New Year's Resolutions Redux

[Editor's Note - This is modified repost of an earlier blog that somehow seems relevant]

I’ll go ahead and spit it out right now… I HATE New Year’s Resolutions! I always have. Even as a kid, I thought they were silly. I’ve always believed (and also known) that the likelihood of success is about 0%. So year after year after year I sit at the NYE dinner table and listen with venomous contempt as my friends and family make their profound intentional declarations for the upcoming year. Maybe it does work for them, but it’s never worked for me. Like most everyone else, by February 1st, I’ve forgotten what my resolutions were.

Enough venting; I’m now climbing off of my soapbox…

Here’s what I do know, however -- Having a vision of where you’re going increases the chances of you achieving your goals. I’ve said it over and over again: Knowing the “What” helps us figure out the “How!” So maybe there is something to the New Year’s Resolution shenanigans?

I have a young, very successful friend who keeps his New Year’s intentions (both personal and professional) taped to his bedroom mirror. This strategy works for him and allows him to continually and casually revisit his annual goals. He does not share these with anyone (other than those lucky few who get to visit the inner sanctum of his bedroom), and he has a better sense of where he’s going than anyone else I know.

Another idea that works well comes from a federal coaching client I've been working with. She keeps dry erase markers in her shower to keep her vision visible, as well as to modify and keep her resolutions current.

So maybe resolutions do work? Let's throw out those prior misconceptions and try something new this year.

Here’s the challenge I’ll give you, Gentle Reader:

What’s ONE thing you want to accomplish in 2008?

New job? New car? New life partner? New hairdo?

What’s yours going to be? Write it down (in the shower!), tell a friend, shoot me an email. Just do something to get it out there!

Easy enough?

Happy Holidays and have a terrific New Year!

How to Find Your ideal Career in 2008

Here's nice link to an article I saw earlier this year about how to find Your Ideal Career. Take a look, as it's good reading and provides a great list on how to get clarity, as well as how to organize your thoughts.

Spice Up Your Life

“Tell me what you want, what you really, really want…”

I have a big old confession to make. I love the Spice Girls. I first saw them in concert in Montreal in 1999 and fell in love. Last night, I saw them again in Las Vegas and my unwavering adoration was further reinforced. The fact that I’m a huge fan of the girl-power-defining quintet is no secret to those close to me, and, on a personal note, this passion is one of those first-date, things-in-common that the spousal unit and I bonded over during our early courtship.

The Spice Girls’ first big, signature hit is called “Wannabe” and contains the lyrics posted above. As I was singing along and dancing in my seat, something profound occurred to me -- There’s a career-management lesson in this song!

Telling me what you want is one of the most important lessons in effectively planning and managing our careers. Having a clearly defined career vision is step one to getting ahead, and by letting others know about our aspirations allows them to help us achieve our goals.

Remember my earlier entry about the young government leader who aspires to be a federal-government CIO? He has a crystal-clear career vision of where he’s going, and he’s therefore able to enlist others to help him achieve his goal. As he was recently looking for a new position within the government, I found myself asking him, “But is this potential opportunity support your quest for the federal CIO career?” When he answered "yes," then he knew it was the right thing to pursue.

So, what’s the formula? First, by me being very clear about what I want makes it easier for me to develop a roadmap. Second, by  knowing what I want, I am thus able to enlist the help of others in achieving my goals. By being clear about my own goals, and then sharing them with others, this will guarantee success. This shared knowing also prevents any possible career mis-steps or other potential messiness resulting from taking the wrong position.

Think about using this strategy at home with your spouse or significant other. How many silly domestic disputes could be avoided by 1) me being clear about what I want, and 2) sharing this out loud with our beloved?

In closing, remember the Spice Girls... Don’t be a Wannabe goal setter and communicator. Instead, be an open, communicative “Share with Me” leader.

Why? Because I said so!

I’m often asked why I became an executive coach. The story is really quite simple and straightforward: I felt a calling to help managers and leaders in organizations be more effective in their careers, have more fun, and pursue a balanced life. In the process of this mid-life career shift, I picked up a few good skills along the way, as well as some leadership tips that certainly would have been useful for me back when I was in corporate world.

One of these tips is the act of purging the word “Why” from your vocabulary. "Why," you ask? Well it’s really quite simple -- Using “why” immediately puts others on the defensive and forces them to possibly feel the need to defend themselves. It’s one of the most punitive words in the English language and especially in times of conflict, it can send our backs right up against the wall.

Let’s look at an example: Imagine a colleague completed a report and used a methodology that was different from what you would have used. You don’t feel it was wrong; you just feel it was different and you’re curious. You ask him “Why did you do it that way?” Your co-worker immediately feels defensive and assumes, incorrectly, that you think he did it wrong.

What would happen if you rephrased your question and dropped the use of “why?” “I’m curious about your methodology and would like to better understand and appreciate how the report was prepared.”

See the difference?

Dropping the “why” makes you sound more curious, because you are more curious. And being more curious, in a positive way, always makes others feel you’re interested and certainly less judgmental!

So there ya have it, one little tip to improve your life at work, and make it a lot more fun., as good relationships at work are always more than bad ones!

Don't Get Sucked In

Getting sucked into office drama is a huge trap for employees who work in both small and large organizations. I’ve seen careers derailed by folks getting involved in situations that were just plain petty, or worse, self-destructive. While it may be cavalier to come to the aid of a colleague being treated unfairly, that may not always be an effective use of your energy. Choose your battles wisely and remember that an effective leader stays above the fray.

FREE Career-Management Report from NorthwardFEDERAL

I'm often asked about best practices or tips for effectively managing one's career. Since I spend a lot of time working with federal employees, these folks are specifically interested in how these skills pertain to their unique world. I've compiled my first volume of important skills to help you manage your career and the NorthwardFEDERAL 10 Step Guide to Federal Career Advancement is now available for download. Click through to our new web page to grab this interesting and insightful tip list. 

NorthwardFEDERAL Goes Live!!

Northward Leadership is pleased to announce the launch of NorthwardFEDERAL, our new division specializing in providing leadership-development tools to federal employees!

If you're already on the Northward Leadership e-mail list, you'll be hearing about this exciting new venture. If you're not yet on the list, please go to Northward's website and submit your contact information.

We think you'll be as excited as we are!

The way it should be!!!

For the past several years, the Northward Leadership team has had the privilege of helping rising-star technology leaders identify, develop and hone their leadership skills. The IAC Voyagers program is, in our opinion, one of the best leadership-development programs we've seen, and here's a terrific article showcasing what we love about it.

Take a look!

Brand YOU!!

I've become a big fan of Dan Schawbel, a 20-something blogger and expert on personal branding. He's just launched his own magazine, Personal Branding, with, guess what? Personal Branding as a theme.

While the content might be considered light by some, I find it enormously insightful and salient to the career-management discussion.

Take a look for yourself:

Dan's Blog

Ouch!

Is this the way we want to be perceived??

Spending More Time in a Glass House

I’m back!

After an embarrassingly long delay, and lots of nagging from far-flung corners of the world (namely Sydney, Australia) here’s the next installment of the Northward Leadership blog. Our topic this week is the power of an external perspective , or, more simply stated, why it’s important to talk to an outsider.

Last Thursday, I was sitting in the Costco parking lot, on my cell phone, catching up with Danielle, a rising star in federal service. I was Danielle’s coach while she participated in a year-long, leadership-development program offered by her agency. While I was coaching her, we did some great work together. And after the program finished, our dialogue continued and the friendship endured. We check in every once in a while, and I am also able to track her comings and going on her own blog.

Last week, Danielle was in a career pickle, due to issues beyond her control or outside of her sphere of influence. She was on the verge of making a rash decision about taking on a new job, which, in my opinion, could be a bad move. She and her local board of advisors had explored many different options – none of which, however, was really optimal.

After telling me about her quandary, I offered up a very simple, unique solution that was exactly what she needed to hear to solve her problem. After screaming with delight and calling me a saint, she metaphorically kissed me through the phone and I blushed with pride. “Damn, I’m a brilliant, gifted coach,” I said to myself.

Well, as luminous as Danielle thought I was, the honest truth is that all I did was offer an outsider’s perspective – a viewpoint of someone far away from the inner sanctum of the problematic situation. With no prior history or emotional entanglement, I was able to see something that everyone else missed. Think about it… it’s why we hire a therapist or visit Dr. Phil to get an outsider’s laser insight into something that might be bothering us.

What’s the learning here? If you’re stuck, or need clarity around a seemingly insurmountable issue, TALK TO AN OUTSIDER. Go find someone you'd not usually talk to about this issue and seek their counsel. You may be surprised at the wisdom you'll experience.

So, put yourself into your glass house, open the curtains, and invite your neighbor-who’s-never-seen-you-in-your-bathrobe to peer in.

What was Danielle’s final comment as I made my way into Costco?

"Jeff, you need to update your blog…"

Telecommuting, the Kiss of Career Death?

I came across an LA Times article this week about the career perils of telecommuting. Writer Molly Selvin does a terrific job summing up my feelings about working from home (i.e. Out of Sight, Out of Mind). She cites a recent Korn/Ferry International survey about promotion prospects for different employee groups.

Take a look. Molly sums it up nicely, and there's some learning for all of us around continuing to be visible in our careers. Whether you're a telecommuter, or an employee working in a regional office, far removed from the mother ship, keeping one’s visibility with bosses, peers and subordinates is extremely important.

What are some ways to stay visible?

• Plan on spending at least a little bit of time in the office. As the article highlights, the informal water cooler chat is key for staying in the loop. I remember the “end of the day office drop in by the boss” as great times to elevate visibility and informally hear what’s really going on in the organization. Bottom line, don’t hide out!
  
  
• Converge with peers who also share your situation. A young client of mine recently moved home to telecommute when his DC employer was acquired by a west-coast conglomerate. Larry now schedules a few sessions a week where he and his colleague meet at a local Starbucks and work parallel with other, just to break the silent monotony of working at home.
  
  
• Volunteer for task forces, special assignments, special projects, etc. This is a great way to stay visible, as well as current with what’s going on.
  
  
• And if you can swing it, make your next job one where you are office-based. While a lot of us can’t fathom ever working in an office again, keep an open mind about it, and there might be some political-capitol payoffs in the long run.
  

If any readers have tips on being a successful telecommuter, send ‘em on! We’ll compile and post!

Help us with the new eBook!

I was chatting with Bob last week, who is a GS-14 in a large federal agency. He's terribly ambitious and called me in a panic about missing a key deadline for his 2007 (calendar year) departmental plan. His boss was a tad upset and he needed to chat with me about this potentially costly mistake.

Has something like this happened to you?

After many requests, we're finally pulling together our first eBook about costly mistakes employees make while trying to advance their careers. We'd love to hear from you about what you think these might be. Anyone who send us their ideas will receive a free copy of the eBook when it's published later this spring.

Send your ideas to Jeff and he'll get back to you!

And once again, Happy New Year!