Blog

Are CEO’s jumping on the Social Media Bandwagon?

2012-06-01T12:30:36+00:00

I continue to have clients come to me asking, “Our company understands the importance of being on social media / and doing ‘social business’,
but how do we sell this to our CEO?”

That’s a great question. Trying to convince the C-Suite can be quite the challenge.

Just recently, IBM did a study of some 1,700 CEOs worldwide and reported findings that many are now seeing social media as a key enabler of collaboration and innovation.

According to the IBM CEO study, the companies that outperform their peers are 30 percent more likely to identify what IBM called “openness” as a key way to influence the growth of their organization.
Openness in the IBM lexicon means embracing social media and better use of collaboration. The idea is to a certain extent to “tap into the collective intelligence of an organization to devise new ideas
and solutions for increased profitability and growth,” IBM stated.

Some of the interesting items in the IBM CEO survey included:

To forge closer connections with customers, partners and a new generation of employees in the future, CEOs will shift their focus from using email and the phone as primary communication vehicles to
using social networks as a new path for direct engagement. Today, only 16 percent of CEOs are using social business platforms to connect with customers, but that number is poised to spike to 57 percent within the next three to five years. While social media is the least utilised of all customer interaction methods today, it stands to become the number two organizational engagement method within the next five years.

The report states that more than half of CEOs (53 percent) are planning to use technology to facilitate greater partnering and collaboration with outside organizations, while 52% are shifting their attention to
promoting internal collaboration (we shall see). (http://hrvirtualcafe.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/ibmceo- study.jpg)

The one thing that CEO’s are always worried about are the risks. Openness increases vulnerability, and trying to figure out how to proactively prepare for the unknown is quite scary. Social networks can provide a worldwide stage to any employee interaction, positive or negative, and for organizations to operate effectively in this kind of environment, it takes educating our employees on the organization’s key values, culture, and mission.

When CEO’s think in terms of “collaborative innovation,” they are not thinking in terms of delegating this to their HR leaders. According to the above study, the business executives who were polled stated they are interested in leading by example.

The study showed that these CEOs regarded interpersonal skills of collaboration (75 percent), communication (67 percent), creativity (61 percent) and flexibility (61 percent) as key drivers of employee success to operate in a more complex, interconnected environment.

A majority (71 percent in fact) of global CEOs regard technology as the number one factor to impact an organization’s future over the next three years - and consider it to be a bigger change agent than shifting economic and market conditions.

Of course, the old “ROI” question always comes up, and rightly so. Trying to figure out how to track data online -- on mobile phones and social media sites -- when you can’t use the traditional marketing analytics, is something that causes hesitation. However, to remain relevant in a technological environment is something that CEOs must consider when thinking in terms of engaging not only their customers, but their employees as well. And as Bridget van Kralingen, Senior Vice-President of IBM Global Business Services stated:

"Rather than repeating the familiar lament about de-personalizing human relationships, this view leans heavily in favor of deepening them through the use of dynamic social networks to harness collective
intelligence to unlock new models of collaboration.”

In the end, it comes down to the “Trust Factor.” Face-to-face, the physical contact, creates and maintains trust on a small-scale, but is the most effective. Social networks are cost-effective technologies
that expand wider transparency and trust, both inside and outside the organization -- with employers and their employees, as well as their customers. They drive sharing, accountability and loyalty.

#NEXTCHAT: Building Your Brand with Social Media

2012-05-31T18:25:41+00:00

Branding and social media seem like the perfect match. Whether you’re an individual or a large business, social media can help you build strategic relationships with your target audience and create a community of trust.

Social media can also serve as an amplifier for your corporate brand when you are looking to convey a positive culture that will attract top talent to your organization. You’d better believe that the best candidates are checking out your company’s web page and looking for clues about your workplace in the conversations happening on Facebook, Twitter and Glassdoor.

What social media tools and training are you employing to accomplish your branding goals? What is your organization doing to stand out from your competitors? And how do you sell this “social-media-monkey business” to your dubious CEO?

Please join us at 3 p.m. ET on June 6 for #NextChat with special guest Susan Avello (@SusanAvello) of Social Buzz Concepts. We’ll want to know your thoughts on the following questions:

Q1. How can individuals find a voice and create a community of trust when building their brand?
Q2. How can organizations use social media to display their culture and build their corporate brand?
Q3. Is social media taking the place of current business initiatives?
Q4. How can HR sell social business to the C-Suite or CEO?
Q5. How can organizations leverage social media as it relates to employee interaction and engagement?
Q6. What does the future workplace look like in a digital world?

Sharlyn Lauby: Resources for Veterans

2012-05-31T15:37:30+00:00

Four Recruiting Tech Startups

2012-05-31T12:47:33+00:00

The highlight of this year’s Recruiting Innovation Summit, for me, was the Recruiting Tech Startup Competition. Of nearly 50 initial applicants, six innovative recruiting tech startups were invited to compete the grand prize of $10,000 (and some serious bragging rights). Here's how it worked: Presenters gave a live demo their product, took questions from the audience, and then answered questions from the panel of judges--Jason Warner, Steve Boese and Ethel Chen. Each startup was rated based on business model, viability, potential impact on the industry, and other factors.

The winner--Mystery Applicant--is a sophisticated data and analytics tool for measuring candidate experience. Applicants fill out a questionnaire, rating the specific points in the recruiting and hiring process (with a whopping 40 percent conversion rate!). Through a clutter-free dashboard, users gain immediate insights into what’s working in their recruiting process and what’s not--from a candidate’s perspective--and can use this data to validate or refine their recruiting strategy.

As awesome as the Mystery Applicant was, there were three other companies in the competition that I felt showed great promise for recruiters and jobseekers alike:

The Next Step

What it is: A mobile recruiting app powered by LinkedIn

How it works: Job seekers can search opportunities (in specific locations, in various industries, etc), and refine search results with likes or dislikes. They can then share any listing via social media accounts (currently only integrated with LinkedIn). Candidates can indicate interest to the recruiter, chat live, or send a note requesting more information.

Why I love it: I like this app mainly for its usability. It packs some Though candidates already can review opportunities via their smartphones--mobile versions of company job portals, branded mobile apps, etc.--this product puts key functionality in the hands of its users while keeping things simple. The user interface is sleek and easy to use, featuring one-click apply and on-the-spot interviewing.

OnGig

Category: Job Board

Why it’s hot: OnGig is no ordinary job board, and its job listings go beyond the traditional job description. When posting a job, recruiters answer key questions such as why the position is open, challenges the candidate will face, and growth opportunities for the role. When applying for a job, candidates are offered interview tips and given the opportunity to send a note to the hiring company before applying.

Job listings with OnGig are highly visual, featuring video interviews with the hiring manager and his or her team, and photos of the office and space in which candidates would be working. It’s also highly social; viewers can leave comments or ask questions, share the posting, apply for or follow the job. Because the platform gives candidates more interactivity, it’s a great way for employers to have more touch with candidates from the beginning.

GooodJob

Category: Referral Programs

Why it’s hot: GooodJob is an employee referral and social recruiting platform. Recruiters create job listings and distribute the job across various networks. Employees interested in opting in to the referral program grant permissions to recruiters to post job opportunities to their private social media accounts at a specific maximum frequency (once a week, once a month, etc.). Activity and referrals are tracked, and employees are rewarded for their efforts. What makes GooodJob innovative is how successfully it leverages gaming elements (points, leaderboards, prizes) to motivate employees. Rather than only rewarding placements, GooodJob rewards employees’ efforts to feed some talent into your pipeline with points. Points can be accrued and used for small prizes like movie tickets and large prizes like cool gadgets or cash bonuses.

Consumer Technology Will Continue to Drive Innovation
To one degree or another, consumer technology--social, mobile, gamification--was present in all of the products showcased at the Recruiting Innovation Summit. Considering the growing prevalence of these technologies in other products, I believe consumerization will continue to shape recruiting technology. This trend is changing the way we recruit, interview and hire, and I look forward to seeing more innovation in this space.

If you missed the conference, you can find video of the competition (hosted by Dice.com) here. Which innovative products are you loving? What do you want to see more of from recruiting software vendors?

Get to Know Lisa Horn, SHRM’s Senior Government Relations Advisor

2012-05-30T14:00:44+00:00

How to lose a disability discrimination case in 5 easy steps…

2012-05-30T12:41:25+00:00

What started out well for the employer...

On April 29, 2009, Catherine Coffman, an employee of Robert J. Young Company, Inc. ("RJY"), got into a motorcycle accident. RJY provided Ms. Coffman with leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Just before Ms. Coffman's FMLA expired, RJY offered to return her to work in a sedentary job that provided the same pay and benefits as her old position. Ms. Coffman rejected the offer because she did not feel that she was able to return to work yet.

...Quickly turned bad. Very bad.

Months later, near the end of October, 2009, Ms. Coffman provided RJY with a note stating that she would be able to return to work on November 23, 2009 with minimal restrictions. In response to the note, RJY's Human Resources Director and General Counsel met and decided to fire Ms. Coffman.

Enter the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits an employer from discriminating against a qualified individual on the basis of disability in regard to the discharge of employees.

Which brings us to the 5 easy steps employers can take to lose an ADA case.

Make a snap judgment that a disabled employee's request for additional leave is unreasonable. Neither RJY's Human Resources Director nor its General Counsel discussed with Ms. Coffman her impairments, condition or intentions to return to work on November 23, 2009.
Heck, don't even consider additional leave as a possible accommodation. RJY did not consider offering Ms. Coffman additional leave from October 28, 2009 to November 23, 2009 as a reasonable accommodation. RJY also failed to show that additional leave would have caused it an undue burden. The deposition testimony from RJY's HR Director is hella-unbelievable.
Don't engage in any interactive dialogue whatsoever with the disabled employee. RJY did not discuss or conduct an interactive process with Ms. Coffman to determine whether any of her job functions could be accommodated.
Don't request any additional medical information. RJY never requested additional medical information from Ms. Coffman's healthcare providers or consult an occupational physician to determine whether she would be able to perform her job duties.
When you fire the disabled employee, be sure to clearly state in the termination letter, "Due to your long term disability we must terminate your employment." Yeah, that happened too.

Based on the foregoing, a Tennessee federal court determined that there was direct evidence that RJY had discriminated against Ms. Coffman on the basis of her disability. Consequently, the court entered summary judgment in favor of Ms. Coffman.

The case is Coffman v. Robert J. Young Company, Inc.

To read the original article, please click here.

Fairness Doctrine

2012-05-29T12:33:07+00:00

Who could possibly be opposed to paycheck fairness? That’s the question some may ask as the Senate likely will consider the “Paycheck Fairness Act” in early June to further highlight the election year pursuit of the women’s vote. The legislation is the best idea some in Congress have to address the gap between men’s and women’s earnings.

Then again, what is paycheck “fairness?” Fairness is in the eye of the beholder. When I worked on Capitol Hill and a politician used the word “fairness”, my colleagues and I were confident that it meant someone’s interests were going to get snubbed.

When it comes to fairness regarding pay, compensating employees is not always an exact science. There’s no manual to look up the right answer for setting wage or salary levels for Jane, John or any employee. HR professionals who manage compensation use their professional judgment based on the facts and circumstances to make lawful pay decisions for their employees. But the Paycheck Fairness Act would significantly restrict employers’ ability to make these decisions and give premium pay to employees.

For nearly 50 years, American employees have been protected from gender-based pay discrimination by not one, but two, federal statutes: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963. As The Washington Post editorial board stated in 2009, adding the Paycheck Fairness Act to these existing laws “risks tilting the scales too far against employers and would remove, rather than restore, a sense of balance.” In 2010, the Boston Globe wrote “the measure as a whole is too broad” and the Chicago Tribune described the bill as “grossly intrusive.”

Why would these major newspapers oppose a bill that purports to solve the wage gap? They agree with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) that the Paycheck Fairness Act, however well-intentioned, would be an unnecessary expansion of the Equal Pay Act.

In the name of equal pay, the Paycheck Fairness Act would restrict many lawful factors – including professional experience, education, training, employer need, local labor market rates, hazard pay, shift differentials and the profitability of the organization – that the Equal Pay Act currently allows employers to use today in setting compensation. The only factors employers could safely use to pay employees higher wages would be seniority, merit, and quantity or quality of production.

If enacted, the Paycheck Fairness Act could lead to employers cutting back on incentive pay programs, because of the pay disparities between employees that would naturally result. The bill could also disallow job applicants from negotiating for a higher salary before accepting a job offer because of the disparity with other employees that it would produce.

SHRM believes that compensation programs should be designed to ensure fair treatment of employees, but should be determined by the market and employer needs, not by the government. Because of the complexity of administering compensation and the inefficiency of the government regulating private-sector compensation practices, SHRM opposes federal government efforts such as the Paycheck Fairness Act that second-guess employers in making pay decisions that comply with current federal civil rights laws. Instead, SHRM encourages organizations of all sizes to regularly perform compensation or job evaluation audits to ensure such systems do not discriminate based on gender and comply with federal laws.

In the end, everyone supports fair pay for all employees; not everyone supports the Paycheck Fairness Act. Politicians regularly use consensus words like fairness to gain support for their legislation, but such words are just that. The devil of legislation is in the details. After all, if a senator proposed a “World Peace Act” that actually declared war on Saskatchewan, it shouldn’t be supported by world peace advocates. Neither should the Paycheck Fairness Act be supported by those interested in fair pay.

SURVEY: Workplace Flexibility for Select Populations

2012-05-29T12:25:03+00:00

This survey explores workplace flexibility for select populations: disabled workers, veterans, low-wage hourly workers, and parents with dependent care responsibilities. Some organizations have created flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting/working from home, traditional flextime, and reduced work hours, to accommodate these populations. Examples of obstacles to implement these flexible work arrangements include concerns about providing equal treatment for employees, ensuring that the work is done, and the impracticality of such arrangements given the nature of jobs in the organization’s industry.

Criteria for Success: Characteristics of Top Virtual Leaders and Team Members

2012-05-25T13:04:09+00:00

The most effective virtual team leaders balance both the execution-oriented practices and the interpersonal, communication, and cultural factors that define virtual teams. Therefore, organizations should select leaders who possess those key characteristics. When assigning a leader, take the time to select the individual with the appropriate skills—and not just go with the first person to volunteer or someone who already happens to lead a team or the person with the best technical skills. In addition, periodically assess the leaders’ effectiveness and provide targeted feedback about how they can enhance their performance. Great leaders will be happy to learn what they can do to keep improving.

Leaders should also ensure that their virtual team members have the skills necessary to effectively collaborate from a distance. People who are motivated and are able to work in a self-directed manner, have a tolerance for ambiguity, are strong communicators, and are collaborative will be more effective on virtual teams. According to OnPoint’s research, the most important characteristics for virtual team members include strong interpersonal skills, initiative, and flexibility.

A recent BusinessWeek article (BusinessWeek June 2009) presented findings on what personality traits make for good virtual workers. While one might assume that introverted people would be more likely to thrive in a virtual setting, the study found that it was actually extroverts who fared best. It was discovered that extroverted employees were more adept at finding ways to stay connected to others, no matter their location. The study also showed that being structured and organized is essential for successfully working virtually, and that disorganized employees were less successful.

Organizations generally need to make sure team members have the appropriate skills for tackling particular tasks. Laszlo Bock of Google says, “It is important to compose the team differently based on the problem the team needs to solve or address.” For example, the people chosen to help solve a detailed financial problem would most likely not be selected for a virtual team that’s created to tackle a customer satisfaction issue.

However, in some situations organizations benefit from the use of cross-functional teams, in which they bring together people with different areas of expertise to address a problem. Bottom line: It is important to consider the scope of the problem to determine the criteria for virtual team membership.

You can start by establishing criteria for selecting team members. For example, a global IT virtual team in our study outlined the skill set necessary for success and then selected team members accordingly. While technical expertise in various IT areas was deemed important, the leader wanted to involve people who would work well autonomously yet who could also successfully collaborate with the rest of the team when needed.

Understanding the characteristics necessary for succeeding in a virtual environment is very important. While these characteristics may vary depending on a virtual team’s goals, the following checklist can be used to help select virtual team members and leaders.

A Good Virtual Team Leader

Delegates work and responsibilities effectively; trusts others to achieve goals Implements processes to effectively monitor work (e.g., checks in without micromanaging, has strong project management skills)
Effectively manages conflict
Is comfortable working in an unstructured environment
Demonstrates strong communication and management skills (e.g., provides clear direction and is responsive)
Inspires people to achieve results
Effectively recognizes and rewards others
Provides coaching and feedback to others; supports others
Appropriately consults and engages others when making decisions
Holds others accountable for meeting commitments

A Good Virtual Team Member

Demonstrates a high level of motivation
Effectively communicates with others (e.g., reaches out to others for help and proactively shares information with others)
Effectively collaborates with others
Is comfortable working in an unstructured environment
Is able to operate autonomously to achieve goals/objectives
Is self-disciplined
Is proficient with technology
Efficiently uses time and resources to carry out objectives
Resolves work-related problems quickly
Takes full accountability for decisions, actions, and performance

#NextChat Recap: “What’s Holding Women Back?”

2012-05-24T13:17:53+00:00

We Know Next conducted an eye-opening #NextChat discussion on May 23 about "What’s Holding Women Back" with special guest Laurie Ruettimann.

The conversation took many turns as participants exchanged opinions about generational attitudes toward women in the C-suite. They questioned whether organizations with women at the helm had greater workplace flexibility and agreed that moving the needle forward would require more companies to learn how to think outside the “manbox.” Would more senior men sponsor talented women in their organizations if their bonuses depended on it? Or have all the training videos on sexual harassment caused men to keep their distance?

Every organization is responsible for creating inclusive cultures and talent management strategies that identify opportunities to advance women leaders. Those that don’t will ultimately suffer from a mediocre talent pipeline as their star players move on to better opportunities.

In case you missed it, there are more great chats ahead. Please join us at 3 p.m. ET on June 6 for #NextChat with special guest, Next Official Blogger Susan Avello (@SusanAvello). Stay tuned for more details.

Until then, here are some highlights from this week's chat:

Thought Leader Q&A With Dan Rockwell: The Secret to Being a Great Leader

2012-05-23T17:00:27+00:00

Career Development: An Ongoing Maintenance Program

2012-05-23T12:48:22+00:00

During the economic downturn and continuing post-recession there has been an increased need for career development programs and services as individuals who were laid-off, some after many years in one career, found themselves faced with an uncertain future. Many began the often challenging task of re-assessing and creating new career patterns and determining how to integrate their work style, their personal needs, their values, and their sense of self as they planned for their future.

Some individuals were fortunate in that they continued to work for organizations who structured internal career progress for their employees, providing assistance as employees managed their careers, including growth and succession opportunities. And other workers, whether receiving this kind of support from their organizations or not, have always maintained a watchful eye on their careers – regularly checking under the hood and performing ‘maintenance’ - keeping their skills sharp and up-to-date, networking and building strong relationships, and continuously being aware of their personal goals and aspirations.

Oftentimes, when we toss about the term “Career Development,” we envision white-collar or professional employees, whether they’re starting out in their field or have hit a mid-career snag. The need for career development and planning, however, applies to others who many times we don’t consider: individuals with disabilities, low-income workers, and single parents who are sometimes the first in their families to hold steady employment.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the years speaking at Job Readiness Workshops or meeting one-on-one with folks who fall into these latter groups, and I’ve assisted through groups such as Louisiana Rehabilitation Services, the U.S. Business Leadership Network, Dress for Success, and local non-profits that work with single parents.

While the educational levels, desired salary and earning potential may vary amongst the job seekers mentioned thus far, all of them can benefit from evaluating some basic items as they ponder issues related to personal career development.

Whether I’ve had conversations with workshop attendees, job seekers or even my own employees, I’ve encouraged everyone to begin by asking themselves the following five questions:

What interests and motivates me? Am I energized by working with the public or does it exhaust me? Would I enjoy working out doors or perhaps doing something that requires mechanical or technical prowess? Am I interested in travel or long hours, or do I want to work a strict 8 – 5 schedule?
What am I good at? What are some of the unique skills or personality traits that I bring to the workforce? Do I have a realistic understanding of my job readiness in regards to the basics - reading, writing, math and my technology skills? And if I work in a fast-moving field, is my skill set up-to-date?
What can I do that will blend these two together? What type of organization/industry and what type of job will allow me to do what I’m good at – and what I like to do?
How will I take charge of my own journey? Finding a job is but the first step, so what are some things I will be responsible for doing to stay on the right path? What skills will I need to further develop, perhaps on my own and at my own expense, as the years progress? What is my end goal and do I have a plan to get there?
How will I manage my career into the future? How will I continue to juggle and balance the challenges that everyone faces – work, family and personal needs? Am I prepared to handle conflicting demands and do I have personal resilience as well as a good support system?

Whether someone is starting out or starting over, the first step of any career development planning starts with the individual. But just as when we drive a newly purchased car off the lot, we need to make a commitment if we want to keep our career running at peak level by performing regular, ongoing maintenance.

Training & Development: Why More Employers Will Be Off the Hook

2012-05-22T12:48:29+00:00

Eighty percent of learning in the workplace is informal, according to Jay Cross and a number of other researchers. That means that 20 percent of the learning is formal, structured training, organized, funded and required by employers.

Think about it. When your boss gives you a new task with no instruction or direction, you will likely turn to a coworker or search engine to guide you. In certain environments, particularly professional services (consulting), you are likely to be challenged in this manner several times a week, if not daily.

Also, when it comes to cross-functional groups within the workplace, we learn from peers who work in different functions by listening to the way they solve their slice of the problem in the project, as well as by their actions in key situations. We take that new knowledge and apply it, sometimes subconsciously, to future projects and roles.

As HR teams consider and assess learning functions within their organizations, they must factor in the digital component to learning, particularly in organizations with large employee bases. It’s also important that HR professionals realize that they will likely not be able to keep up with the learning required to keep every employee properly trained to industry standards and demand. With this in mind, some organizations will have to realize that search engines, blogs, and collaboration portals will likely fulfill the learning needs for most of your employees 80 percent of the time.

Why?

Speed - Time is money, and Google’s algorithms get it right most of the time. And chat is quicker than reading a book or pamphlet.
Error Recovery - When Google gets it wrong, just reword the query.
On-Demand coaching - Peers can provide coaching and support while educating, online and in-person.
Neapolitan results - Depending on the challenge, there’s likely several approaches from credible sources online.
Embarrassment Avoidance - No one looks stupid on a search engine or on a portal. (Some people really are afraid of looking incompetent and won’t ask a peer or manager.)

What does it mean for HR?

Research your employees. Before investing in any learning approach, most organizations should actually study how their employees learn across multiple functions. Whether through ethnography, interviews, or college campus visits (for future planning), build an understanding of YOUR organization. Secondary research and previous experience can only take an HR professional so far in unearthing realized and unrealized learning needs specific to their company.
Plan to teach your employees how to fish. HR professionals should be looking at ways to teach employees resourcefulness versus teaching leadership and/or hard skills. The organization of the future will be looking for employees who are resourceful enough to get in front of problems by way of their own (or borrowed) ingenuity.
Build learning platforms, not modules. Most learning managers tend to think in courses and modules, which works for the organization of yesterday. Today, we should be creating learning platforms that truly become a resource year-round. From collaboration to knowledge-sharing to employee-led social interactions, let informal learning have a formal place within your learning structure.

Six Ways to Prevent Becoming An Accidental Leader

2012-05-21T12:22:46+00:00

The mind-boggling stories of unintentional leadership breathe color into every headline. From the Coach of the New Orleans Saints to John Edwards to the “improper conduct” of HP and Best Buy CEOs, it is almost difficult to be surprised anymore.

Each incident, however, is exacting an additional toll on leadership, forcing the rest of us leaders to stay vigilant to the power we wield.

Here are two irritating examples of accidental leadership creating missed opportunity to intentionally lead:

Lady Gaga’s Missed Opportunity

Superstar Lady Gaga has protested against cruelty to animals. (even wearing a dress made out of bologna to make her point!) She wears head-turning outfits, has spoken out against eating disorders, and written songs advocating for people to be who they were born to be. As a result, garnering an enormous following.

So when she recently tweeted to her followers: "Killed it in a double spin class. Eating a salad dreaming of a cheeseburger. Rock stars don’t eat," we can only assume that she forgot that she was born this way. Worse yet, she forgot that her every move influences theirs.

The Yahoo in the CEO of Yahoo

Scott Thompson the CEO of Yahoo embellished his resume about his education, allowed the inaccuracies to remain, and upon being caught, lofted a feeble apology. He forgot that thousands of employees were watching his every move. How could he possibly expect them to act with integrity and veracity when he didn’t?

Social Cognitive Theory

Here’s the reality. If you lead anyone, even your kids, they are watching you. According to “social cognitive theory,” people watch their leaders’ actions and behaviors to shape their own. They are influenced by what they observe. They take note of how you, their leader, act and react in every situation. They then mold their own actions off of yours. So remember you really are on candid camera.

Accidental vs. Intentional Leadership

When we intentionally lead, we role model our expectations for the people who follow us. When we accidentally lead, we forget that people are watching, choosing instead to take actions that are self-serving and event recalcitrant. Accidental leadership is a missed opportunity to make a difference with a position of power. Intentional leadership is elevating the importance of our actions, cognizant that we must simultaneously execute as a manager and guide as a leader.

Manage Up, Lead Down

While certain titles naturally signal a call to manage others, there is an opportunity to lead. The challenge lies in direction that we manage and lead. The key to intentional leadership is to relentlessly manage people above, freeing us to lead the people below to greatness. Only then do we make the most of our position of power.

Leaders Who Get It

Peyton Manning, the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts who upon being cut by the Colts called every reporter in town to express his appreciation for their great coverage of him on the team.
Former University of Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber who upon being fired purchased a billboard in town to thank the great Illini fans for their support over nine years.
Tony Hsieh who pledged $350 million to regentrify downtown Las Vegas by developing and building a small city neighborhood for the emerging creative class.
Howard Schultz of Starbucks who began moving all manufacturing back to the United States because he believes in the American workforce.
Bill Gates who used his enormous wealth to set up the world’s largest foundation to do good in the world.

6 Ways You Can Remember to Model the Behavior You Want to See in Others

Reverse Mentoring: By allowing someone younger or lower on the corporate ladder contribute to us by sharing their wisdom, we engage in “reverse mentoring.” In this relationship, we are seeking their insights into and perspective on our leadership.
Boomerang Assessment: Assess the people around you. Which of their behaviors and actions displease you? Now consider if any of them were modeled after you. Further, identify your missed opportunities to influence different behaviors and actions with your own.
Monthly Pulse: Every month take one direct or indirect report to lunch promising them unrestricted freedom to be honest. Putting defenses and judgment aside, ask them the tough questions about your leadership.
The Headlines Test: How would you feel if you made headlines tomorrow for your actions today?
The 5-Minute Replay: At the end of each day, take 5-minutes to mentally replay your performance, interactions, and decisions. Are you happy with your actions and reactions? Would you be thrilled if your people behaved similarly?
The 10-year-old Reality Check: Pretend your 10-year-old is following you into that meeting. Do you want them watching you, taking your actions and reactions to the playground? Your kids will parrot you, mimic your actions. How proud will that make you?

Your Opportunity

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of corrupt, duplicitous, egocentric, self-serving people in positions of power. Fortunately, there is an opportunity for you to intentionally redefine leadership, to influence others with your sincerity, veracity, commitment, and dedication, to lead intentionally instead of accidentally, and to make a difference where others fail.

#NextChat: What’s Holding Women Back?

2012-05-18T14:05:20+00:00

According to the latest research from McKinsey & Company, while 53 percent of new workers entering the workforce are female, only 3 percent of CEOs are women. Complicating this statistic are individuals and organizations who limit women’s ability to advance in their careers due to outdated attitudes and limited -- if not zero -- workplace flexibility.

Jack Welch once said, "There's no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences." Do you agree with Jack?

Women can -- and should – stay in the game by thinking about their purpose, what is meaningful to them at work and the contributions they are making.

Please join us for #NextChat on May 23 at 3 p.m. ET with special guest, HR and Social Media Strategist, Laurie Ruettimann (@lruettimann). We'll explore the issues facing women in the workplace and ask for your thoughts on the following questions:

Q1. Are men’s attitudes about women in C-Suite a generational issue and do younger men have less of a problem with it than older men?

Q2. Is there a double standard in the workplace that allows men to be brash and direct but not women? How can workplaces resolve this dichotomy?

Q3. Do companies with more women in top leadership roles have more flexible workplace cultures?

Q4. What can companies do to encourage more senior men to be sponsors of talented women in their organizations?

Q5. How can women stay engaged after constant setbacks in trying to climb the corporate ladder?

Q6. What can women (and businesses that support women) do to help push the needle forward?

HR Can Help Second-Generation Family Business Leaders Succeed

2012-05-17T14:58:41+00:00

When she was the director of organizational development at a family-run auto parts manufacturer employing 3,000 workers, Amy Schuman had an odd experience.

“I remember when the 10-year-old son of the owner came to lunch at the cafeteria one day. Suddenly, you got the sense that he could be your boss,” she said in an interview with SHRM Online.

As disconcerting as it might be to run into your future supervisor while he’s still a child, HR professionals can help ease the leadership transition from one generation to the next by making sure that upcoming presidents and CEOs have the necessary skills to run the business and that the outgoing leaders are making good choices based on the company’s business needs—and not just the parents’ heartstrings.

Incoming second-generation leaders face different hurdles than their predecessors, according to experts from the Chicago-based Family Business Consulting Group. Where the first-generation founder of the company might enjoy the loyalty and respect of the company’s workers and their own children, the incoming leader is going to have to work to earn that trust—even if he or she does things the same way as the preceding generation.

“When the leader is chosen, [the other siblings working or having ownership stakes in the company] want them to lead the way mom or dad led,” said Otis Baskin, Ph.D., consultant with the Family Business Consulting Group, in a March 2012 webinar. “But as soon as [the leader] makes the first decision the way the parent would have done, there’s pushback from the other siblings. They know you’re not mom or dad. No one can lead that way again.”

Building up skills, trust and rapport with the company’s workers can stave off some of that pushback, said Schuman, now a principal with the Family Business Consulting Group. Long before the new leader takes his or her place in the corner office, the company’s HR leaders can help young family members find ways to be leaders in their schools or community, talking about what skills will be needed to guide the company in the future, creating a career development plan and bringing them into the office to shadow their parent.

Encourage the first-generation leader to “model the leadership behavior you want them to have,” said Kent Rose, Ph.D., with the Family Business Consulting Group. “That will impact them most strongly.”

HR can take the lead with the family in developing policies that incorporate the family’s values and will help select the best next leader, Schuman said—and HR might have to be the one that enforces those policies.

“Set up objective criteria before” the next leader must be chosen, Schuman said. “Have everyone agree that family members [who want to run the business] must be qualified.” And then help the family stick to its policies and guidelines to achieve the best outcome for the business, she added. This can be especially challenging when family members begin making decisions out of sentiment, rather than business savvy.

“You can remind them, ‘I know this is hard, but for several years, you’ve said you want to make employment choices that do not jeopardize the business. You may be doing so through this choice of your son or daughter,” Schuman said.

HR can help other family members find their places in the company, even if they are not the president or CEO, Schuman said. In addition, she said HR can serve as a trusted advisor, communicating, as appropriate, information about the business to family members who might not be involved in the day-to-day operations but who still have financial interests.

Twice the Work, Big Rewards

On their way to the top, incoming leaders might realize they are challenged not just by family members but also by co-workers. Eric Oppenheim, SPHR, COO of Republic Foods Inc. in Bethesda, Md., started working in his father’s company in 1997. At that time, the company—which owns 19 Burger King restaurants in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region—lacked an HR department. Oppenheim, who was working in the hotel industry, was tasked with starting up the HR function. But he had no HR experience.

Not only did Oppenheim earn his master’s degree in organizational development and HR, he also took classes to learn how to manage the restaurants and oversee operations to build credibility with other employees and restaurant managers in the group. He learned that he had to work to change people’s perception of him.

His father “was very concerned at that time about how I was perceived by others in the organization,” Oppenheim said. Gaining employees’ trust “took longer than I thought it would. They had watched me grow up, I knew them, I’m likable. But in the working environment, people started to think I was a threat to them and their livelihood. …People want to see you fail. They assume you have advantages you don’t have.”

Knowing the business inside and out and “working two times harder than anyone else in the organization” are proving to his colleagues that Oppenheim has earned the right to lead alongside his father, he said. “Every day, I had to prove I was worthy of it and would work harder to get there.”

To be successful, said Baskin, second-generation leaders have to make sure that they sell their ideas to their employees, respect their family members, listen to their families and employees, and communicate their company’s vision as a rallying point. The second generation won’t be the same as the first, but that’s a good thing, Baskin said: “You have to be open to change. Children are different from their parents, and business needs change.”

Oppenheim, who is part of the Labor Relations Special Expertise Panel for the Society for Human Resource Management, encouraged HR professionals to make sure that second-generation leaders “outwork” other company leaders. Warn them that “it’s a long process to earn credibility and trust. [Tell upcoming leaders] to keep an open mind and learn all you can. Go in with a mind-set that you don’t know much and learn from your own people.”

At the end of each day, though, Oppenheim said, “I appreciate the fact that I get to work with my dad. When it’s gone, I’ll look back and cherish it.”

Beth Mirza is senior editor for HR News. She can be reached at Beth.Mirza@shrm.org. To read the original article, please click here.

#Nextchat Recap: Creating Generational Engagement with Reverse Mentoring

2012-05-16T23:12:29+00:00

"Every generation needs a new revolution.” – Thomas Jefferson

On May 16 at 3 p.m. ET, We Know Next conducted a lively and insightful #NextChat discussion on "Creating Generational Engagement with Reverse Mentoring" with Next Official Blogger, Microsoft's Ross Smith and his reverse mentor Prem Kumar.

Ross and Prem shared their experiences with reverse mentoring and explained how leaders should think differently about managing multiple age groups.

Reverse mentoring helps to remove stereotypes. It also increases employee engagement, trust and collaboration. As Ross tweeted, "It's all about exposure to different thinking, which helps spark creativity and innovation for all."

Does your company have a reverse mentor program in place? If not, take a look at the tweets below and get some tips on how you can begin to break down the generational silos at your organization.

In case you missed it, there are more great chats ahead. Please join us on May 23 at 3 p.m. ET, for #NextChat with special guest, Next Official Blogger and "Cynical Girl" Laurie Ruettimann for an enlightening discussion on "What's Holding Women Back?"

Until then, here are some highlights from this week's chat:

View the story "#Nextchat Recap: Creating Generational Engagement with Reverse Mentoring" on Storify

Are you a “people developer” or just a “red pen”?

2012-05-16T12:57:18+00:00

Michael was a Director at a medium-sized company. A self-proclaimed perfectionist, he had equally high expectations of his direct reports. He began with the company when they were first formed and had the luxury of hiring and training his own team. Like so many young leaders, he struggled with delegation. Michael was a work horse. He could crank out work like nobody’s business, and many times, found it easier to do things himself rather than engage the team he had hired. His team of professionals was relegated to less than fulfilling work for much of the time.

When he did let go and assign a project to his capable team, they were thrilled. The team would fly into a flurry of activity and enthusiastically complete the assignment. Michael would review their work and the “red pen” would come out. He wasn’t pleased with their staff work, so he would grab a red pen and begin to edit and edit and edit and edit. He would share with me how shocked he was with the "quality of their work "and comment this was precisely the reason he preferred to do all of the project work himself. Once Michael finished with his editing, he’d hand the work back to the team. Completely demoralized, they would make the necessary "corrections" and return the product to Michael. Now, he was satisfied.

So, what’s wrong with providing your team constructive feedback? Nothing, if it is done well.

You see, Michael wouldn’t give much in the way of guidance when he’d give an assignment to his employees. Instead, he would communicate just enough to give the team the sense they understood what was being asked of them; however, never enough for them to be successful. What was always interesting was the fact Michael thought he was a very strong communicator. He’d make reference to his communication skills quite often, in fact. To Michael, he provided more than sufficient guidance.

In addition to a lack of communication, Michael had difficulty realizing that no one on his team was going to be a miniature version of him. I find it interesting, just how many leaders struggle in this area. He expected a work product that looked exactly what he would have put together, rather than stepping back to consider whether the end goal was accomplished. Did it really matter how his team got there? To Michael, the answer to that question was “yes”.

So, how do you ensure that you’re providing your team sufficient information to be successful and yet giving them creative license to learn and grow? Does the path the team chooses to take as they successfully complete a project have to be yours or one they are comfortable with? Are you offering a safe environment or one where it is only safe to take on projects in the manner in which they believe you would have done it?

My advice to you is that you take your team’s training wheels off and watch how far they can go.

THE DEVIL DOESN’T ONLY WEAR PRADA

2012-05-15T12:43:11+00:00

We all know that powerful women face Catch-22s. When Donald Trump exercises control, he is in control. When Martha Stewart exercises control, she is controlling. Same behaviors; different labels.

A lot has been written about these Catch-22s. Less has been written on how women with power can handle them.

Here are three of the many Catch-22s women with power face and my suggestions for how to navigate them.

1. Ice Queen

Women who maintain emotional control are sometimes described as Ice Queens. Of course, those who demonstrate emotion may be equally criticized.

I once had a male client scream at me about how an emotional woman working for him was making him nuts. I was glad he was not emotional.

It's okay to show passion, compassion and emotion. Just make sure that it's in the framework of control.

Indeed, consider getting ahead of the curve. Whether you are male or female, educate your team on the importance of emotional intelligence.

And don't react to fears of being perceived as too emotional by being non-emotional. That goes too far, unless you want your subordinates to wear winter coats in August.

Ice Kings and Queens are not likely to inspire passionate followers. But subordinates tend to be tougher on the queens than the kings.

2. Tough

Women with power who are simply as tough as men are sometimes described as tough in either a disparaging way (“bitch”) or with surprise (“wow, is she tough”). What were you expecting from the COO: a shoulder to cry on?

Of course, if a woman is more collaborative, she may hear that she is not tough enough. Why can’t she make a decision on her own? Why does she need so much buy in?

Whether male or female, you need to be tough to lead. And, regardless of gender, being strong is not inconsistent with being collaborative.

But, for women, this can be a more difficult balance in the eyes of the beholder. Same behaviors may produce different responses.

People continue to tune in to hear The Donald say “You’re fired.” People tuned out when The Martha said the same thing (in a less direct way).

Be strong. And that doesn’t mean out-toughing Cro Magnon man.

Be collaborative. But be clear that you will make the decision (when it is your decision) and be decisive when you do.

3. Anger

When men are angry, they're often seen as powerful. Anger is a very powerful emotion if coming from a Y chromosome. When women are angry, they are sometimes viewed as one step away from Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction.

There are times when you should be angry. But recognize the double standard and be careful that the anger be focused on what was done and less on how you feel about it. Contrary to therapeutic advice, keep the focus on actions and not on feelings.

Related, when men complain, they push. When women complain, they sometimes are labeled “whiners.” Don't get me wrong: incessant whiners, regardless of gender, are irritating.

But women often are judged more harshly when they complain so be careful when and how.

Compare: “I am so mad I was excluded from the meeting” with “Glad to be here. I’m sure you simply forgot to include me.”

Of course, not all women face all (or even some) of these or other stereotypes. And, where they exist, they tend to be subtle pastels rather than the fluorescent lines I have painted to make the point.

The devil does not only wear Prada. How easy it would be if it were that simple.

Where these stereotypes exist, they are often the product of unconscious bias and sometimes hard to detect. Women with power need to deal with them consciously. But, they do not need to go it alone.

There are plenty of progressive (and secure) men who do not hold these stereotypes. To suggest that a progressive (white) male is an oxymoron is also an unfair and untrue stereotype.

THIS BLOG SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE, PERTAINING TO SPECIFIC FACTUAL SITUATION OR ESTABLISHING AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP.

Jason Lauritsen: The First Flaw of Employee Engagement

2012-05-14T17:58:39+00:00

Bringing Empathy Back

2012-05-14T12:21:04+00:00

We are pretty good at knowing what our point of view is (and we are pretty good at thinking highly of our point of view). We are also good at knowing when someone disagrees with our delightful point of view. We are not quite so good at understanding why they disagree with us.

The value of diversity is not just that it gives us more options — it actually gives us the opportunity to create new options. Seeking a broad range of perspectives and ideas is not just about amassing the largest pool to choose from (though that has value); it also gives us the opportunity to recombine and synthesize — to create new options out of those that are already in place.

If I’m asking you to paint a picture and I slap some yellow paint on your palette, your choices are pretty limited. You can paint with yellow. That’s it. If I add some blue paint to your palette, now you get to choose between yellow and blue.

And.

You can also put them together.

Having two colors to choose from does not limit you to two choices, because you can mix them together and create a third choice — and even a broad range of shades in between.

Powerful stuff.

I think that when it comes to sharing our perspectives and ideas we generally struggle to go bigger and better than simply picking “the best one.” We struggle to explore the messy middle where your idea is informed by my idea and then is flipped on its head by another idea and something completely new emerges.

The ability to do this requires some empathy. We have to work toward understanding where the person with a different perspective is coming from. Do I understand why they have the perspective that they do?

The next time that you are in a disagreement with someone, try this: Try to take the third chair perspective.

Ask yourself if you can step back from the conversation and explain both points of view clearly and coherently. If you cannot do that, then you probably do not yet fully understand that other person’s point of view. You still have some listening to do, some questions to ask.

Be good to each other.

Wanted: Mind Reader/Magician

2012-05-11T12:16:13+00:00

You probably recall the dust-up in April after it was revealed that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) hired a clown and a mind reader to entertain some of its employees at a conference. Among the mind reader’s services was giving a GSA employee a message from Beyond from the employee’s dead dog. The scandal prompted the head of the agency to resign.

That dust had barely settled when another federal agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was found to be advertising for a magician to wow attendees at its conference. The magician was supposed to be talking about the magic of change management, but the ad disappeared in a Washington minute, so we’ll never know whether that involved transmuting dimes into quarters.

Many people have questioned whether these are wise expenditures—particularly because the services were to be paid for with our tax dollars. In an election year, no less. They might be better than the trouble that the Secret Service stirred up down in Colombia, maybe. We hold our government agency leaders to very high standards.

But, just for the sake of argument, let’s consider the merits of engaging clowns, mind readers and magicians for certain leadership-related exercises. Not in government, but in the private sector. Might there be some merit?

I’m not a fan of clowns, and I have a real problem with street mimes. I suspect many business leaders share my aversion, and I imagine that few likely would have the patience to sit though a mime’s act without growling “spit it out!” and “get to the point!” So they don’t make the cut.

But mind readers might add another dimension to the business world. I can see hiring one for a leadership retreat, or perhaps even taking one on as a consultant. Consider the bane of many a CEO’s existence: the Board Meeting. Why not bring in a mind reader, under the cover of an up-and-coming CFO or an intern. She or he could text the CEO with insights about which board members want to slash the budget or seem determined to can the CEO. Knowing what others are thinking could be da bomb in merger/acquisition talks. And anyone’s Facebook password would be yours for the taking—not that I recommend it.

I think that a mind reader could help business leaders improve employee engagement. Those periodic engagement surveys are valuable, but someone with ESP could provide more granular results. It would certainly help HR to know that Fred is melting down because there is no more hazelnut coffee in the break room, that Janet is copying her resume on the third floor and that Andrew would be willing to take a pay cut to transfer out of accounting.

Magicians could bring additional skill sets to the private sector. Having trouble with that monthly or quarterly financial report? Abracadabra! Budget balanced. Facing the miserable task of having to lay off 10 percent of staff? Shazam! Several disaffected employees suddenly decide that they need to spend more time with their families, or leave to pursue an exciting new business venture with a Nigerian businessman they met online. Just make sure that the magicians stay away from extreme acts such as making a person disappear and sawing a lady in half; the Family and Medical Leave Act and health care reform law are hard enough to administer without these complications.

I concede that there might be drawbacks to these innovations. Through mind reading, leaders might inadvertently discover legally protected personal genetic information or might have to face the fact that half the company simply hates their guts. More likely, however, is the possibility that our employees--and maybe even our shareholders--might come to expect us to pull rabbits out of hats on a regular basis, setting expectations so high that it would be almost impossible to deliver on a consistent basis.

So even if “magician” and “mind reader” become standard job descriptions in corporate America over the next few years, we must keep in mind that there are no true shortcuts to the hard work of leadership. If we really want to know what our employees are thinking, we should talk to them and listen to them. And develop their skills and opportunities. Understanding the changing needs of our workforces, and demonstrating that we recognize that our employees’ success is tied to our organizations’ success, is the neatest trick.

But don’t throw out that straitjacket yet. You never know when it might come in handy.

Career Counseling Must Connect Dots Between Skills, Available Jobs

2012-05-10T12:16:32+00:00

An April 23, 2012, Associated Press report revealed some troubling information regarding job opportunities for the Class of 2012. It said that half of recent college graduates are jobless or underemployed in positions that don’t use their skills and knowledge fully.

The figures were based on 2011 U.S. Census data analyzed by Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University.

While there are still many good job opportunities available for graduates with skills in sciences, technology, education and health care, prospects are dimmer for arts and humanities majors as well as those with other liberal arts degrees. It’s clear that picking a course of study that’s in demand in the workforce is more important than ever.

This, however, is not always easy for a typical 18-year-old. For many, college is the place where young adults first discover their skills, and there are countless young people who aren’t sure what to do when they’ve finished their studies after four (or more) years of collegiate studies. That is not to say that students should be forced into certain courses of study. But many experts agree that stepped-up career counseling is needed to help connect education with career prospects.

Career Counseling, Not College, Being Scrutinized

An April 19, 2012, survey report titled Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers, commissioned by university and business leaders convened by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and Educational Testing Service (ETS), calls for such changes in graduate education’s link to the workforce. Results of surveyed students show that only slightly more than one-third of them believe that they had received “as much information as needed” to understand their career options prior to entering graduate school.

The report also noted that employers should “enhance and expand collaborative relationships” with their higher education counterparts and that many students still don’t have a firm grasp of the job opportunities available to them.

“To date, there has been little research to identify whether graduate students understand the relationship between their studies and future career options,” said Cathy Wendler, principal director of research at ETS and co-author of the report. “If we can illuminate career pathways, we will ensure that students have a map or framework within which to make informed choices, employers will understand key factors integral to employee and employer success and universities will be able to adapt and improve programs to better meet workforce demands.”

“Simply put, we’re failing kids coming out of college. We’re going to need a lot better job growth and connections to the labor market,” Sum told the Associated Press, emphasizing that when it comes to jobs, a college major can make all the difference.

Combine that with a labor market that has experienced steady but unspectacular growth in early 2012, and the immediate future looks cloudy for some college graduates. But this speaks more to the selection of a major that is in high demand for jobs than to dismissing the value of a college education altogether.

The positive link between college degree attainment and employment and income levels is stronger than ever. From 2010 to 2020, 17 of the 30 occupations projected to have the fastest employment growth will need some type of postsecondary education for entry into the occupation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Only three of the 30 occupations projected to have the largest employment declines during that time are classified as needing postsecondary education for entry.

More proof that students should forge ahead in the classroom after high school: In October 2011, unemployment rates for young men and women with at least a bachelor’s degree was 9.5 percent and 8.0 percent, respectively, according to an April 19, 2012, BLS report on college enrollment. Jobless rates for those without a high school diploma were 19.7 percent for young adult men and 31.2 percent for young adult women.

That same report said that in October 2011, 68.3 percent of 2011 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges and universities, not far from the record high of 70.1 percent set in October 2009.

Will the job market provide more opportunities for those students when they finish college in 2015? It will require not only a stronger economy overall, but also better coordination between academic institutions and the private sector, in order to match students’ skills with the types of jobs that will be in demand at that time.

Executive Book Club: MAY 2012

2012-05-09T17:35:07+00:00

As a professional, your reputation is your most valuable career asset. Whether you're climbing the ladder at your current company or seeking a new job, in today's fast-paced work environment, you must proactively and continuously position yourself for success. Your credibility, visibility, personality, and personal style all make up your brand. Build and nurture your personal brand and you'll make yourself a must-have in ANY company.

Career Distinction, written by, William Arruda and Kristen Dixson, outlines the proven personal branding process and provides case studies of successful professionals that will help you not only survive, but thrive, in today's dynamic and ultracompetitive workplace. You'll learn to manage your brand with innovative tools that enable you to differentiate yourself and stand out from your peers. In this definitive step-by-step guide, career and personal brand management experts Arruda and Dixson show you how to:

Brand yourself for career success
Determine how others perceive you
Develop your unique value proposition
Define your target audience
Tell your brand story
Express yourself clearly and consistently
Build and manage your online identity
Stay on-message and on-brand every day
Increase your career karma

The increasing pace of change in the business world gives you less time than ever to make your professional mark. Career Distinction demonstrates how to express who you are and the value you bring to your organization branding you as an indispensable, memorable, and unique professional. Success takes more than just hard work; brand yourself and watch your career soar.

"Hands down, this book is the bible on branding for your career!"
— Susan Britton Whitcomb, author of Job Search Magic

For more information on Career Distinction or to purchase from The SHRMStore, click here.