Winning Strategies

Question #1 from a Reader of the Blog- Why am I stuck in this job?

So- you ask- WHY am I stuck in this job.  Some of you that are writing in are at the point where you are trying to figure out why you are in the job that you are in.  If you are asking this question....if you are asking ....Why am I stuck here?  Then you are not using the skills and talents that you were born with. 

If you had a chance to use the gifts that you were born with everyday in your job- you would be excited about it.  You would love it.  You would not be asking me this question.  The most important thing is to move closer and closer to a job where you get to use your strengths and talents.  The more and more that you are asking yourself 'why am I stuck here' it should tell you that you are not in the right job for you. 

Your goal should be to get to the job that is right for you, one that will drive you out of bed in the morning leaving you excited about the day that is to come.  It takes tiny steps forward to get you out of a job that you hate.  First you have to recognize the things that you love to do.  It doesn't help you to hate your job if you don't know the kind of job you would like to be in or the kind of things that you like to do.

So- start there.  That is step one.  Figure out the kind of things that you enjoy doing.  Think about what makes you tick.  What kinds of things do you get excited about?  I get excited about my job.  I love solving problems.  I love 'connecting' people and organizations to solutions. 

Document what you love to do.  We will then try to find a position for you that uses more and more of those skills and talents in your daily job.  By taking these baby steps, you can move towards a job that you love- - - a job that you want to have. Start there.  Every journey has a first step.

Send Me Your Toughest Work Questions.....

Ouch- that hurt

Several of my mentees were together in one room the other night. They all commented on the harsh feeling of constructive criticism. We steer away from it most of our lives, but it is indeed one thing that we get little of- yet need so dearly.

If someone is sharing constructive criticism with you, then it tells me that they care about you and your success. You are important to them.

It is vital in our work life to allow others to give us this constructive feedback. It is then our responsibility to take it, examine it closely, and figure out a way to neutralize that in our life.

I know you are busy and have way toooo many things on your plate. The LAST thing that you want to do is listen. It could, however, be the tip that saves your job, ensures a promotion, or gets you a raise. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Take your criticism well and reap the rewards.
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Turn Your Focus Inward

We spend a lot of time focusing on what other people are doing, where they are going, what they are saying, ect. We complain and grumble about what they have. I find that the most happy people that I've met have one thing in common----their focus is on their own life and what they can do to be satisfied with it.

I want you to focus your time and energy on YOU. What makes you tick? What do you LOVE to do? Why don't you start incorporating that into your life. This focus on others is zapping your energy and stealing precious thinking time. Your assignment, should you wish to accept it, is to REALLY get to know yourself and compile a list of the things that you love to do. Make sure that some of the things on your list are free (ie painting, taking a walk, playing tennis). Others may be costly (trip to europe, house in the country, grandkids at your house for a week).

Now study the list. How can you incorporate some of these things into your life? I won't accept your answer that you can't.

Dream.......dream a dream. Problem solve a way into the life you want and start turning your focus inward- not outward. Good Luck- the journey to get there' is part of the fun.

PS- Many of you write in. The most often received question is "how do you get it all done?". "The books, the blog, full time work, being a mother, wife,ect". It is simply this- I concentrate on the things that I love to do. When I do them- I have more energy- I am energized and happy. I am walking the dog this morning. I started at 5 :15am. The nature that surrounds me is beautiful and I absolutely love it. I stopped at the lake and am blogging this note from my blackberry. I am now even more energized and content- and off to my day I go (with one minor interruption of a call from the highschooler that he is out of lunch money- he calls after he leaves for school- ha- that is a story for another day).

So Many Distractions

When I was a teenager, and busy falling in love with Heather's dad, it seemed that we had nothing but time on our hands and no distractions.  It is what I notice most about the people that I meet, as well as this time in my life.  Life has become filled with so many distractions.  The phones buzz, the television talks in the background, and we walk around amidst a sea of distractions.

We have so much on our minds that we don't give ourselves a chance to feel peace.  We don't allow our minds to dream, to think about where we'd like to be or what we'd like to be doing.  We have lost the ability to daydream.  We hustle, we bustle, we rush around.  We run, we speed around, we go hours without peeing- we push our bodies to the max- our minds overflowing.

It is why I love to travel.  I loved visiting Italy and enjoying the atmosphere around lunch when all the stores close and the storekeepers go home to see their spouses.  I loved visiting Greece and talking to the cab drivers that couldn't wait to get home to "make love to their wife".  I enjoyed Africa, where the women held their babies tight and took time to play patty cake with them.

What have we lost with all of life's distractions?  I think we have lost the ability to actually 'LIVE' life.  We go around in a sea of black and white.  We've lost the colors all around us.  We are walking in a dead stupor, missing out on the warmth, the love, and the excitement of each moment.

Do you know how I notice it?  People are in conversations, but not listening.  They are 'present' but not really in attendance.  Their mind is so stressed and moving so quickly that the movie reel just keeps moving around and around.

Today I challenge you to spend a little time daydreaming.  If you could do something that you love to do, what would it be?  I want you to promise me that you will spend 1 hour a day without ANY distractions.  Allow your mind to be free and clear of the clutter that surrounds the rest of your life.

Dream....live.....love.......these moments are what makes up your life.  Make it a great life.

Thank you to my readers- - - - - - - - Wow- - - You are amazing!

I'm sending out a big THANK YOU to all of web site readers.  We are still hitting stats of 40,000 readers a month!   

The book web site (www.bethanywilliams.org) continues to be a popular landing spot.  WOW! It has been amazing to find my passion, run after it, and watch it blossom.  I love that I'm able to continue on the path of helping women to achieve their dreams.  I love seeing women discover their potential.

Each of you have a passion that you would like to pursue.  I challenge you to find it.  I challenge you to pursue your dreams.  Find the mountain that you want to climb.  Climb it.  Enjoy the journey.  I am on a journey.  I am climbing the mountains that I want to climb.

Cheers to all of you.  I appreciate each and every reader and each one of you that writes to me.  I love reading your notes.  Keep the questions coming....encouraging you is helping me to live my dreams.  Suggest topics, comment.  I encourage you to join me on my journey.

Do the Right Thing.....Always and Forever

The best advice I was ever given, and the advice that I continue to give others is to ALWAYS do the right thing.

I hear you; you are in tough situations in companies, you are frustrated.  Your organization is pushing you- they have a bottom line that they are fighting to maintain.  You will go further, do better, and always be in a better place if you do the right thing despite corporate pressures.  I am disheartened by the single moms that are struggling in companies, and the struggles that many of you are facing in the workforce. 

The world is changing.  For those of you that are writing about fair pay problems; relief is coming.  President Obama has passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html).  This is a positive step in the movement towards equal pay (women still trail men by 22% in situations where they have the same job and same experience).

For those of you that are writing about problems with discrimination, I can only say that every day is a new day and each day will bring a new sunrise.  Continue to work hard, create results and we will see a tide of change slowly build momentum.  I know you have children to support, and those of you that are writing me are the wage earners.  I care about each of you.  I cry my way through most of your emails.  I struggled for years to support my children.  It was a long arduous road.  My memory is not that short that I don't remember the stress, strain, and struggles of not always being able to provide for my children's needs.  Unfortunately, many of the decisionmakers in organizations do not have that perspective.  Many have never struggled the way single moms have struggled.  I often sit pondering , how can we change the world?  How can we make it better?  How can we create positive change?

Never give up, never quit trying, never be discouraged.  Continue to write me...I'm reading all your notes, emails  and letters.  We will, combined across all of us- - - - as a team- - - - coming together- - -, change the world one day at a time.  Keep the faith.

Women helping women

I continue to speak, listen, and mentor in and around the corporate world.  One thing that I hear VERY consistently is that we (as women) are not lending a helping hand to other women within our circles, our companies, and those around us.  Sometimes, we feel competitive pressures- we think we are competing with THEM and it becomes US versus THEM.  I am making a personal request for each of you to TRY to think of it as US.  TRY to reach out and lend a helping hand to someone in your organization.  You will find that there are PLENTY of pieces of pie- - - helping others WILL NOT KEEP YOU from succeeding.

How about if I commit this to you....if you will reach out and help those around you AND if it ends up costing you your position- - - I will find you another position.  I commit that to you.  Companies need people that want to help out.  Companies will thrive if you can help those around you to be more productive, more confident, more results oriented and - GENERALLY- - if they get more done and achieve higher results more efficiently.  EVERYBODY WINS!  I know sometimes we are driven by fear.  Stand tall and allow your fears to diminish.

I hear stories of us leaving people out, making fun of those on the team, and general non team behavior.  Try to think of that left out person as a son or daughter.  Put them under your wing and help them to succeed.  If they are not cut out for the job- - that will become evident WITHOUT us treating them like a social outcast.

Promise me that you will try to reach out- - lend a helping hand- - - smile at a stranger at the office - - and help someone in need of a little help. 

Your LinkedIn Profile

So- you have accepted the importance of your brand and you also accept that you will enforce your brand with your online presence- - - now what?  Now you will refine your Linkedin profile to attract the attention of the viewers that search for and view your profile.

Ever read an add in a Sunday newspaper that made you want to run to the store and make a purchase?  You want to create a profile that appeals to the reader.  You want to create an appealing representation of the work you have done, your interests and passions, and the reason that someone may want to SEEK YOU OUT and offer you a better position.

Ok, I have heard you.  You are not looking for a better position.  It does not matter.  You will begin to build your awareness and brand so that WHEN YOU DO want to look for work, it will be easy to find.

Step Away from the Title

Within corporate america, we have become addicted to titles.  These titles within our company DO NOT mean anything to people outside of that company.  You need to explain what you do in an industry standard way that would appeal to people at ANY company, not just your company.

Recognize the Internal Benefits

If you are working in a big company, there are internal benefits to beefing up your LinkedIn profile.  There could be important leaders within your company that do not KNOW YOU and do not KNOW WHAT YOU DO.  This is not a great position to be in.  If a position comes open that you would be great for, they WILL NOT think of you if they do not KNOW YOU.

Write a Fantastic Advertisement

Your LinkedIn profile is really much more than an online resume.  It is an advertisement for you.  It should show Return on Investments that companies have benefited from having YOU on their Staff.  It should be a results oriented view of YOU.  The reader should be excited about what YOU could do for THEIR COMPANY.  

Surf Around Linkedin Profiles

What JUMPS out at you?  What amazes you?  Your profile should AMAZE others.  It is a competitive landscape.  SPEND SOME TIME ON IT.  Refine it until it jumps off the page.  Find profiles that you like.  I happen to like several profiles to include - but not limited to- -Joey Sudomir, Mark Eimer, and Paige Speck.  Keep enhancing your profile.  It will pay off.

I helped someone redo their profile and they got 3 interviews the next week.  Recruiters are watching. They are looking for candidates.  They may be looking for you- - - - - but you may have done such a poor job of selling yourself that they cant find you.  Make it easier for them to find you.  Stop inhibiting your future opportunities.  Accept the online branding capabilities and excel at creating an exciting and :off the charts- - - - profile.

I cant wait to see it.

Thriving in a Tough Economy

I met with a group of women to discuss how to survive and even thrive in a tough economy.  We covered topics that you've probably heard before, and some new topics.  Review each with a mind on what you can incorporate into your list of To Dos. 

There are things that you can do to make a difference in your work lfie.  There are things in this list that will PUSH you towards success EVEN IN THIS ECONOMY.  Try it, I DARE YOU!

Successful principles:

• Believing in yourself- often times we hold ourselves back.  We don't believe in ourselves.  We 'forget' our capabilities.  We don't apply for jobs that we should apply for.  We don't volunteer for projects that we'd be good at.  We are afraid of failure, so sometimes we don't try.
• Finding Your Strengths- in order to thrive, to truly add enormous value to your employers, you need to understand your strengths.  Try taking the Strengths Assessment online after buying the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book  http://strengths.gallup.com/110440/About-StrengthsFinder-2.aspx.  Then ensure to incorporate your strengths into you job on a daily basis.  You will stand out if you use your strengths at work.
• Finding Good Mentors- look around and find 1 or 2 good mentors to help guide you down a path.
• Build a Personal Board of Directors- see my earlier post on the topic:  http://bethanywilliamsblog.typepad.com/blogging_with_bethany/2009/10/your-personal-board-of-directors.html
• Keeping up  Your Network- you cannot afford to ignore your network in this market.  The only people finding jobs are finding them through business and family/friend connections.  If you've let your network swindle, now is the time to begin building relationships and reviving your lifeline to other organizations and people.
• Keeping Your Eyes on the Horizon- ever noticed clouds off in the distance that indicated a storm coming?  The same is true of your work life.  You can watch financial revenues and selected metrics to see a storm coming.  Attend educational events and learn new things.  If there are new systems, technologies, trends, you need to be at the forefront of them to guaranteed a cotinuous paycheck.
• Building a Strong Personal Brand- This is very important.  If the senior executives are sitting in a room naming people to be laid off, what is going through their minds about you?  You ened to control the value message that they think of when they think of you.  Develop and continue to build on a strong personal brand.
• Obtaining Pay and Position- You may only get 1 in every 4 promotions that you apply for.  You can get to where you are going by persevering.  Persistence will beat resistence every time.  Keep trying, never give up, never lose faith.
• Keeping a Positive Perspective- We live in one of the richest countries in the world.  We are clothed in the robes of kings and queens and have access to running water, toilets, houses, furniture, etc.  Consider taking a trip to a third world country to give yourself a new perspective.   Find a new ruler with which to measure your life and your success.
• Setting Targets/Goals- Often times we don't dream big enough.  We set targets that are lower than they should be.  Reach for the moon.  Target HIGH goals, then try to achieve them.

I wish you many years of success as you work to thrive in this economy.  Best of luck.