagertolearn,(2)interestedspecificallyinscientificresearch,and(3)ahardworker.Notabadsetofattributesforthepersonwho'llfillthisjob.
InterviewHint4:AskQuestions
Interviews,bydefinition,tendtobeone-sided.Oneperson(jobinterviewer,reporter,pollster)asksquestionsofanother,andtheotherresponds.That'sprettymuchthewayit'ssupposedtogo.That'sonereasonbothofusdisdaininformationalinterviews.
Butaconversationworksdifferently,doesn'tit?Bothpartiesaskquestions,bothanswerquestions,bothmakeexpansivecomments.There'sagive-and-take,there'sanequalexchange.Arelationshipforms.
Youwanttocreatethathereacareerconversation.Thatmeansyou'vegottothrowinsomequestionsofyourown.Onavery,verydiscreetlevel,you'vegottoaltertheformat.
Here'showyoudoit:Sometimeaftertheinterviewgetsstartedmaybefiveortenminutes,probablynolongerthanfifteen(useyourintuition)slipinaquestionattheendofoneofyouranswers.Makethisquestionasspontaneousasyoucan.Letitspringfromsomethingthat'scomeupduringtheinterview.Forexample:
Interviewer:Tellme,Melissa,whatmakesyoufeelespeciallyqualifiedforthispositionofscientificresearchassistant?
Melissa:Well,I'maprettyorganizedpersonandIcanseethatyou'dhavetobeorganizedtokeeptheseresearchdatainorder.WhichbringsupaquestionI'vewantedtoaskyou:HowcloselywouldIbeinvolvedintheactualexperimentsthemselves?I'dlovetowork
directlyinthelabatsomepoint.Wouldthatfitinwiththisposition?
NoticehowMelissaslidesthequestionintotheinterviewnaturally.Itisanhonestthingtoask.It'sworthaskingsimplytounderstandmoreabouthowthingswork.ItalsohelpscommunicatewhereMelissawantstogoinherprofessionaldevelopment.
Page161
Nowtheinterviewcanmoveinawholenewdirection.Itcanbecomemoreofaconversation.IftheinterviewerspendsevenafewminutesrespondingtoMelissa'squestion,atonehasbeensetthatallowsforafree-flowinggive-and-take.Theybeginacareerrelationship.
InterviewHint5:PainttheFuture,NotthePast
Whenmakingacaseforyourself,don'tdwellonjobs,functions,andachievementsinyourpast.Explainhowtransferableyourdemonstratedskillsandyouraccomplishmentscanbetoanewsituation.Beginleavingyouradminlifebehind.
GobacktoMelissa'sassessmentofherself.Shecalledherself"aprettyorganizedperson"ratherthanfocusingonheradminorganizationalduties,suchasfiling,keepingherboss'scalendar,sortingoutmail.Shethenrelatedittoherpossiblefutureworkingintheresearchinstitute,organizingscientificdata.
Faceforward.Youwillmosteffectivelymakethetransitionintoanewcareerareaifyoucanliterallyseeyourselfworkingthere.Thatmeansemployingtalents,skills,andabilitiesintheserviceofyournewcareer.Onceyou'vegotthatmuchinyoursights,allyouneeddonextisdescribeitforsomeonewhocanhelp.
IsThisaBetterDeal?
Adaywillcomewhenyoufinallygetajobofferthat'snotadminorsecretarialwork.Itreallywill.Sogoaheadandshout"Gloryhallelujah!Someonewantsme,someonewantsme!"
Atthatmoment,though,youfaceanewquestion:Shouldyoutakeit?
Gobacktoyourcareervision.Doesthisofferrepresentwhatyou'vebeenlookingfor?Isittherightjobforyou?How'sthecompensation?Doesthispositionleadyouanywhere?
Takeadayortwotothinkaboutit.Nomatterhowmuchyouwantanewsituation,it'salwaysgoodpolicytosleeponit.Youmightbemissingsomething,forgettingsomething.
Page162
Whenyoucallthenextday,bediplomatic,courteous,respectful,enthusiastic,positive.Butaskforsomethingmore.Maybeit'smoremoney,alongervacation,anupgradinginauthorityorresponsibility.Theworsttheycantellyouis,"Wecan'tdothat."Atleastyou'llhavetried.Mosttimesyou'llwinonatleastafewpoints.
"Buthey,BarbaraandKen,Ihateplayinggames.I'mjustnotcomfortablewiththat."
It'salreadyagame.Yourpotentialemployermorethanlikelyexpectsyoutocomebackwitharequestformore.They'veprobablyfactoredthatin."Ifsheasksfor$2,000moreperyear,let'sofferher$500.Ifshewon'tacceptthat,we'llgoto$750;$800isourceiling."
Ifyourefusetoplayanygamesatall,yourdiscomfortmaycostyoualotofmoney.Ormoretimeoff,orajobmoretoyourliking.Soatleastplayalittlegame.
Howdoyouaskwithoutalienatingeverybody?Justbecarefulwithyourlanguage.Don'tsay,"Yougottagimmethis.It'smineandIdeserveit."Bediplomatic:"Whatcouldwedotomakethisworkforbothofus?Yourfigureof$34,000feelsalittlelowtome.Iwasreallyhopingfor$40,000.Whatcanwedotogetclosertothatamount?"
Atsomepoint,afterplayingaroundwiththeareasyou'dliketosee"improved,"you'llgetafeelinginyourgutthatit'stimetosayyes.Whenthatmomentcomes,tellyournewemployeryou'regladtobeaboard."Ithinkwe'reallset,"yousay."Ifeelgreataboutouragreement.I'mlookingforwardtoworkingwithyou."
Yahoo!PopopentheDomPerignon.You'vejustmadeyournewemployerhappy.Andyou'vefinallyfreedyourselffromthepink-collarghetto.
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:JessicaLefcourt
Currently:WebPagedeveloper,InternationalLinks,Glen-view,Illinois
Adminskillsusedtoday:Computerproficiency,phoneskills,understandingoftechnology
Page163
Howchangewasmade:"Themostfascinatingaspectofmyadminandsecretarialyearshadalwaysbeenlearningaboutsoftwareandnewtechnology.Ipushedconstantlytobesenttocomputercoursesandseminars,andIlovedpickingupnewtrickstheretouseinmywork.
"Oneday,mybosscalledmeinforameeting.Iassumedhewasjustgoingtogivemealistofthingsheneededdoneinthecomingweek.Instead,heflooredmewithwhathehadtosay.'Alotofpeopleinthecompanyareprettyimpressedwithyourwork,'hebegan.'I'mnotjusttalkingaboutyourregulardutiesbutallthatyou'velearnedonthecomputer.We'vereallycometorelyonyouradviceandknow-how.'
"Ithankedhimforthecompliments.Ithoughtmaybehewasgoingtogivemealittleraise.
"'We'regoingtobeopeningupanewdivision,servingcustomerswhowanttogetontheInternet,'hecontinued.'Wewantyoutobepartofit.'
"Again,naturallyIassumedhemeantI'dworkthereasanadmin.Butitturnedoutthatpeoplehadstartedliterallyturningtomeforadviceabouttechnicalmatters.I'dbecomeanin-houseexpert.SoIwasbeingelevatedfromadmintotechnicaldeveloper.MyjobwouldbetoworkcloselywithourcustomersandcreateadvertisementsforthemovertheInternet,specificallytheWorldWideWeb.
"'Congratulations,'mybossconcluded,reachingouttoshakemyhand.'I'mgoingtohatetoloseyoubutyou'rereallyneededinthisnewdepartment.You'reaprettyvaluablepersonaroundhere.'"
"Yes,Igotaraisetooabigone!"
Bestadviceforadmins:"Learnasmuchasyoucanaboutallyoudoandbecomearealexpert.Therearenewproductsandservices
developingallthetime.Youcanstepintosomethingnewifyou'vegotsomethingspecialtooffer."
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:JudyWagner
Currently:CounselingassistantforKathleenGreerAssociates,aFramingham,Massachusetts,providerofemployeeassistanceprograms(EAPs).
Page164
Adminskillsusedtoday:Organizationalandschedulingskills,meeting-planningskills,"intuitivehearing,"thatis,theabilitytoperceivewhypeoplearecallingandtoidentifytheirtrueagenda
Howchangewasmade:"Iwasworkingasanadminforanonprofitagencywheremypresentboss,KathyGreer,hadbeenrentinganoffice.Partofmypositionwastoanswerherphonestoo.Shewasimpressedwiththequalityofmyworkandcrisisinterventionhotlinetraining.Sowhenshewasreadytohireherfirstadmin,sheaskedmeifI'dbeinterested.
"Imightnothavetakenthejobexceptthatwhatshewasofferingmewasmorethanthetypicaladminposition.AsaproviderofEAPservices,Kathyneededsomeonewhocouldbesensitivetoanyonewhocalled.OftenacalltoanEAPisacryforhelp.Withemotionalissuesorwithsomekindofaddiction,callersneedtofeelcomfortableaboutcalling.Italsomightbenecessarytodosomecrisisinterventioncounseling.
"Kathywantedmetohelpwitharrangingseminarsandschedulingherstafftoo.ShewasineffectofferingmethechancetousebothpartsofwhatIdobestorganizationalskillsandmyabilitytohearwhat'sreallybeingsaidwhensomeonecalls.Shealsoofferedmeafour-dayworkweek,whichmayhavebeentheclincher!Ihadwantedtoreducemyworkscheduleforalongtime."
Bestadviceforadmins:"Followyourinterests.You'relikelytodowellinthingsyou'remostinterestedinandgetthemostsatisfactionfromthemtoo.Beprofessional.Thatmeanshavingapositiveattitudeandawillingnesstolearn.Stayawayfromgossipmillsandcompanypolitics."
Page165
9SettlingintoNewDigsSohereyouare,atyournewdeskinyournewoffice.Yourwindowlooksoutonthecitybelow,andyouhaveadooryoucanclose.You'veevengottheservicesofgasp!anadmintohelpyouout!(Youshareherwiththreeothers,butthat'sallright.)
Youbeginfixingupyourofficethewayyoulike:alittlevasewithflowersyoupickeduponthewaytowork,picturesofyourlovedones,yourfavoritepaperweight,acute,tinyclock.Asyoufussabout,yousmiletoyourself,remembering:"I'veworkedveryhardtogetmyselfhere.I'veescapedthepink-collarghetto."
Suddenly,youhearsomeoneoutsidedistinctlycryoutforcoffee.Withoutthinking,youleaptoyourfeetandbeginbustlingtowardyourofficedoor.Youruntogetiteventhoughyou'renotsurewhereitis.
"Twocreams,"themanbarks."Nosugar."
You'realmostoutyourdoorwhenyoustopdeadinyourtracks.Whatintheheckareyoudoing?You'refetchingsomeone'scoffee?Don'tyougetit?That'snolongeryourjob!
Sweeterthoughtsnevercrossedyourmind.Youturnbackandtakeagood,hardlookatyournewoffice.Thismaytakesomegettingusedto.You'vebeenfetchingcoffeeandscreeningcallsandcorrectingtyposforsolong,you'reconditionedtojumpwhensomebodyanybody!callsforyou.
Yourealizeit'stimeforafewattitudechanges.
Page166
NurturingaNewProfessionalSelf-Image
Doyoureallyseeyourselfyetasaprofessionalonalevelbeyondthatofanadmin?Canyouseeit,feelit?Doyoubelieveit?
Ifyou'rehavingtroublewiththisatall,createapackofwhatwe'llcall''New-ImageCards,"asshowninFigure9-1.Getastackofindexcardsanddealoutaboutfifteenortwenty.Oneachcard,writeoutastatementthatexpressessomethingaboutthenewyou.Makeeachstatementaffirmative,active,dynamic.Makeitalsosomethingyouhaven'tquitegraspedyet,thatyou'renotyetsureyoutrulybelieve.
Butmakeitsomethingyouabsolutelywanttobelieve.
Onceyou'veputtogetheryourNew-ImageCards,keepthemwithyouallday.Fromtimetotimeyankthemoutandshufflethroughthem.Readeachcarefully,sensinghowstrongly(orhowlittle)youbelievewhatitsays.
Atfirst,you'llnotsensearealconnectionwithanyofthecards.You'llfeelasthoughthey'retalkingaboutsomeoneelse.Butremember:They'redesignedtohelpyouacquireanewimage,nottoreinforcetheoneyoualreadyhave.They'redescribingayouinthemaking.
Asyoureadthroughyourcardstimeaftertimeaftertime,dayafterday,you'llbeginreprogrammingyourmind.Someofthecards'statementswillbegingettinginsideofyou.They'llworktheirsubtlemagiconyourinnerbarriers,sothatonedayyou'llpickupacard,readit,thenmatter-of-factlythink,"Well,yes,that'strue."Whenthathappens,throwthecardout!Replaceitwithanewone!Yournewcard'sstatementwillthenexpressanotherbeliefaboutyourselfyouhaven'tadoptedyet.
It'simportanttoseeyourfirstpost-adminpositionasastepforwardforyournewsellandtobegindiscardingoratleasttakingcontrol
ofoldbeliefsthatcannolongerserveyou.AsthetitleofPeterMcWilliam'sbookstates,YouCan'tAffordtheLuxuryofaNegativeThought.Getinthehabitofpositivethinking.
TootingYourOwnHorn
You'veapparentlybeendoingthisprettywell.Afterall,itwascentraltoyourcareeradvancementcampaign,whichgotyou
Page167
Figure9-1.New-lmageCards
Page168
here.Andthoughadvertisingyourselfmaynothavebeenthemostcomfortablefitatfirst,we'resurethatbynowyou'vegottenatleastalittlemoreusedtoit.Inyournewworkenvironment,however,you'vegottotakeitupathousandnotches.
Seeallthosebusybeaversscurryingaroundoutsideyournewoffice?Howmanyofthemhaveyougottentoknowyet?Wedon'tmeanyou'vebeencasuallyintroduced.Wemean,howmanyhaveyoureallygottentoknow?
That'spreciselywhatyouhavetodo.Youcan'twaitforpeopletoapproachyouthat'sOldWorkWorldstuff.Thistimeyouhavetoapproachthem.Youwantthemtoknowwhoyouare,whatyou'vebeenhiredtodo,andthatyourgoalistobethereforthem.
Youwantthemtothinkofyouasatrueteamplayer.Youwanttomakeadifferencebig-timetoyournew"family."Soyou'llinviteeachofthemtohavelunchwithyou.(Andyes,you'llstilllungeforthattab!)Intheprocessofgettingtoknowthem,you'recontinuingyourcareeradvancementbyinitiatingcareerconversationsandfurtherbuildingcareerrelationships.Thisneverends.
SeekingOutFeedback
Youprobablygotalotoffeedbackasanadmin.Mostofitwasprobablyafterthefact.Especiallythenegative.
Withthingsalwaysfrantic,chaotic,charged,whatyouusuallylearnedfromthisfeedbackprobablyamountedtoverylittle.Youcouldneverlearnmuchfromyourmistakesbecauseeverythingcameandwentinablur.Butthat'syourlifeasanadmin."QuoththeRaven,'Nevermore.'"
Inyournewprofessionallife,you'llseekoutfeedback;you'llrelishit.That'sright,you'lllookforit,uncoverit,asktohaveitdeliveredto
yourdoor.Inyournewpositionyoucan'taffordtoletyourmistakesgouncorrectedoryourbadhabitsfester.Youneedtobeontopofthings.
Howcanyoubesurethatyoudevelopsteadilythistime,thatyougrowprofessionally,andthatyouincorporate"unsuccessfulexperiments"(failures,mistakes,errors)intoalearningcurvethatmakesyoubetter?PaulFalconetoldusthatasking
Page169
yournewbossforperiodicperformancereviewsthroughouttheyearwouldbeonewaytodoit.AsFalconeexplainsinhisbook:
Byaskingyourbossforquarterlyorevenmonthlyperformanceupdates,you'llshowyourselfassomeonelookingforwaystoimprove[her]self,anindividualopentoconstructivecriticism,andapersonwithoutstandingcommunicationskills.Mostsignificantly,you'llgetasteadystreamoffeedbackthatwillhelpyouimproveyourperformance.Thatway,whenitcomestimefortheannualperformanceappraisal,you'llhavehadaheadstartongatheringtheinformationnecessarytohavefixedmostoftheweakerissuesinadvance!Thisisawinningstrategyforawell-informed,career-conscious,information-hungryemployeegearedforcareerprogression.
Wisewords.Speaktoyournewbossaboutfrequentperformancereviewstoday.
PipingUpatStaffMeetings
Maybeyoudidalotofthisasanadmin,althoughmostadminsreporttheydon't.Itdoesn'tfeelliketheirplace,theysay.Theydon'toftenfeelapartoftheteam.
Well,you'reapartoftheteamnow!Speakyourpiece.Injectanideaoraquestionhereandthere.Letpeoplehearwhat'sonyourmind.
It'sagoodidea,however,tolistentoo,especiallyinyourfirstfewweeks.Makesureyoudon'trushintoofastwithtoomanyfabulousnewopinions.Peoplewillacceptyoumorereadilyintheearlydaysifyoudon'tactlikeyouknoweverythingbeforeyou'vehadachancetoknowmuchofanything.
Bideyourtime:Takealotin,hearpeople'sideas,observethegroupdynamicsinyournewdepartmentoratcompanystaffmeetings.Afteryou'vegotthelayoftheland,seetoitthatyoupositionyourselfasamajorplayer.You'vebeenhiredtobefullyinvolved.Staythatway.
Noteofcaution:Foryournewrelationshipstogeleffectively,
Page170
youhavetolocateacommonground.Thathappensbestwhenyoureallylistentoanotherandtrytoabsorbwhatthatotherissaying.Alwayskeeplistening.It'scalledteamspirit.
SettingBoundaries
Asanadminyoumaynothavealwaysfeltcomfortablesayingnotoyourbosswhenhe'ddumpapiping-hotstackofdocumentsonyourdeskattenminutestofive,muttering,"I'llneedtheseinthecomputerbyeighttomorrowmorning.Haveanicenight."Youmayneverhavesetmanyboundariesaroundhowmuchworkisreasonableorhowmuchmightbegoingovertheline.
Butifyou'veneverlearnedtosetlimitsbefore,youdefinitelyhavetolearntosetthemnow.Ifyoudon't,you'llslowlyreverttoadminshipalloveragain.You'reworkinginafast,pressure-cookerworkworldthesedaysthat'ssomethingyoualreadyknow,werealizeinwhichsomepeoplewilltakeadvantage.Theymaytakeadvantagewithoutrealizingit,buttakeadvantage,nonetheless,theywill.That'swhyit'suptoyoutosetboundaries.Nooneelsewillstepinanddoitforyou.
Thefollowingscenariosrepresentstepping-over-the-boundariesdilemmasyoumightfindyourselffacedwithinyournewposition.Thinkforamomentaboutwhatyoushoulddoifanyofthesesituationscomesstormingyourway.
Dilemma1
OneofBelinda'snewcolleagues,John,askshertotakeovera"minor"projecthe'sbeenhavingtroublewith."YouknowalotmoreaboutthisthanIdo,Belinda,"hesays."Maybeyoucouldworkitthroughforme?''
Belindaknowsshe'sgotalotonherplaterightnow.HowcanshetactfullydeflectJohn'srequest?
Makeafewnotesheresummarizingyourthoughts:
Page171
Dilemma2
Helena'sboss,Mark,dropsaheavyassignmentintoherin-basket.He'smarkeditASAPonaPost-it.Helenaremembersthissameproblem,timeandtimeagain,fromherpreviousadminjob.She'salreadyrushingtofinishanotherassignmenthe'sgivenher,duebytheendoftheweek.Whichismoreimportant?
HowcanHelenaknowwhenMarktrulyneedsthenewassignmentandhowmuchpriorityhe'sascribedtothefirstassignment?
Makeafewnotesheresummarizingyourthoughts:
Dilemma3
Marguerite'snewboss,Mr.Hightower,invitesherandherhusband,Jim,todinneronSaturdaynightathishouse.Butit'sthethirdtimeinthelasttwomonths,andMargueritehasbeguntofeelenoughisenough.Jim'snottoopleasedeither.WhatshouldshetellMr.Hightower?
Makeafewnotesheresummarizingyourthoughts:
Page172
Dilemma4
SomenewcolleaguesofLisa'smeeteveryThursdayforlunch.Lisaquicklyseesthatallthateverseemstogoonattheseluncheonsisofficegossip,snippycomments,andcynicalremarks.
Lisa'sjoinedthemthreetimesalreadybutdoesn'twanttocontinue.Whatcanshedoorsay?
Makeafewnotesheresummarizingyourthoughts:
Thereareaninfinitenumberofresponsesthatanyofuscouldcomeupwithforthesescenarios.Don'tlookatyouranswersasaright-wrongthing.Whateverworks,especiallyintouchysituations,canbedeemedcorrect.
Allyourresponsesshouldbebasedonanessentialneedtoremainsensitive,tactful,respectful.Youdon'twanttostartalienatingthesamefolksyou'retryingtowinover.Sodon'tgetangry;getresourcefulinstead.Chooseyourwordsandreactionswithcare.Herearesomeresponseswefeelmeetthosecriteria:
ResponsetoDilemma1:"I'dliketohelp,John,Ireallywould,buthonestlyIcan'tfitanythingnewinrightnow."Belindathinksamoment."ButwhatIcoulddoistakeafewminutesandhelpyoufigureouthowyoucouldbesthandlethis.Idohavealittlemoreexperiencehere,somaybeIcanactasyour'consultant.'Whydon'twesitdownatlunchtimeandtalkaboutstepsyoucouldtaketogetyouthroughthis."
ResponsetoDilemma2:Helenashouldaskforguidelinesstraightout."Icangetrightonthisnewassignment,ifthat'swhatyouwant,"HelenatellsMark."ButIhaveaquestionforyou:ShouldIdropthisotherassignmentI'vebeenworkingon?
Page173
WhenyousayASAP,whenexactlydoyoumean?What'syourabsolutedeadlineforeachoftheseassignments?"
ResponsetoDilemma3:"Mr.Hightower,wouldyoumindifJimandIpassedonyourkindinvitationthisSaturday?We'veenjoyeddinnerwithyouandMrs.Hightowerinthepast,butlatelywefeelwehaven'tbeenspendingasmuchtimeathomeaswe'dlike.Forthetimebeing,we'vedecidedtocutdownonoursocialeventsandjustspendmoretimewitheachother."
Additionaladvice:IfMr.Hightowerdoesn'ttakethehintandhisinvitationspersist,thenaheart-to-hearttalkmaybeinorder.IsMr.Hightowerthekindofpersonanemployeecantalktofrankly?Hasheshownhimselftobeopentootherpointsofview?Ifso,Margueriteshouldtellhimthat,inherexperience,whenboundariesbetweenworkandpersonallifegettooambiguous,theymakerelationshipsatworkconfusingandambiguoustoo.Bossesmaystarthavingtroubletellingtheir"employee-friends"whattodo;employeeshavetroubleallowingtheir"boss-friend"sufficientauthority.Maybethere'sanexperiencefromMarguerite'spastoranexperienceofafriendofhersshecouldrelatetoMr.Hightower.
Inanyevent,thisapproach,whenitworks,willalsoavoidfuturecat-and-mousegameswithanoverlychummyboss.Ittakesalittlemorecouragetoraiseanissuelikethisface-to-face,butthepayoffcouldbelongerlasting.
ResponsetoDilemma4:Lisashouldputhercolleaguesoffbyeatinglunchatherdesk,orsaying,"Ihavesomuchtodo,I'mworkingthroughlunchtoday."Sheshouldalsostartmakingplanstomeetotherfolksforlunch.Thoughher"oldbuddies"maystartgossipingabouther,onceshebeginsavoidingthem,atleastshe'llbefree.
AdditionaladvicetoLisa:Don'twasteamomentofyourprecious
workdayonthingsthatwon'tadvanceyou,orthatarepettyormean-spirited.Getawayfromthosefolksasfastasyourlegscancarryyou.That'sfight,youheardus:Run!
SlidingBackDowntheChute
Youdon'twanttofallbackward.Youdon'twanttounconsciouslystepontoatrapdooranddropbackdowntowhere
Page174
youcamefrom.Youdon'twanttoeverreturntothepink-collarghetto.
Keepingyourselffromslidingbackdownthebigchutethatyou'vejustbaby-steppedyourwayoutofmaytakelotsofstamina.You'llalsoneedtostayalertandinshape.Hereareafewtipstomaintainyour"careerfitness":
1.Nomorehangingoutintheadminpool.Thismightseemprettyobvious,butit'seasytoslipbackinto.Someex-adminswanttostayloyal,ormighthavefriendsstillthereormightjustbewaxingnostalgic.Whateverthemotive,don'tdoit.You'vegotnewfriendsnow,newcolleagues,newbridgestocross.Getonwithit.You'renotanadminanylonger,you'reanex-admin.Actlikeone.
2.Don'tbeafraidofseemingstupid.Youhavetoaskquestions.Youhavetoadmityou'reinthedarkaboutalotofthings.Youhavetounderstandyournewprojectsandassignments.Youhavetogetnewproceduresexplainedtoyou.
Whenyouacttoosmart,youmaynotlearnwhatyouneedtoknow.Listentowhatyourcolleaguesaresaying.Whenyoudon'tunderstandsomething,askthemtoexplainitagain.Youmighttakeacolleagueasideandaskhertoexplainitatalatertimeratherthantaketimeupatastaffmeetingorwithothers.Butonewayoranother,findoutwhatyouneedtoknow.You'llgetgenuinelyknowledgeableaboutthingsinnotime.
3.Lookforwardtoyournextcareer.Doesthissoundpremature?Maybe,buttimekeepsmarchingalong.Becausewecannolongercountonsecurityintoday'sworkplace,we'vegottobeevervigilant,growing,evolving.WhywaituntilsomeoneX'esyouoffalistandyousuddenlyloseagreatjobyouworkedsohardtoget?Don'tyouwanttokeepyourcareerlifevibrant,prosperous,meaningful,and
fun?
Theotherincentiveforthinkingaboutyournextpositionnowisthatweallchangeovertime.Whatmeanteverythingtousfiveyearsagomightmeannothingatalltoustoday.Continuingyourcareeradvancementcampaignallowsyoutolive,andtolivewell.Sokeepyourcareerconversationsgoingandyourcareerdreamsflowing!
Page175
Post-AdminCareerAdvancementChecklist
Usingtheaccompanyingworksheet,checkoffhowmanycareeradvancementitemsyou'verememberedtoattendtosincegettinghiredforthispost-adminposition.Ifyoufindanyitemsyoucan'tanswerwithayesorano,thenyou'veidentifiedsomeworkaheadofyou.Don'twaittoolongtogetgoingonanyofthis.Time,aswe'vementioned,marcheson.
Yes No
I'venotifiedallmycareeralliesofmynewposition.InmynotificationI'vethankedthemsincerelyforalltheirassistanceandgoodwishes. ________
Sincestartingmynewjob,I'veaddedmanynewnamestomycareerallieslist. ________
I'vejoinedaprofessionalorganizationthatrepresentsmynewposition. ________
I'vevolunteeredforacommitteeinmyprofessionalorganization.Iplantostayveryactive. ________
I'vebegunsubscribingtoatleasttwoprofessionalmagazinesrelevanttomynewposition. ________
I'vebegunlookingforanewmentor.Ihaveapproachedmynewbossabouttheidea. ________
I'verevisedmycareervisionandI'veworkedoutatimetableforachievingmynextnewcareerdirection. ________
I'vesetgoalsformypersonallife.Ihavealsosetdownatimetableforachievingthesegoals. ________
I'veredoubledmyeffortstoacknowledgemyself
formytalents,skills,andachievements.Irewardmyselfformycourageanddeterminationeveryday.
________
Page176
Tableisonpreviouspage.
DidYouMakeaMistake?
Weallmakethemmistakes,thatis.Sometimesweevenmakeawhopper.Soconsiderthis:Whatwouldyoudoifafter,say,amonthortwoatyournewjob,youbegantofeelitwasn'tforyou,thattakingithadbeenabig,bigmistake?
Thefirstthingstoaskyourselfare:"DoImissadminwork?WasIhappierthere?Wasmyideaofleavingadminlifejustacaseofthegrasslookinggreenersomewhereelse?"Ifyou'veanswerednotothosequestions,thenmaybetheproblemisthatyou'vechosenthewrongcompany,thewrongdepartment,eventhewrongcareer.Maybeyouneedtorethinkyournewcareerdirection:Youmaysimplybestillinprocess,stilllookingforthatnewcareerdirectionthat'srightforyou.
Thefirstthingtorememberis:Don'tpanic!Youcanhandlethis;youcangetyourselftoanewplace.Youknowyoucandothisbecause,quitesimply,youjustdidit!
Secondthingtoremember:It'sOKtoleave.Ifyouwanttoquit,andifyoucanaffordto,justdoit.Takeoff,giveyournotice,takeahikejustgetoutofthere!Dowhatyouneedtodo.Setyourselffree.
Ifyouhavelearnedanythingatallduringthisprocess,itshouldbethatyou'reverypowerful.Youweren'tbornanadmin,andyou'veprovedtotheworldyoudon'thavetoremainone.Youfoundoutaboutlotsofnewcareerpossibilities,andyoutookyourselfdowntheroadtoatleastoneofthem.You'reawinnernow,evenifyourbattlesarestillnotover.(Theyneverareanyway,foranyofus,untilyou-know-what.)
BacktoSquareOne.That'sright,allthewayback;donotpassGo,
andgetyourhandsoffthat$200.
It'snotreallySquareOne,ofcourse.It'satleastSquareTwo,Three,orFour.Remember,you'renotstartingoutasanadminthistime.Takeadeepbreathandbelievethatthenextcareer
Page177
directionwillbetheoneyoureallywant.Thenstartthinkingagainaboutwhichonethatwillbe.
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:RustyStieff
Currently:Vicepresidentinthenonprofitlendinggroupatamajorcommercialbank,actingasliaisonwiththebank'scustomersinordertoprovidethemwithnewservices
Adminskillsusedtoday:Typing;personalorganizationalskills
Howchangewasmade:"IhadtroublegettingajobwhenIgraduatedfromcollegeintheearlyseventiessoIwenttoKatyGibbsforthreemonthsandlearnedsecretarialskills.Iendedupgettingajobwiththeex-mayorofBoston,thelateJohnCollins,whoworkedthenasanurbanprofessorattheSloanSchoolofManagement.Ididn'tdoaheckofalotwithhimdrovehimaroundtoplacesandtypedafewletters.IneverthoughtI'dstayforeverassomeone'spersonalsecretary.
"IbeganthinkingIneededtodosomethingmoreprofessionalandenrolledinamaster'sprogramatSimmonsCollege.AtsomepointIappliedforajobatoneofMIT'slibraries.RightawayIwastoldIwasnutsbecausethepayforalibraryassociatewasactuallylowerthanIwasmakingbythenasasecretary.'You'dbecrazytotakethisjob,'theHRmanagertoldme.'You'llbemakinglessmoney.'
"Well,IguessIwascrazybecauseIcouldn'tseestayinginajobthatdidn'tmakemehappyjustforslightlymoremoney.SoeventuallyIgothiredbythelibraryandneverwentbacktoadminwork.I'vegoneonfromtherethroughaseriesofcareerchangesculminatinginwhereIamnow,inbanking.Forme,adminworkwasjustawaytogetstarted."
Bestadviceforadmins:"Starttakingsomeinitiativetogetwhatyouwant.Ithinkofthatoldjokeabouttheguywhowantsdesperatelytobecomeadoctorandkeepsprayingfeverishlyeverynight,gettingmoreandmoreexasperated:'Please,Lord,ohLord,I'vebeensogoodinmylife,I'veobservedallthecommandments,I'vetriedtostaypureofheart.WhyohwhyLordcan'tIbecomeadoctor?WhatdoIhavetodo?'
Page178
"OnenightGodcouldn'ttakeitanymore.TheheavenspartedandHisvoicethundereddownward.'Applytomedicalschool,'heboomed.
"Adminscanbelikethat.They'vegottotakeconcretestepsbytalkingtoasmanypeopleaspossibleaboutfieldstheymightbeinterestedin.Findoutwhatyouwanttodo."
FromTheAdminFiles
Nameofex-admin:SophiaSnow
Currently:AcademiccounseloratHarvardUniversity'sExtensionSchool,counselingstudentsoncareerandacademicissues
Adminskillsusedtoday:"Inmycase,counselingskills.InoneofmyearlyjobsattheHarvardstudentaccountsoffice,Icounseledstudentsabouttherealityoftheirfinancialsituations.I'dtypicallysay,'Hereistheamountyouowe.'
"ThenImovedtothefinancialaidoffice,whereIcouldopenthingsupalittlebycounselingstudentsonhowtheycouldgetthemoneytheyneeded.NowIworkwithbroaderlifequestionswhereIask,'Howwouldyoulikeyourlifetobe?'
"Eachjobwasastepping-stoneforimprovingmycounselingskills."
Howchangewasmade:"Attheageoftwelve,IreadabookonFreudandthought,'Thisisit!ThisiswhatIwanttodo.'ButIalsogotstartedinadminworkaroundthesametimebyworkingasan'officeboy'inthearchitecturalfirmwheremyfatherworked.
"WhenIgottoHarvard,Ibegantomeetpeopleinotherdepartmentsthroughroutinecommunicationrequiredbymyjob.PeoplegottoknowmeandcouldseethekindofworkIcoulddo.IbegantoobserveotherpeopledoingotherjobsandI'dthink,'Thatdepartmentlooksinteresting.Imightliketoworkoverthere.'
"Bythetimemypresentjobopenedup,Iknewenoughpeoplehereforthemtohaveagoodsenseaboutmyskillset.Aparticularlyimportantone,Ithink,wasknowinghowtoholdastudent'shand,whichtheyneeded.Ihaddefinitelygottengoodatthis,soitseemedlikeaperfectmatch."
Bestadviceforadmins:"Starttalkingaboutyourambitions,aboutwhereyou'dratherbe.Geteveryonetocatchyourenthusi-
Page179
asm.Eventhemostunsupportivebossmaystarthelpinganadminoutifshe'senthusiastic.Keepthinkingaboutwhatyouwanttodoandkeepyoureyesandearsopen.ThemomentIdecidedIwantedsomethingelse,itseemed,theinformationIneededcameflowingmyway."
Page181
EpilogueAwell-knownquotefromW.H.Murray,theScottishexplorerwhotrekkedthroughpreviouslyuntouchedregionsoftheHimalayas,describesaspiritofwillyou'regoingtoneedtomaketheideasthroughoutthisbookcometrueforyou.Itgoeslikethis:
Untiloneiscommitted,thereishesitancy,thechancetodrawback,alwaysineffectiveness.Concerningallactsofinitiative(andcreation)thereisoneelementarytruth,theignoranceofwhichkillscountlessideasandsplendidplans:thatthemomentonedefinitelycommitsoneself,thenProvidencemovestoo.
Allsortsofthingsoccurtohelponethatwouldneverotherwisehaveoccurred.Awholestreamofeventsissuesfromthedecision,raisinginone'sfavorallmannerofunforeseenincidentsandmeetingsandmaterialassistance,whichnomancouldhavedreamedwouldhavecomehisway.
IhavelearnedadeeprespectforoneofGoethe'scouplets:''Whateveryoucando,ordreamyoucan,beginit.Boldnesshasgenius,powerandmagicinit."
That'sreallythewayitis.Youcanmeetthischallengeyoureallycan.Youcanchangeyourcareerlife;youcanescapethepink-collarghetto.You'vealwaysbeensomuchmorethan"justanadmin."
Seeyouatthetop.
Page183
ResourcesFalcone,Paul.TheCompleteJob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff.NewYork:AMACOM,1995.
Gellerman,SaulW.MotivationintheRealWorld.NewYork:PenguinBooks,1992.
Halper,Jan.QuietDesperation:TheTruthAboutSuccessfulMen.NewYork:WarnerBooks,1988.
Jeffers,Susan.FeeltheFearandDoItAnyway.NewYork:FawcettColumbine,1987.
Koller,Alice.TheStationsofSolitude.NewYork:BantamBooks,1990.
Koltnow,Emily,andLynneS.Dumas.Congratulations!You'veBeenFired.NewYork:FawcettColumbine,1990.
LaRouche,Janice,andReginaRyan.JaniceLaRouche'sStrategiesforWomenatWork.NewYork:Avon,1984.
Prince,GeorgeM.ThePracticeofCreativity.NewYork:Macmillan,1970.
Schenkel,Susan.GivingAwaySuccess:WhyWomenGetStuckandWhattoDoAboutIt.NewYork:McGraw-Hill,1984.
Seligman,Martin.LearnedOptimism.NewYork:Knopf,1990.
Seuss,Dr.Oh,thePlacesYou'llGo!NewYork:RandomHouse,1990.
Stroman,J.,andK.Wilson,ed.SusanHeyboerO'Keefe.AdministrativeAssistant'sandSecretary'sHandbook.NewYork:
AMA-COM,1995.
Sutch,Debra.BeyondSecretary:TheGrowingRoleoftheAdministrativeAssistant.Boulder,Colo.:CareerTrackPublications,1993(audioprogram).
Weiss,Alan.MillionDollarConsulting.NewYork:McGraw-Hill,1992.
Page185
Index
A
abilitiesandachievements,discounting,51-54
academicdegrees,26-27
acceptinganewjob,161-162
AchievementDeficiency,51-54
AcknowledgmentMindMap,151-153
actionplans,146-147
adjustingtocareeradvancement,165-177
checklist,post-admin,175-176
feedback,seekingout,168-169
mistakes,making,176-177
professionalself-image,nurturing,166-173
andself-promotion,166,168
settingboundaries,170-173
slidingbackward,dangerof,173-174
staffmeetings,participationat,169-170
administrativeassistants,seeadmins
admins
actualexperiencesof,5-9
admin(term),1-2,19
changingresponsibilitiesof,97
decliningstatusof,11
hangingoutwith,aftercareeradvancement,174
historyof,asprofession,11,13-14
stereotypesabout,11,101-102
advertising,107-108
advice,handlingnegative,71-72
AgeofJobs,85
AgeofLoyalty,48
allies,seecareerallies,finding
alumniassociations,141
ambitions,discussingyour,78
AmericanSocietyofTrainingandDevelopment,113
AmericaOnline,93
annualreports,91
answeringmachines,141
assertiveness,lackof,33,34
assessment
of"careerhealth,"xi-xiii
ofself-confidencelevel,20-22
ofself-image,16-20
AssociationforOfficeProfessionals,13
attitude
assessingyour,16-20
ofentitlement,86
andfactoryvs.entrepreneurialmentality,34
andpersistence,43
B
babysteps,55-56
Balcom,Marg,29,77
Page186
barrierstocareeradvancement,24-38
external,25-32
inner,24-25,32-38
bluecollar(term),2
bookstores,93
boss(es)
codependentrelationshipswith,32
enlistingsupportof,foroutsidetrainingprograms,30
asmentors,30,113-118,122
nonmentoring,29-31,99,115-118
overlyfriendly,171,173
sexistattitudesof,28
yourinterestsvs.thoseof,19
boundaries,innewnonadminjob,170-173
budgets,73
businessschools,first,14-15
C
callwaiting,141
"campaignupdateletters,"150-151
careeradvancement
externalbarriersto,25-32
innerharriersto,24-25,32-38
potentialfor,9-11
seealsoadjustingtocareeradvancement
careerallies,finding
directapproachto,154-155
educating,103-105
inhumanresourcesdepartments,105-108
keepingtrack,120
mentors,113-118
inotherdepartments,108-112
playingleadingrole,importanceof,102-105
throughprofessionalorganizationsandspecialevents,112-113
andvisibility,118-120
careerconversations,93-97
examplesof,77,78,148-149
informationalinterviewsvs.,93-95
withstrangers,109-110
"careerhealth,"assessing,xi-xiii
careervisioning,126-129
careermates,138-139
Casey,Sharon,88-90
Cassesso,Nancy,34,57-58
Cavanaugh,Kristina,143-144
CEOs,fearoffailureamongmale,40
challenges
andfearoffailure,42-44
meeting,181
Champion,Gwen,78
change,decisionto,20
chatting,ininterviews,157-158
classifiedads,129-130
codependentrelationshipswithbosses/supervisors,32
coffee,serving,28
commitment,importanceof,181
committees,sewingon,119
"CompanyEvaluation"MindMap,91,92
companynewsletter,volunteeringon,119-120
complacency,asbarriertoadvancement,33
complaints,reactionsto,10
Compuserve,93
conferences,113
confidencelevel,assessing,20-22
contacts,149-151
Cook,Ethel,28,33,41,47,97-99
corporaterestructuring,effectsof,29
corporatestructure,asharriertoadvancement,31-32
coverletters,138
crises,asopportunities,87-88
Page187
D
Dangler,AnneMarie,33
dates,onresumé,137
degreerequirements,26-27
demands,subservient,27-29
desires,identifyingseeinterestsanddesires,identifying
DirectAction,153-155
directapproach,withcareerallies,154-155
disconnectiondilemma,83-84
partnershipsassolutionto,84-87
dissatisfaction,work,xi-xiii
domesticchores,volunteeringfor,28
downsizing,corporate,29
E
educationandtraining
firstbusinessschools,14-15
goingbacktoschool,27
outsidetrainingprograms,30
onresumé136-137
andvisibility,118
employer,recognizingyourvalueto,79-80
entitlement,feelingof,86
entrepreneurialmentality,34,122-123
expectations,subservient,27-29
experiencesofadmins,varying,5-9
externalbarrierstocareeradvancement,25-32
job/companystructure,31-32
nonmentoringboss,29-31
officialbarriers,26-27
subservientexpectations/demands,27-29
subtlesignals,25-26
F
factory,mentality,34,121,157
failure
fearof,seeFearofFailure/Success
learningfrom,42
Falcone,Paul,30,33-34,114,115,121-123,168-169
FearofFailure/Success,40-57
andAchievementDeficiency,51-54
amongmaleCEOs,40
aschallenge,42-44
examplesof,44-45
andhelpermentality,47-51
identifyingfears,45-47
andOverwhelmFactor,54-57
withpublicspeaking,41-42
feedback
positive,51
seekingout,innewnonadminjob,168-169
"femalerole,"asbarriertoadvancement,33,34-35
"femininediscountinghabit,"51
friends,choosing,19
future,focuson,ininterviews,161
G
Gibbs,Katharine,15
goals,writingdown,145-146
Greet,Kathy,164
"guys"atmosphere,28
H
Halper,Jan,40
handwrittennotes,142
Hartford-Hill,Janet,38-39
HelperMentaliy,47-51
"helper"roles,28
helplessness
feelingof,18
learned,34-35
"HelpmateBlock,The,"47-48
hobbies,39
humanresources,findingcareeralliesin,105-108
I
informationalinterviews,93-95
initiative,taking,onprojects,30-31
Page188
innerbarrierstocareeradvancement,24-25,32-38
assertiveness,lackof,33,34
benefitsofidentifying,35
codependentrelationshipswithbosses/supervisors,32
complacency,33
factorymentality,34
"femalerole,"33,34-35
"life-pointanalysis"foridentifying,35-38
lifestylechoices,34
serf-confidence,lackof,33,34
self-image,33
interestsanddesires,identifying,59-76
1otteryexercisefor,59-69
"MyWorkInterests"MindMapfor,69-71
"OnlyMe"Collagefor,74-76
talentsandskills,combiningwith,72-73
uniquefeatures,recognizing,71-72
interviews,156-161
askingquestionsduring,160-161
chattingatbeginningof,157-158
focusingonfuturein,161
informational,93-95
nervousness,handling,158
20/2Rulefor,158-160
isolation,andjobsearch,125
J
Jeffers,Susan,46
"Job,The,"82-83
jobdefinition,restructuring,19
jobsearch,124-142,145-162
acknowledgmentofselfin,151-153
actionplanfor,146-147
assumptionsabout,124-125
careervisioningin,126-129
checklistoftoolsfor,140-142
andcoverletters,138
DirectActionand,153-155
directapproachwithalliesin,154-155
enlistingothersin,138-139
goals,importanceofwritingdown,145-146
interviewing,156-161
offers,acceptanceof,161-162
persistencein,148-151
andrejectionletters,139-140
andresumés,130-138
andwantads,129-130
seealsocareerallies,finding
jobstructure,asbarriertoadvancement,31-32
K
KatharineGibbsSchool,The,15
L
largercompanies,achievingvisibilityin,121-122
LaRouche,Janice,47-48
leadingrole,importanceofplaying,withcareerallies,102-205
learnedhelplessness,34-35
Lefcourt,Jessica,162-163
legalsecretaries,143,144
"life-pointanalysis,"35-38
lifestylechoices,asbarriertoadvancement,34
"lottery"exercise,59-69
M
Maffeo,Angela,32,142-143
magazines,93
MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,123
McDonough,Carol,1,33
McWilliams,Peter,166
meals,payingfor,111-112
meetings
arranging,110-111
Page189
participatingat,innewnonadminjob,169-170
men
inadminprofession,11,13,14
fearoffailureamong,40
and"guys"atmosphere,28
assenior-levelmanagers,3
mentality
factoryvs.entrepreneurial,34,121-123
ashelper,47-51
mentoring,23
byboss,30,113-118,122
creating"boardof"mentors,117-118
formalsystemsof,115
impromptusystemof,115-117
seealsocareerallies,finding
messages
leavingvoice,150
subtle,25-26
Miller,Marcia,99-100
Miller,Mary,33,123
mindmaps
Acknowledgment,151-153
"CompanyEvaluation,"91,92
"MyWorkInterests,"69-71
Self-Support,49-51
Murray,W.H.,181
"MyWorkInterests"MindMap,69-71
N
nannies,adminsas,1
NationalSecretariesDay,99
newcareerdirections(NCDs),106-107
negativeadvice,handling,71-72
negotiationskills,98
nervousness,duringinterviews,158
"New-imageCards,"166,167
newsletter,volunteeringoncom-party,119-120
newsletters,reading,91
NinetoFive(film),27-28
nonmentoringbosses,29-31,99,115-118
nonprofitassociations,joining,112-113
O
officialbarrierstoadvancement,26-27
on-lineservices,93
"OnlyMe"Collage,74-76
opportunities,crisesas,87-88
opportunitylunches,111-112
optimism,andpersistence,43
organizingskills,73
outsidetrainingprograms,30
OverwhelmFactor,54-57
P
"ParadoxoftheSuperAdmin,"30
partnerships,82
opportunitiesfor,finding,87-88
"perfectmatch,"finding,88-90
assolutiontoDisconnectionDilemma,84-87
passivity,andjobsearch,125
"perfectmatch,"finding,inpartnership,88-90
persistence
importanceof,42-43
injobsearch,148-151
personalinterests,39
onresumé,137
Peters,Tom,142
pigeonholingofadmins,101-102,104
pinkcollar(term),2
pink-collarghetto,99
pink-collartrap,11,18
pioneers,27
positivethinking,166
potentialforcareeradvancement,9-11
Page190
Prodigy,93
professionalorganization,joining,112-113
ProfessionalSecretariesInternational(PSI),13,14
projects
breakingdown,intomanageablestages,55-56
takinginitiativeon,30-31
PSI,seeProfessionalSecretariesInternational
publicspeaking
andfearoffailure,41-42,47
visibilityfrom,118-119
publicity,119-120
Q
Questions,duringinterviews,160-161
R
reading,91,93
referencelibrarians,93
rejectionletters,139-140
remembered,decidinghowyouwouldliketobe,81-82
respect,andadminprofession,11
restructuring
corporate,29
ofjobdefinition,19
resumés,130-138
advantagesof,131-132
composing,133,135-138
disadvantagesof,130-131
example,134
featuresofsuccessful,132-133
traditionalapproachto,130
retirement,80
"retirementparty"exercise,80-82
rollcall,achievement,52-54
Ryan,Regina,47
S
Schenkel,Susan,34-35,42-43,51
Schwartz,Cary,33,56-57
searchforjob,seejobsearch
secretary(term),2,13,19
secretarybird,12-13
self-acknowledgment,importanceof,151-153
self-confidence
assessing,20-22
low,asbarriertoadvancement,33,34
self-image
assessmentof,16-20
low,asbarriertoadvancement,33
innewnonadminjob,166-173
protecting,102
andsubservientexpectations,28
self-promotion,innewnonadminjob,166,168
self-respect,11-12,15-16
Self-SupportMindMap,49-51
self-trappingmechanisms,32-35
sexroles,2-3
asbarrierstoadvancement,33,34-35
and"guys"atmosphere,28
andtempjobs,56-57
seealsomen;women
signals,subtle,25-26
skills
combininginterests/desireswith,72-73
transferable,20,73
smallfirms
achievingvisibilityin,122
advantagesofworkingat,100
inflexibilityat,31
Snow,Sophia,178-179
specialevents,attending,112-113
staffmeetings,participatingat,169-170
stereotypesaboutadmins,11,101-102
Stieff,Rusty,34,177-178