Many in the work place have had the feeling of being under siege. Your values, your mind, your physiology are ignored by an unfeeling employer in the guise of a boss or corporation. This feeling may be felt in the pit of your stomach – a recent client told me it felt like when his father passed away. He was missing something. He is missing something – his sense of identity. It’s just a feeling. Our feelings, however, can highjack us in many dysfunctional ways.  Is it, “I’m hot and crabby.”?  Often within 3 to 5 minutes or immediately the person is in tears. “I can’t take it I’m going to quit.  Help me.”  These are wise people – they reach out before they commit career hari-kari.

I call this monkey brain syndrome – it’s the fight-flight response. When our identity system is under attack the rational brain shuts down and our brain reverts back to basics. I believe this is called the sympathetic nervous system which is controlled by the hypothalamus, in close association with the limbic system of the brain. I’m not a scientist by trade; however I am a highly trained observer of human behavior.

So the monkey brain kicks in and the distressed caller says either “If I don’t leave here soon – I may kill my boss” or “I feel like I’m dying and if I don’t get out of here soon I will…..” You have called the right place. I can help you. First- promise you won’t make any decisions or take any actions while you are in this frame of mind.

The last few weeks have given us tragic examples of career meltdown. Eight people were killed in Connecticut by an employee who was being fired for stealing. The current celebrity of the moment is the Jet Blue flight attendant who took flight (literally) by deploying the emergency slide. Fight or flight – there is a better way.

Utilizing a series of techniques including Mind-Body Bridging; career analysis and review I’m happy to report many of my clients are back to fully functioning human beings in weeks if not days. When the “rational” employee is back, you may then choose to make your exit or discover that it was a momentary mind collapse and that you actually have the perfect job. A change in perspective was all that was needed.

I recently asked some of my clients from the past few years to tell me what prompted them to call me in July. Client Margaret (named changed) told me she was sitting in her office one hot evening. She was frustrated as she wanted to be off with her two boys and husband who were out having some fun. She was overwhelmed and her brain wasn’t functioning. She typed into her web browsers the words: “work, overwhelm, tired, career help, Utah” and bingo there was What’s Working Well?™. She shot me off an email, I phoned her. Three years later she has successfully sold her small business and has accepted a new leadership role. Now there is a wise woman – she wasn’t feeling that way when she first called – but it was just a feeling. She’s a fully functioning, creative, resourceful and happy person.

You too are creative, resourceful and a fully functioning human being. Give me a call.

Resilient and loving women!

I’m in awe, I’m humbled and blessed.

The coach stands on the sideline – holding his breath – will he make this jump – will she exceed her personal best? The coach sees the potential his or her protégée cannot yet see and holds the space for the client’s highest potential. As a coach, I fall in love with all my clients. When my clients open up and allow me to see who they are, I can see each one’s full potential – I believe before a client ever can.

The coach is human, as I was reminded by the speed skater from Holland, who was directed to change lanes by his coach, and he was disqualified from the Gold Medal. My motto is “Do no harm” – however, my best intention may not be right. I’m reminded that I have learned much from the adverse situations and mistakes I have made, as well as those I have affiliated with. The ability to forgive, learn, and adapt can be lessons a coach may give.

What is the role of the career or life coach?

I am sharing my own learning and assisting others through different coaching techniques. I can assist an individual in clarifying who she is, his impact in the workplace, and possible next steps to personal success.

A perfect time to call a career coach is when a career is in crisis. When someone feels ready to implode, don’t quit. Call a coach! I have successfully helped clients dissect the situation and develop an action plan to overcome the emotions of the moment and successfully handle the political minefield of Corporate America. I’m not performing, but I’m brushing off the client and sending them back in the game ready to assist with feedback and discuss strategies. My clients’ success and failures are my own.

The coaches at the Olympics are athletes who have often experienced the exact situation their protégés are currently experiencing. I can also provide a “been there done that” perspective. My understanding of adult development and behavior at work can assist clients, as I have been in the arena myself. I often tell people my clients have taught me much of what works. I’m a better coach today from the years of experiences I have had with my hundreds of clients.

The coach/client relationship is a unique and special relationship. In your life you will have an opportunity to coach and mentor, as well as be coached and mentored. Choose wisely, because as the player, you are ultimately responsible for your performance. As a coach, I also choose wisely. Over my career I can tell fairly quickly if someone is a client. The hardest thing for me is when he or she doesn’t recognize or is unwilling to take the chance.

In the coach/client relationship, like all others, feedback is key. What works for one client may not work for another. Coaches are human. We aren’t perfect but strive, like you, toward our full potential.

We had a great turn out for our first meeting at the Draper Library.  Below are some of the lessons learned we compiled from 2009.  One theme that was reiterated by many was: how humbling the job search process has been.   We all committed to being compassionate with others who are unemployed and returning emails and calls.  We understand people are busy but when someone you consider a close colleague doesn’t return your call it can be devastating.  As a reminder: don’t take it personally. 

2009 LOOKING BACK

What Worked Well

·         Linked In has enhanced its effectiveness for job-seekers

·         Phone Calls (Warmth and Connection) – don’t expect the company to find the resume – once you apply follow-up with a call.

·         Use Careerbuilder.com site to test resume

·         Tailor resume specifically to the Job Posting (Use Key Words from Posting in Resume)

·         Network (Be prepared to tell about your career interest in any situation)

·         Copy/Paste the Job Posting to your resume(white text)

·         Conduct Informational Interview in industries and companies to identify excellent prospects

·         Give what you want to receive – Help others

·         Opportunities may appear randomly – Target your effort to control/create more synchronicity

·         Pay attention and Follow-up

·         Volunteer/Non-profit service (Stay connected and support your well-being)

·         Take part-time work in a company that is solely for personal interest/fun (Eg. retail)

What Didn’t Work Well

·         Dumping resumes online (Ladders, Monster)

·         Walk-ins or Cold Calling with Hiring Managers

·         Companies have a larger applicant pool and post for the perfect candidate the “must meets” is more critical than before.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS:

·         Linked In JOB POSTINGS took off this year

·         Facebook , Twitter and other Social-Networking sites are emerging

·         If you select a recruiter/headhunter, you should vet them for fit and compatibility

o   Retained Recruiters – get paid no matter where the candidate is found

o   Contingency Recruiters – only get paid for the candidate they present

·         Disclose all companies and contacts with whom you have made direct applications when working with recruiters

·         A well-written cover letter can still help you stand out from the crowd.  This makes a much bigger impact in smaller companies vs. the large employer.

·         Today’s market is about Income Security NOT Job Security.  The concept of free lancer who cobbles together projects and assignments matches over 1/3 of the current working population.  Don’t discount an opportunity that is short term or part time especially if it improves your skill set.

·         Occasionally salary offers may be less than the prevailing industry standard in recent years

Be prepared to offer a clear case for the salary you expect.  Recent data that was released this week from the Department of Labor shows many job seekers are taking as much as a 25% pay cut.  Unfortunately, the report also pointed out it’s difficult to ever recoup such a pay cut through someone’s career.

“I am” statements are powerful because they declare the needs of the world you are moved to meet.

Reflect on the recent election. John McCain’s statement? “I am a Maverick.” Barack Obama’s?  “I am Hope. ” His campaign’s “Yes we can.” 

Last weekend as I reflected on the Easter message, I was reminded of the “I am statements” which Jesus used in his teachings.  “I am the light of the world.” “I am the door to eternal life.”

Bold. Clear. Concise. Undeniable.

Declaring who you are when it doesn’t align with what others have prescribed for you can be scary.  In the words of the Dixie Chicks, “It can get pretty lonely when you show yourself.” Perhaps the death of who you or others thought you are is what makes this all so risky, but risk brings rewards.

Declare who you are. Let go of self deprecating behavior. Bravely embrace your “I am-ness” and step away from the other identities that are no longer serving your highest interests. Therein lays the power. It is also very helpful for those around you that want to help you find your next position. The death of who you are not can precipitate the life of who you are.

Yes, this is marketing and I get impatient with people who want me to figure it out for them. Recently a client said to me, “They should know, I’ve worked here for 10 years.” Another client said that he had everything on his resume and “shouldn’t they be able to figure it out?”  Well… no! It is all about what you do, what you will do, and what is the best fit for you. They don’t know until you tell them.

I am currently working with a client who describes himself as an implementer.  He will take a goal, develop action plans, order supplies, organize the people, and drive towards successful implementations.

Can you see how easy it to fit this person into an organization?  Who doesn’t need an implementer?  Any business could use his expertise. So we have the first part of his marketing plan.  Now what type of industry or company would he like to work in?  Developing the target market and companies will help him as he networks his way to the next position.  Now if he is offered a job that is not implementer work, he will pass knowing it is someone else’s job.

My key “ I am” statement is: “I am a transformer – I assist individuals and companies in rediscovering who they are and their impact on their customers.  I transform their own information back to them in a way that allows them to embrace and tell others who they are.  I am also a mentor and teacher aligning closely with the previous statement.

I want to thank the Coach Training Institute for introducing me to this concept.  My “I am” was developed during my coach training and I have refined my thinking about the power of declaring over the years.  I believe this is the single most effective exercise for helping individuals and organizations to wake up and consciously create work that works.

What impact do you have in your world? What is your “I am” statement?

In 2007, Jim MacMillan was at the top of his profession — a photojournalist who had just shared a Pulitzer Prize for pictures from Iraq’s deadliest combat zones — but he also started to wonder what kind of future that profession had in store for him. His newsroom in Philadelphia was making steep job cuts in the face of plummeting revenues. Then MacMillan attended a BlogWorld conference and returned with a determination to re-invent himself though social networking.

MacMillan has since become highly skilled at using social networking to gain new fans of his photography, and he is hardly alone. Over the last few years, creative professionals — including musicians, writers and artists — have found they can reach an engaged audience by making songs available on a MySpace page or building a national readership by blogging. Now, with the economy mired in a recession, many individuals are wondering how to build a buzz about themselves and find new employment opportunities by adapting the same kind of branding techniques used by businesses.

“I saw that the real value of a new media profile, or a social media profile, is distribution [to an online audience],” MacMillan says. While still employed as a staff photographer at the Philadelphia Daily News, he had launched his own web site — jimmacmillan.net — for posting his photos and linking to related stories in the news. Like many professionals, he also created a profile on Facebook, Twitter and every social network he could learn about, roughly 40 in all.

Eventually, he took a severance package from the newspaper and threw everything into social networking. Today, he has close to 14,000 followers reading his posts on Twitter — a number on a par with some celebrities — and keeps in touch with about 475 friends on Facebook. He believes he reaches a larger and more engaged audience than when he was at the Daily News, but he also concedes his activity is only bringing in “lunch money,” mainly through ads on his blog (which receives traffic referrals from his Twitter postings). But by expanding his network, Macmillan says he also has promising leads on better-paying job opportunities at companies, including some that want advice on social networking.

According to Jonah Berger, Wharton marketing professor, using social networking sites or a new media endeavor such as blogging can be especially useful for workers looking to reshape their career into a new kind of profile. “People will begin to see you in that role,” Berger says. “By creating these links outside of your organization, you can change your meaning to [others].”

Clearly the recession — which has cost the American economy more than five million jobs, including an estimated 1.5 million in the white collar sector — has placed a new premium on the art of networking among workers who see their jobs threatened. As The New York Times recently reported, interest in traditional face-to-face networking groups among executives — even those still collecting a paycheck — has soared in recent months.

Indeed, social networking is that rare sector of the economy that seems to be booming in the midst of the recession. MediaPost reported that businesses spent $2.2 billion on social-networking in 2008, nearly twice as much as they did in 2007, primarily through advertising on popular sites like MySpace and Facebook.

Game-changers

While not dismissing the value of more traditional networking, many experts in the art of self-marketing agree that the rapid rise over the last five years of Internet-based social networking sites is a game-changer. Such sites allow like-minded people to forge connections, not just at lunch, but across the country or even overseas, leading to unprecedented opportunities for ambitious people to expand their list of contacts, generate business leads or even develop a new career.

Initially, it was largely the creative classes who saw that an online following could eventually grow into paying customers. For example, rock musicians who once spent years trying to land a record deal with a major label created pages on the popular MySpace social networking site, forged bonds with online fans through free downloads or other audience-participation efforts and eventually sold compact discs or song downloads to a loyal following.

Author Scott Kirsner, who writes a weekly column for The Boston Globe, recently studied this emerging business model for a book titled, Fans, Friends and Followers: Building an Audience and a Creative Career in the Digital Age. Musicians or authors who build an audience through social connections and an ongoing dialogue over the Internet develop devoted fans who are even more likely to buy a product because they feel a personal connection to that artist, he says.

“There is a major shift [among] consumers, whose entertainment used to be watching TV or buying movie tickets,” Kirsner notes. “That shift is a desire to connect with the artist and to support [him or her] directly.” In addition, these followers often become online evangelists, spreading buzz through their own large social networks.

According to Kirsner, one of the best examples of self-marketing is Jonathan Coulton, a self-described “geek rock” musician who once worked as a computer programmer but has built a large online following through music. Coulton frequently offers songs over the web for free, allows fans to legally create music videos or other forms of artwork around his music, and once famously allowed his followers to come up with the instrumental solo for a track he had posted on his site. Coulton “created this whole community where he would write the songs and others would spread the word to promote it and make products, or add their own creativity,” Kirsner says.

Today, however, social networking is no longer merely the province of the creative classes. Millions of business professionals have joined sites like Facebook — the platform that allows people to share photos, links or information with a network of friends and that has more than 200 million active users worldwide — and LinkedIn, a networking site that is more business oriented and has 35 million users. Gaining fast in popularity is Twitter, with about five million users who exchange information with their network of friends in short bursts of no more than 140 characters.

Wharton marketing professor Eric Bradlow, co-director of the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative, has spent several years studying self-marketing for financial services professionals — one of the hardest-hit sectors in the current slowdown. He says developing a personal “brand” can be as important for a financial advisor as for a rock musician. Bradlow is co-author of a book to be published this summer titled, Marketing For Financial Advisors: Build Your Business by Establishing Your Brand, Knowing Your Clients and Creating a Marketing Plan.

“In these times, people need to differentiate themselves,” notes Bradlow, who became interested in this topic five years ago when he learned that training for financial services professionals almost never included any education about marketing and self-promotion. Bradlow believes it is critical for a worker in the financial sector — especially those who are sole practitioners or run a small business — to develop a brand identity to convince would-be clients to choose them over a large field of rivals. He advises business people to come up with three simple words to define a personal brand — words that could describe a specialized skill set or simply community involvement.

“The most important part is being consistent, [to establish] brand consistency across the various channels,” Bradlow says. That means a business person seeking to build buzz about himself or herself should convey the same message whether meeting people at a local luncheon or building a profile and communicating with friends by way of Facebook. It is also important to understand that different types of networking — traditional or new media — bring different pluses or minuses to the table, he adds. For example, financial planners who target clients in the “at-retirement” sector will have more success making social contacts at a golf club or winning referrals through other trusted professionals, such as lawyers, than by aggressively using Facebook or Twitter, which could even be off-putting to some older clients.

LinkedIn is by far and away the most popular business-oriented social network — with more than 35 million registered users scattered across more than 170 industries — but it is just one of a growing number of sites. Others include Ning, which allows specific businesses to create their own social networks of clients, employees and interested parties; Ryze, which allows organizers to better organize contact lists and schedules; and Xing, which aims to connect business people with experts or potential customers.

It’s equally important to be aware of the potential pitfalls of the different online networking sites. In particular, some experts voice concern over business networking on Facebook, because it allows friends and acquaintances to freely post material that will also appear on a person’s profile page; the risk is that someone else might post an inappropriate comment or photo that could actually scare away potential business contacts.

“Your professional branching-out can be comingling with your personal friends’ accounts, and you are exposing all of them if somebody decides to give away your information or post something imprudent,” says Andrea M. Matwyshyn, a professor of legal studies and business ethics at Wharton. She recommends that potential job seekers focus their activities on business-oriented sites such as LinkedIn, which are unlikely to pose the same risks.

Skip the Wild Parties

In fact, Matwyshyn says the recession — and the greater risk of layoffs that comes with it — can make Facebook even riskier as managers who make decisions about layoffs or about new hiring are increasingly exposed to online profiles. “People in this down economy are deciding whether to fire one person who has a picture of a wild party the night before [on Facebook] … while [another] person who is on the chopping block has posted pictures of his family.” Still, Matwyshyn acknowledges that she herself has an active Facebook profile because she found it an effective way to make contacts or trade information with other academics in her field of expertise.

Despite the risks, many experts are advising individuals to use the web and other tools to brand themselves. They note that until recently, executives and other professionals tended to market themselves through their resume and depended heavily on the reputation and branding of the employers they have worked for — something that makes less sense in this roiled economy with so many layoffs and job changes.

Peter S. Fader, Wharton marketing professor and co-director of the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative, says establishing a personal brand is important in an age in which consumers are more skeptical and seeking a level of comfort and trust. “Before, receivers would usually play a passive role and accept a product because it was there. Now, they want to know what your source of credibility is and why they should trust you.” He argues that this environment makes it possible for an investigative journalist, for example, to adhere to top professional standards through his relationship with his readers in what he calls “a grassroots manner. I think that’s great.”

Building an online identity also takes patience. Berger notes that at first, it is usually helpful to build a following by giving away something for free — even if it’s just nuggets of information or personal wisdom transmitted by blog postings or through commentary on Twitter. “People might enjoy that, and find that they’re willing to pay for it in another outlet.” Likewise, an attractive online personality could widen one’s list of contacts to include people able to offer job opportunities down the road.

Bradlow believes that it’s important to reach out to people who are “influencers,” who will use word-of-mouth to spread information about you and your unique expertise to their own wide networks of social contacts — a concept described by author Malcolm Gladwell in his best-selling book, The Tipping Point. “You need to seed the right people, to develop a word-of-mouth army,” Bradlow says. “Everyone should have a list of 20 or 30 people who will act as their ambassadors.”

For someone — a white-collar middle manager, for example — who might question whether he or she truly has enough unique abilities to create a personal brand, Bradlow notes the endeavor might not involve a skill as much as a specialized kind of training, or even something like philanthropic involvement in the community. The other thing he suggests to self-marketing newcomers, online or otherwise, is patience. “Branding is something that does not necessarily come with a short-term payoff. It’s a long-term investment. Why does Coca-Cola spend hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising? It’s not about increasing sales today; it’s about building brand awareness.”

Ask MacMillan, who is branding himself and his award-winning photography online and who is painfully aware of how long it takes to develop income. “I’m not trying to replace the revenue from my job through the direct revenue from my blog, because that doesn’t happen,” he says. “But the secondary revenue will be there.”

Then I got curious and started to ask other clients and people I met throughout the week. 

• A 39 year old female told me that when she speaks to a group of male architects they don’t take her seriously. “It’s because I look like in my 20’s and they think I’m not old enough to be credible. How can I look older?”
• A 27 year old wants to look older on a resume and in person. “I know I can do this job. I think that since I’m young and older candidates with more experience are applying for this job I don’t have a chance.”
• A woman who has  held a series of high level jobs has decided she wants to work in a certain geographical area no matter what the level of position. “I have found my age and experience intimidates most hiring people. They can’t believe I’m willing to work at a lower level for a lower salary. I want to work and I know I can bring huge value. Is there a way to get around the bias?”
• A 59 year old programmer came into my office. I assumed “oh this is going to be tough.” But he was so excited about technology and all the cool projects he has worked on. He is still learning and he can’t wait to find the next company or client he can help through his knowledge of technology. After two minutes I forgot how old he was.

So the short answer is “yes”, there is age discrimination. However, here is my new assumption. PASSION TRUMPS AGE. What are your own assumptions about age?

• I assume someone in their 20’s and 30’s has more energy than someone in their 50’s.
• I assume someone who is over 45 has more time and focus since their children are
• I assume that regardless of age an individual’s passion and focus will trump age every time.
• I assume some of us want to work – just not “that” hard.
• I assume most of us need to work.

Assumptions are discriminations we make throughout our day. They are short cuts we use to assess our environment.  But be aware.  Your assumptions about yourself and others may not be the real story.

Regardless of your chronological age you should be tring new things – Yep facebook; linked-in and twitter; learning new skills – yes - photography or drawing counts; work out – yes yoga and golf count; rediscovering the passion for life and learning is an ongoing process.

So put down the remote – step away from the computer.  Stay active…Stay young or young at heart!  Remember the often quoted Woody Allen: “eighty percent of success is showing up!”

For references to the photos, please view the original article here; http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/03/facebook-page-strategy/

Over the past few years Facebook has witnessed a dramatic rise in new user adoption and with that rise has come the opportunity for brands to interact directly with existing customers and engage new ones. At the end of 2007, Facebook announced the launch of Facebook Pages and last week they launched a revised edition which includes a number of significant upgrades. This week, those pages will be going live for all. There are numerous ways for brands to leverage Facebook but the overall branded experience is becoming increasingly integrated into a single offering as the new Pages product highlights. So what are the primary benefits and changes for the new branded pages?

Pages Are Profiles for Brands
One of the primary reasons for launching Facebook Pages was that many companies were using user profiles for their companies, in turn violating Facebook’s terms of service. While I’m sure there were many other reasons for launching Pages, the easiest way to understand them is through viewing them as “Profiles for Brands”. This means brand pages can essentially do everything that users can do.

Pages Have Access to Users’ Feeds
This is probably the single most important feature within the new Facebook Pages product. Many in the press have described this as Twitter for Facebook. It’s an accurate description but for those that don’t understand what Twitter is, this makes things more confusing. Essentially when Facebook users become a “fan” of your branded page, they will be notified of your status updates anytime you update the status on your brand page, via the primary news feed on the homepage.

The News Feed is Now Real Time
This is actually an update to the site homepage but it will have a significant impact. Previously Facebook cached the homepage for at least 15 minutes in addition to automatically filtering all feed stories. This means that any feed story which made it to the news feed previously would stay there for a fairly long period of time. The news feed has since been redesigned to stream stories instead displaying the automatically filtered stories as “Highlights” on the right hand side of the page.

Pages Can Integrate Multiple Applications
Earlier this week I posted the example of a robust branded Facebook page which integrates an application into the experience. Pages could previously integrate basic applications but now there is space to integrate applications that are just as robust as those with standalone canvas pages. Not sure of what “canvas pages” are? A canvas page is the space in Facebook below the Facebook header and to the left of Facebook’s sidebar ads. Essentially you can now post applications which take up the full width of the page. I’ve gone ahead and posted a photo of the canvas area in the photo below.

Brands Can Join the Conversation
Social media has always been about joining the conversation and for the first time ever on Facebook, brands can now be a significant part of the conversation. Just as I mentioned earlier, these conversations can take place within a Facebook Page as well as in a user’s news feed. I can’t emphasize how important joining the conversation is. While your social media strategy should continue to include other outlets (blogs, Twitter, etc), Facebook should now attract much more attention since there is the potential for conversation.