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