- Donald Trump

Thinking Big…

• Increase your earnings by 20%

• Work a 4-day week without losing income

• Find a job with your dream employer

• Turn your lacklustre team into an award winning team

• Turn your passion for skiing into a cool new business idea

• Secure that big promotion

• Write and publish your own book

• Buy that fancy car or new house

• Turn your passion for Yoga into your very own yoga studio

• Start writing a blog about something you care about

• Take a year off to travel and volunteer

• Start that new business

Why you need to think big…

Anything worth achieving usually involves:

- Set-backs

- Pangs of self doubt

- The people around you thinking you’re crazy

- Lots of critics and naysayers

So unless you’re working towards something big which excites you (and usually scares you too)…..you’ll give up after a couple of set-backs. You’ll listen to all the people who think you’re crazy instead of listening to these wise words from Steve Jobs.

Big goals provide you with the passion and energy to overcome hurdles and set backs which come your way.

Starting Small..

Having a big dream is good. But it’s likely to overwhelm and paralyse you into doing nothing. And so ensuring your goal was nothing but a pipe dream.

So if you do have a big goal in mind – just take a small baby step forward.

Go and meet someone,  ask someone for help, update your  CV or LinkedIn page, attend a one off talk or webinar.  Book a meeting with your boss or most important stakeholder, call someone who has done the thing you want to do (i.e. written a book, become self employed etc) or simply book a couple of days off to start working on your idea.

Begin Today..

• What’s the big idea or big goal which excites you?

• What can you do TODAY to move your idea forward? (Even if it’s just a tiny step)

• Who can you call or email right now to help you get moving instead of simply thinking and dreaming?

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Unless you can sell yourself, sell your team and sell your business – you’re likely to be in trouble in the modern economy and work place.

Yet most people find the very thought of “selling” awkward and uncomfortable.

But it need not be.

When you take an ethical approach to sales you’re not actually “selling” – but in fact “helping” and providing value.

Use the 5 questions below to engage in conversation, understand the needs of the person in front of you – and then offer to help them:

“5 Magic Questions” 

1. “What’s going on? / How’s business?”  (Something simple and non-threatening to engage the other person in conversation, and understand what’s happening)

2. “What’s the one big thing you need to deliver or achieve in the next 6 months?” (Remember – you’re not selling anything. But genuinely trying to understand the other party’s biggest goal or objective)

3. What is your single biggest challenge right now? (Understand what their big frustration, problem or pain is)

4. “What difference would it make to you if you were to overcome the challenges and reach your big goal / objectives?” (This question is critical as it identifies and quantifies the benefts which comes from reaching their desired outcomes – and so the value you can potentially offer them)

5. “Knowing what you know about me, how can I help?” (This position yourself as the solution to their problems or the catalyst to help them achieve their big goal. And, so in turn, opens the door to opportunities for you)

What happens when you ask these questions?

Business Leaders - Ask these questions of your team and you’ll get a much clearer idea of how to engage and motivate team members

Employees -  Ask your boss and key stakeholders these questions and you’ll clearly understand their needs. This then helps you position yourself as a solutions provider (instead of just another employee) which in turn helps you protect your position

Job seekers - Ask these questions during interviews (particularly at 2nd and 3rd stage interviews with senior people) and you’ll stand out. You’ll also become much better informed about the role you may be walking into

Consultants & Freelancers  - Ask these questions to current and potential clients and you’ll understand their true needs whilst enhancing your relationships. And in the process, you’ll also potentially open up a range of new business opportunities without even trying to “sell”.  

You’re Not Really Selling!

Intertwine these 5 questions into your conversations and you’ll realise that you’re not actually selling anything. You’re actually helping and providing value. (Which in fact is the definition of a sales transaction – an “exchange of value”).

So stop feeling awkward and start asking questions!

How can you sprinkle these magical questions into conversations this coming week…?

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Because it’s your willingness to be average, have lots of goes and make mistakes that ultimately helps you succeed on stage.

Not only does this principle apply when performing on stage without a script. It also applies to many aspects of our life and work too.

For example, just think about the 5 phases you go through when learning to cook a meal:  

1. You have a go (you cook something)
2. You fail (burn it or make a tasteless dish)
3. You learn from the failure (identify why you burnt it or why it was inedible)
4. You implement the learning (adjust your cooking approach)
5. You have more goes until you improve and master the art of cooking

So through your willingness to “be average” instead of “perfect” – you give yourselves permission to have plenty of goes and consequently speed up the learning and improvement process.

That same principle applies to every aspect of our careers and working lives too. 

Unless you’re first willing to be average at networking, making job applications, interviewing, presenting to groups, leading teams etc – you’ll get all perfectionist about things and deny yourself opportunities to improve your skills. By not applying for jobs until “just the right moment” or not speaking up at a meeting because you’re “not totally sure” you’ll miss out on 100% of the opportunities which lay in front of you.

So if you want to speed up your job search, career transition or the process of finding more clients for your freelance business – stop trying to be perfect. Stop worrying about screwing up, looking silly or being rejected. They’re simply part of the journey to success. In much the same way as burning a dish is to someone learning to cook. Unless you’re willing to make an average meal and screw up – you’ll never ever actually make a great cuisine.

Similarly, unless you’re willing to put yourself out there and be imperfect, you’ll never move forward and find job opportunities, meaningful work or the lifestyle you want.  

Comedy improvisers are not only encouraged to get comfortable with being imperfect – but in fact encouraged to enjoy the process of screwing up.

So how could you be average and have lots of goes this week? What can you screw up (just a little) this week and still have a smile on your face?

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QUESTION

“Sital, what’s the best way to secure part-time work for back to work mums? There seems to be nothing around and I keep getting rejected. What do you suggest?” 

MY ANSWER

Before I answer the question, let me make you aware of some quick points worth bearing in mind about finding part-time work.

Some quick points about part-time employment

• Part-Time vacancies are often not advertised

A large proportion of part-time roles are not advertised – they’re simply filled by contacts and referrals. In some segments of the market,  75% of part-time roles are filled via employee referrals

• Part-Time vacancies are often created for a particular person

A significant number of part-time roles are created after an employer or business leaders comes across someone. E.g. The business have a need, but not a vacancy. We then come across an old contact or referral with the skills and experience we need – so we create a part-time role for them.

• You need to be work harder to find part-time employment

If you’re after part time work, you need be more proactive than most job seekers.

Whilst there are some exceptions in certain industries (e.g. retail, catering and hospitality sectors), on the whole, there is a huge demand for part-time work but simply not the supply of opportunities. So you’ll have to work harder and be much smarter in your approach than others (i.e. spending a couple of hours a day applying for jobs online is not enough).

The 7 Strategies

So bearing these points in mind – here are some suggestions for mums looking for part time work:

1. Be more specific about what you want

Many back-to-work mum’s often say “Oh I’m looking for something part-time work. Do you know anyone that’s hiring? You know, something I can do during school hours”

What does that mean?!?

Such statements are far too vague.

What can you do? What type of employers and teams are you targeting? What type of roles?

It’s much better to say: “I have XYZ skills and experience and I’m looking to work with ABC type companies. Who do you know I can speak with?”

This makes it much easier for people to refer or recommend you.

2. Forget job titles

Whilst I’m asking you to be more specific – don’t limit the opportunities coming to you by pigeon-holing yourself with a job title.

Instead of talking about job titles, focus on articulating:

a) The type of target employers and teams you’re looking to work with

b) The kind of problems and goals which they may have

c) The type of work you can do to help them solve their problems and/or achieve their goals

d) The results and benefits they’ll get as a result of working with you

Most people simply talk about point c) – What they can do. And consequently get pigeon-holed.

Instead, I suggest you spend very little time talking about what you can do – and more time describing the target employers, their problems and the results you can help achieve. You’re much more likely to be referred to someone that way. And much more likely to open yourself to a wider range of opportunities in related jobs and roles which may not have thought about. .

3. Don’t waste too much time applying via websites and recruiters

Whilst sitting at home applying for jobs online may be the easiest thing to do (especially when you have a young family to look after),  it’s usually the least effective way to find work.

Remember, something like 75% of part-time roles are being filled via contacts and referrals – so by just applying for jobs online – you and the rest of the back-to-work mums are only applying for one-quarter of the part-time jobs out there. And so it becomes a “numbers game” – and the reason why so many  mum’s find it so hard to secure interviews for the right kind of roles.

It’s not because “there are no jobs out there” – it’s because you’re taking the wrong approach!

So instead of spending all your time on websites and applying to recruiters – your part-time job search strategy should be focused around speaking with contacts and networking. More specifically you should be networking with warm contacts - people who know you well.

4. Approach ex-employers and ex-colleagues first

Even if it’s several years since you worked – approaching your previous employer is the first thing you should be doing.

And DON’T approach HR – but instead approach ex-managers and ex-colleagues. They may still refer you to HR but you’ll have more success if referred to them via a line manager than approaching HR direct.

Also – approach ex-colleagues who have moved on from your previous employers. People that know your work, trust you and like you will be best placed to refer you onto their contacts

“Boss, I think you should meet Sharon – we both worked together at XYZ company 5 years ago – she’s excellent and just the kind of person we need right now.”

That type of recommendation comes from people who have worked with you – not recruiters who hardly know you.

So re-activate relationships with old contacts, old friends and ex-colleagues. Use www.LinkedIn.com as a really simple way to find old contacts and network professionally without it feeling weird or awkward. If you’re not familiar with LinkedIn, here are 10 tips you can use to find opportunities using LinkedIn.

5. Approach friends and family 

Once again – the people who know you well are most likely to recommend you. So don’t dismiss anyone – the mum’s you meet on the school run or at your weekly “coffee mornings”  will know people – even if they haven’t worked for a number of years.

6. Think Small

Many people automatically turn to big companies when searching for part-time work. Yet large corporates are often the least flexible when it comes to working hours and flexible roles.

Small and mid-sized firms, on the other hand, are much more open to flexible working patterns. Be it part-time work, working from home, job sharing etc.

So don’t rule out working for a smaller firm. Even if you’ve always worked in large firms  - use the strategies in this article to target smaller firms who would jump at the chance to have someone with your skills and knowledge – but had never thought they could attract someone like you to their business.

7. Don’t ask for a part-time job. Instead offer to “help out”

Many firms these days are cutting back and may have a complete freeze on external recruitment. So the minute you tell your friends that “I’m looking for a job” the automatic reply will be “our company isn’t hiring.”

Or if you say “I’m looking for part-time work” even more people will just shut down and say “Oh, our firm doesn’t have part-time roles.”

But the reality is that although there are fewer “vacancies” in the market (when compared to 5 years ago) – there are lots of problems and plenty of work to do (and a tough market creates more work for a business, not less).

Businesses are struggling, many teams have fewer employees, are very lean and under significant pressure to achieve more with less resources.

So instead of asking for a “job” – you should start talking to people who know you and say something like:

“Do you know of any businesses or small business owners who are struggling to cope with their current workloads? Maybe a company who can’t afford to hire staff but maybe needs some occasional help?”

or

“I’m looking to support any local small businesses looking for help with xyz (the type of skills / work you have experience in). Who do you know that is overloaded with work and maybe needs some help. Maybe on a part-time basis to keep the costs down?”

If they have a need and they can see clear commercial benefits of having some part-time resource they will create a role. And if you’ve been highly recommended by a mutual contact – you’ll be the front runner for the role.

Some Final Questions For You?

• Which ONE of these 7 strategies do you need you need to focus on right now to speed up your job search?

• What’s the next step? The one call, email or action you can take to move you forward?

• What would happen if you took that step TODAY?

LOOKING FOR FURTHER HELP WITH FINDING PART-TIME WORK?

By the way, if you’re a back to work mum looking for help in finding part time work, you may want to join my FREE 2-Part live video cast for job seekers.

I’ll share trips and tricks as well as answering your questions live during the video cast. Even if you can’t make the live cast register your place and we’ll send you a recording after the event.

Click here for more details and to reserve your spot.

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Having spent the last 3 weeks in sunny Hong Kong and a very humid Singapore, I thought the UK weather would give me a shock to the system when I arrived back home.

But the weather has been very mild in the UK.

What has been a shock though is the general doom and gloom about the new year. Having spent 3 weeks in Asia, I’ve found the papers, the media and the general mood in the UK pretty depressing to say the least.

But despite the depressing predictions it’s worth pointing out that what happens to you this year is not wholly dependent on the economy.

It very much depends on YOU do. It can be the worst year yet – or the best. It all depends on how you think and act.

So as we begin a new year,  here are some questions for you to think about:

• What would happen if you decided that 2012 was going to be your best year yet?

• What if you invested 90 minutes this week to write down exactly where you want to be professionally, personally and financially by 31st December 2012? And then read and visualised your goals each day?

• What if you cut your consumption of mainstream media by 50% this year and avoided all that negative noise?

• What if you stayed away from moaning and whining colleagues, friends and family this year?

• What if you controlled ‘that voice’ in your head and decided that you’d stop being a self critic and instead become your biggest fan?

• What if you kept taking one small risk per day day and kept stepping outside your comfort zone all year?

• What if you kick-started your job search by taking my 21 day challenge?

• What if you started to act and think like a freelancer? (We’re all freelancers these days – even those with ‘permanent jobs’. The quicker you realise it, the better off you’ll be)

• What if you counted your blessings and appreciated what you have on a daily basis instead of focussing on what’s lacking? (after all – you get more of what you focus on)

• What if you labelled yourself as “lucky” this year? (People who think they’re lucky – often are. People who believe they’re ‘unlucky’ are always unlucky)

• What if you decided that you’d use the changing economy to reinvent your career and business?

• What if you chose to mentor and help one young person this year and give something back? (Remember – what goes around, comes around)

• What if you stopped worrying about what people thought of you? What if instead, you just did what you believe in your heart to be the right thing and tuned out the opinions of others?

• What if you listened to your intuition and gut instinct much more than other people?

• What if you decided to get serious about the way you used social media tools to strengthen your personal brand and find more job opportunities using platforms such as LinkedIn?

• What if you decided to be successful this year rather than being a perfectionist? What if you “went for it” when 80% certain instead of waiting for all your ducks to line up in a row?

• What if you chose to stop worrying about the past, stopped stressing about the future and simply focused on the present?

• What if you saw all the ‘bad things’ happening to you as either a lesson or a clue?

• What if you learned to accept change and uncertainty as the new norm? What if you learned to embrace change rather than fear it?

• What it you kept yourself nimble and flexible so that you could adapt to the volatile environment as it changes this year?

• What if you took the first baby steps in exploring that new career you’re drawn to instead of over-thinking it?

• What if you started that side-business now rather than ‘one day’? (You could find a new income stream, new career or new hobby that helps you tolerate a bad job)

• What if you took some big leaps this year? Instead of taking baby steps – what if you made some big changes and did some of the things you’ve being resisting?

• What if you stopped procrastinating about “that decision” you’ve been putting off and took the first step right NOW? (yes….. today)

If you followed through with the above points, there is a good chance that you’d be the most confident, authentic, likeable, well-networked version of yourself.

You see – no one can predict what will happen this year. Not even the experts. But what happens to YOU in 2012 year will largely be determined by how YOU react to the environment and the choices you make.  Make the right choices and it could well be your best year yet.

Happy new year.

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Whilst many of the concerns related to the economic times may be valid – overdosing on such negativity does you no good whatsoever.

You see, when you’re constantly focused on “how bad things are” – it creates fear, paralysis and inaction.

But in a tough market you should be doing the complete opposite.

To cope with challenging times you need to be more proactive, more courageous, and more creative. Something you can’t do if you’re anxious and fearful because of all the ‘bad news.’

Here are some quick suggestions for overcoming negativity and helping you ride out the economic turbulence:

1. Don’t stress about stuff you can’t control:

I can’t control the weather – so I don’t worry or complain about it. It’s a complete waste of mental energy.

But I can influence how the weather impacts me by watching the weather forecasts or by carrying an umbrella if it’s going to rain. I can also take 100% control over choosing my reaction and mood if I do get soaked by a sudden downpour.

Similarly, you can’t control what happens to the Euro, the economy or the job market – so quit worrying about them. Instead, focus 100% of your mental energy and time on choosing your reaction to the market and take actions which you can control or influence. It’s far more productive and you’ll feel better for it.

2.  Reduce your consumption of mainstream media

The first thing I advise out-of-work job seekers to do in the current climate is to reduce their consumption of mainstream media by 50%.

Why?

Simply because much of the media is full of dramatic stories about double dip recessions, record unemployment and generally as much negative predictions as possible.

Whilst you need to be informed about the market place and the world, you don’t need to be inundated. You don’t need to listen to the same story over and over again.  Overloading yourself with bad news simply makes you more anxious and fearful – which stops you taking the very actions you need to take to make progress at such a time.

You’d never let your children watch poisonous TV shows full of violence and foul language would you? So in much the same way, be very careful how much negative news stories you’re consuming each day – that’s poisonous too.

3. Minimize your exposure to negative people

The kind of people who constantly moan and complain about anything and everything are also poisonous. We all know people like this and it’s not always easy to avoid them when they are close friends, family or colleagues.

But remember – we become like the very people we spend most of our time around.

So reduce your exposure to negative people, whilst increasing your exposure to positive people who energise you, who spend their time thinking about solutions and opportunities instead of just problems.

4. Celebrate the small successes

When you’re climbing uphill in the middle of a terrible storm (often with some baggage), you absolutely need to pat yourself on the back with every small success.

Focusing on the small wins gives you the energy and confidence to tackle the bigger challenges that you know still lie ahead. So get into the habit of celebrating the small wins and the things that are going well.

5. Count Your Blessings

There are 7 billion people in the world – and I’m pretty sure that YOU are in the top 5% of the richest people on the planet – both in terms of financial wealth, opportunities, health and education.

Don’t believe me?

Click on this Global Rich List and you’ll see exactly how rich you are.

Over the coming weeks and months the economic storm is going to pick up a pace. And with it, you’ll see more negative stories and more negative people everywhere you turn.

Just make sure you’re not one of those people and you’ll give yourself the best chance of riding the economic storm better than most of the people around you.

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The ongoing sovereign debt problems in Europe, fluctuating financial markets, the stumbling world economy, the dip in business confidence,  lay offs and recruitment freezes have created a cocktail of uncertainty.

But uncertainty isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Uncertainty can actually become a friend rather than simply an enemy. It all depends on how you view it.

You can either view uncertainty as:

A) ”Difficult”, “Unfair”, “Scary” or “A nightmare”  

or alternatively you can view it as:

B) “Interesting”, “An opportunity for growth and change” and “A bit of an adventure”

Type A thinking leads to anxiety, frustration and paralysis (i.e. getting “stuck”)

Type B thinking leads to optimism, new ideas, innovation and personal growth

3 Questions For You:

1. How are you viewing the uncertainty?

- With Type A thinking or Type B thinking?

2. What’s your team like?

- Full of Type As or Type Bs?

3. What can you differently this week?

- How can you and your team make uncertainty your ally rather than a threat?

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According to yesterday’s latest UK unemployment figures, one million 16-24 year olds are now out of work - the highest figure for 25 years.

Youth unemployment here in the UK now stands at 22%. A shocking and worrying statistic.

Having graduated during the recession of the early 1990s and struggled to find my first job  – I can empathise with young people who are struggling in today’s job market.

The one major development since that last recession is the Internet. Many young people today rely on the internet for just about everything – especially job searching.

But in a tight job market – the Internet can, in fact, get in the way of job searching.

So if you’re aged between 16-25 year olds looking for work (or know someone that is) – here are 5 “Old School” job search tactics which are much more effective just relying in the web:

1. Invest more time

Many of the young people simply don’t invest sufficient time to their search.

Spending a couple hours per day trawling through jobsites and online applications is not enough (especially if you’re also logged into Facebook and Twitter at the same time!).

If you’re serious about your search, you should be spending at least 20 hours per week job hunting. And I don’t mean 20 hours a week online – you need to be “out there” meeting people.

2. Get out more

In some sectors between 60-70% of roles are filled via referrals and contacts. So if you’re spending most of your time applying to online jobsites and emailing recruiters – you’re possibly missing out on a big chunk of vacancies.

So stop hiding behind your laptop and get out there meeting people – ex-colleagues if you’ve worked before, school / college friends, cousins, family friends or even social contacts to ensure that they:

a) Know that you’re searching and

b) Have a rough idea of what you’re looking for in case they come across roles or contacts

Go to your University Alumni events, attend talks provided by professional associations and go to career fairs so that you meet new people who may be able to help.

3. Keep an open mind

Being the son of an Indian shopkeeper, the one sector I did not want to work in after graduation was retail! But the 1990s recession forced me to be more flexible and in 1993 I actually joining the UK retailer Marks & Spencer‘s graduate programme.

With hindsight, joining Marks & Spencer was probably one of the best career decisions I ever made.

I was leading and coaching teams from the age of 22. At the age of 28 I was involved in a major redundancy and change process for (what was then) a top 10 listed company and the most profitable retailer in Europe. And all the while working with some extremely talented people.

So even though I was originally trying to avoid a retail career – that experience and the exposure it provided, gave me much of the platform for what I do today.

So lose the rigid focus on a single type of job or career path. Be flexible and open minded to new opportunities – you never know where they may lead you.

4. Offer your skills for free

Approach local businesses and charities to offer your skills and time without pay.  It may lead to a paid role.

But even if it doesn’t, you’ll gain valuable experience, confidence and meet new people who may help you find new contacts or job leads.  Something you can’t get sitting at home searching on the web for the ideal role.

5. Start a portfolio career

If money is really tight, find any job that brings you cash flow to ease the financial stress – even if it’s not what you really want to do.

But then spend your evenings and weekends on a side project or business idea related to something you’re truly passionate about. The Internet and social media platforms now provide you with the opportunity to market and sell your products and services for virtually zero cost

If you’re focused on something you enjoy, it will feel like a hobby rather than ‘work’ and could provide you with a nice new income stream in the short term. And maybe a brand you career option into the future.

Within 10 years most people will have such a ‘portfolio career’ – so you’ll be ahead of the game.

Struggling to find work in a recession in the early 1990′s was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It made me more humble, more resourceful and more resilient – all the qualities which helped me later in my career.

So no matter how bad you feel about your search – if you log off the web and get “out there”, be visible, be open minded and keep going – you will find a role in time. And who knows, in the process learn some valuable lessons, which could accelerate your career in the long term.

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This weekend the Italian parliament fast-tracked drastic austerity measures to cut national debt to coincide with the managed resignation of Italian president Silvio Berlusconi. 

So why now? And why so swiftly?

The reason, of course, is the pressure from the financial markets resulting from a lack of investor confidence. The cost of financing Italy’s debt reached unsustainable levels last week and without drastic changes to reassure investors – the Italians could have been looking at a possible default and the implications that would have in Italy and beyond.

So the pain associated with potentially going bankrupt outweighed the pain of making drastic changes – and so forced Berlusconi to resign and forced the Italian parliament to make big decisions to pacify investors.

The Pain of Not Changing

This also happens at a business level and at an individual level. Where the pain of NOT changing or not acting becomes so much bigger than the pain associated with change. Which then becomes the trigger to taking the very action we’d been resisting.

For businesses, falling sales and collapsing share prices usually become the triggers to make bold decisions which leaders had previously postponed.

For individuals, the threat of redundancy or pro-longed periods without income becomes the catalyst to stop procrastinating and take action.

These external triggers become the catalyst that forces decisions and actions to be made.

Changing Without The External Trigger

But what if you could stop procrastinating, stop putting off big decisions and stop resisting actions without the threat of “external” pain? Without something or someone forcing you to act?

What if you could trigger the change internally without the external pressures?

Well you can……..here’s how:

1. Write down a key action or big decision which you are currently resisting?

It can be something big (like a major career decision) or something micro (like make a call to someone you know you need to call)

2. Write down what’s stopping you from making the decision or taking the action right now

It’s very likely that the ‘pain’ you’re associating with making that call or decision is linked to a fear.

Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of looking silly, fear of the unknown, fear of not being liked, fear of what others will think of you.

Which is it for you?

3. Write down the pain associated with NOT taking acting

What happens if you continue to resist taking action? What are the implications of you not doing the thing you know you need to do?

4. Write down the pay offs and benefits of taking action or making the decision

How will you be better off by doing that thing you’ve been resisting? How will you feel once you’ve done it?

5. Act quickly

If you go through the above steps as suggested, you will momentarily feel less fearful and more inspired to act.

The key then is to move quickly and swiftly just like the Italians and do something right now. It doesn’t even need to be a huge bold step. Often the best way is forward is to take a small first step.

What’s the first step you can take…?

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 In November 1993 my first boss in my first job as a management trainee with the retailer Marks  & Spencer told me:

 ”Sital, the next 6 weeks will dictate your success next year. The respect and credibility you earn  (or don’t earn) with the teams you’re leading will have a profound effect on your success next  year.

He was right.

Aside from the fact that, as a retailer, this was the busiest time of year – the goodwill I built by  attending every social event, wearing silly santa hats when asked to and putting my hand in my  own pocket to buy drinks and small presents for my team helped me strengthen my relationships  with the people I was leading.

 In November 2000  I was working as a recruiter in London’s financial district when my boss told me:

“Sital, don’t make the mistake of thinking nothing happens in the recruitment world in December. The relationships and bonds you form with clients through Christmas lunches, drinks, dinners or sending personalised Christmas cards and making calls will have a huge impact on the opportunities you attract next year.”

He was right.

There was a direct correlation between the amount of socialising and reconnecting I did in December and the level of opportunities and business I attracted in quarter 1 of the new year.

In November and December 2008 (just after the collapse of Lehman Brothers) I career coached a number of financial services professionals who’d lost their jobs in the middle of the financial crisis. In my first discussion with every single person I said:

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking ‘nothing happens before Christmas’. Your success in the new year will be based on your relationships – not the market conditions. So instead of disappearing - spend your time over the next few weeks lunching, drinking and socialising with ex-colleagues, clients and friends. Even if you don’t know what you want to do next or haven’t yet got an updated CV / resume – just get out there socialising and be visible”

I was right.

The individuals who took my advice and “got out there” were usually the fastest ones to secure new roles and opportunities simply because they reconnected with people who were then able to refer them in the new year.  Not because they were the best people in the market – but because they were on the radar at the right time.

The Next 6 Weeks Are Key

Your success (however you define it) in 2012 won’t be dictated by the Greek crisis, the Euro or the global economy - but by your relationships. 

Whatever happens in the market place or inside your organisation, your relationships and network hold the key to helping you survive and thrive next year.

And the run up to Christmas is the very best time to forge and solidify current and past relationships. Simply because everyone is open to socialising and catching up this time of year.

So regardless of whether you’re leading teams through change, trying to stand out in your existing role, seeking fresh opportunities or looking to build your business – the next 6 weeks up to Christmas will play a key part in your success in 2012.

Some Questions For You

1. Who are the people who have helped you in 2011? The people you’d like to thank for their support, referrals or business?

2. Who are the ex-colleagues, clients, stakeholders, suppliers and contacts you’d like to catch up with pre-Christmas?

3. Who are the lost contacts from the past who you’d like to reconnect with?

4. What can you do this upcoming week to kick off the planning of social get togethers, festive phone calls and Christmas cards?

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