Being a skilled communicator is an important part of being a leader. What separates good leaders from great ones is how they go about communicating with others in their organizations, and not just their peers. One of the most effective ways to do this is by practicing “management by wandering around” or MBWA, whereby managers…
It’s been a long race. From entering into the job market, to building a team that strives to accomplish your biggest goals for the company, you’ve grabbed opportunities as and when they come. However, the race isn’t over just yet. There’s a lot more that you need to clinch, and a lot more you still need to prove. For…
Senior management has plenty of perks – networking opportunities, higher salary, more recognition and prestige. But these are also incentives that aim to motivate and satisfy people with very difficult positions. A career that leads to the C-suite can also be more demanding – these roles usually mean working longer hours, lots of traveling, and perhaps the toughest task of all, acting as the disciplinarian/decision-maker. So how can senior professionals balance professionalism with prudence when making tough decisions? Next time you’re confronted with the following scenarios, relax and remain calm. It’s not an easy job, but someone’s got to do it – here’s how the best leaders deliver bad news.
Whereas in the past, workers were seen as “stable” and “hardworking” for staying with a company for tens of years, now people worry that they may be missing out on other career opportunities, staying stagnant instead of growing. So when the shining star of your department decides that after several years of stellar work, they’re going to take a different path and leave your company, you may start to panic. Surely there will be a void within your office that must be filled, and the handover process can be taxing. But keep your chin up and prepare yourself to soldier on – when your best employee quits, it’s both a challenge, and a chance to improve!
While being in senior management positions, it is inevitable that we tend to work expansively on projects and timelines that are short. This means, it is critical to define the value proposition of any project that we invest our time in. In a similar manner, to attract the attention of your boss or a headhunter for a coveted position that you may desire, it is critical to be able to define your professional value proposition. What do you bring to the table?
It’s the new year. And like the year before it will pass by sooner than you believe. That’s a good thing really. You do not want to be in a phase of life or work where every day seems drawn out. When every minute feels like it could be a day all by itself. The elephant in the room is this: what are you going to do differently this year?
Due to its formal specifications, the resume can certainly help express your specific skills related to a job. But when it comes to bringing out your motivations, the cover letter holds a lot of potential. In addition, with an impressive cover letter you can strongly emphasize your previous and relevant career moves. Take advantage of this opportunity
The truth is there are a finite number of jobs and infinite applicants to the same (well, in our theory). Corporate recruiters and savvy HR professionals are seeking to match talent to the job, using all their resources inside and outside of their networks. Most of the headhunters and hiring managers rely on social networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and specialized sites like Experteer on the Internet to search for the perfect candidate. So, the question arises is ‘How do they discover you?’
In the last year we shared several posts on soft-skills and characteristics that make bad bosses, and we also shared research on how much the job performance and satisfaction of employees depends on the leader of a team or the company. A good boss likes to have a lot to do with the personalities of people but there are many opportunity areas where they can change their leadership skills by allowing for some self-reflection and conviction, and thus be even more successful.
