Archive for 'Self Improvement'
Get Ahead In The Promotion Stakes With A Focused Action Plan
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by Matt Shelly.
In today’s tough job market, employers need to be convinced that you truly understand the priorities, motivations, issues and problems which are specific to their companies. If you already work for the organization, these are things which you should already be familiar with, and if you are seeking a promotion within your existing company, you will presumably have researched the particular issues which affect the team or department that you hope to move into. All of this information can, of course, be used to create a first-rate resume, but what else can you do to really make yourself stand out? Create an action plan for the first month, or even the first few months on the job.
Continue Reading
How To Handle Criticism From A Boss
Posted on 14. Oct, 2009 by Matt Shelly.
Unlike some of the criticism which we might have to face from colleagues and co-workers, that which comes directly from the boss is normally intended to be constructive, and learning to accept is as such, and to learn from it, is crucial to professional development.
Continue Reading
Management Vs Leadership
Posted on 12. Oct, 2009 by Matt Shelly.
As they begin to look towards their move up the corporate ladder, many people, quite understandably, begin to focus more and more of their attention on developing their management skills. Whilst these are, of course, extremely important in ensuring progression in many careers, they are often focused on to the exclusion of another key area, that of leadership.
Continue Reading
Leadership Strategies: A Productivity Model
Posted on 28. Aug, 2009 by Matt Shelly.
In 2005, as president of the Philadelphia Chapter of the International Coach Federation, I held a meeting with the Board of Directors because in some areas we seemed to be hitting snags in accomplishing our objectives. While people were working hard and committed to achieving our goals, we were off base with some of our efforts. People needed to be focused and reoriented so I designed an outline for understanding productivity in a more strategic manner.
Continue Reading
Job Searching – Tracking Your Progress and Being Accountable
Posted on 12. Aug, 2009 by Marisa Cogan.
Especially if your job search is a protracted one, it can be extremely hard to keep yourself motivated along the way. This is even more true when you either have no specific end goal in sight or if each day, week and month leaves you with no sense of getting anywhere or achieving anything.
Continue Reading
Considering A Career Switch? Don’t Fall Into The Investment Trap!
Posted on 03. Aug, 2009 by Marisa Cogan.
As career traps go, the Investment Trap, is a pretty deep one. What do I mean by the Investment Trap? Just this. Many people feel that after having invested various amounts of time, energy and possibly money too, in a particular career direction, it would be a waste to switch to something new. Instead, they simply stay put. While in some ways that seems like a perfectly logical conclusion, should it really be a consideration if you are unhappy in what you are doing?
Continue Reading
Winning the Battle in Your Mind
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by Marisa Cogan.
How does the battle in your mind impact you? 95% of the population cannot separate their ideas from their self-worth. What this means is that your thoughts have become ‘who you are’. You cannot see the separation of your thinking and YOU. Scientists estimate that we have anywhere from 12,000 to 50,000 thoughts each day most of which are repetitive, obsessive thoughts. This means that most of our thoughts aren’t new; we think the same things over and over again. This process causes us to create neurological connections in our brain – habits of thought – which permit us to function well as human beings, hence our ability to do more than one thing at a time like take a shower and listen to the radio. This is what makes us efficient.
Continue Reading
Who Says Careers Have To Go In A Straight Line?
Posted on 27. Jul, 2009 by Marisa Cogan.
Even up until a few years ago, anything other than a solid straight line career progression was frowned upon by employers. When they looked at a resume, they wanted to see a work history which contained no gaps and which demonstrated that the candidate had moved steadily up the ladder. Horizontal or ‘backwards’ moves raised eyebrows and suspicions.
Continue Reading
What Is The Recession Doing To The Work Life Balance?
Posted on 08. Jul, 2009 by Matt Shelly.
For many, if not most people, a work life balance was hard enough to achieve before the current recession hit. The reduced working hours and threat of layoffs which have accompanied this economic downturn, however, have put it even more out of kilter. Can the balance be redressed or are any hopes of getting it right gone for good?
Continue Reading
Five Steps toward Eliminating Overwhelm
Posted on 02. Jul, 2009 by Matt Shelly.
Overwhelmed? It happens to the best of us at times. Some people live in a constant state of overwhelm. Knowing yourself, being aware of your abilities, and creating an environment that nurtures your success can help to alleviate or minimize overwhelm. You also must learn to stand up for yourself and create good boundaries with your time and your workload. This can be quite difficult for people who enjoy pleasing others, who seek reassurance and approval from others, or who have an inner barometer that just doesn’t know when to say “no.”
Continue Reading
