A Business Week article listed 20 of the most common behaviors or bad habits – complied by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, that can hinder an aspiring manager or professional from moving up. Whether you’re a leader today or want to be one tomorrow, take heed.

Which of these apply to you? If you’re not sure, then ask others for feedback.

1. Winning too much. The need to win at all costs and in all situations—when it matters, when it doesn’t, and when it’s totally beside the point.
2. Adding too much value. The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion.
3. Passing judgment. The need to rate others and impose our standards on them.
4. Making destructive comments. The needless sarcasms and cutting remarks that we think make us sound sharp and witty.
5. Starting with “no,” “but,” or “however”. The overuse of these qualifiers, which secretly say to everyone, “i’m right. you’re wrong.”
6. Telling the world how smart we are.  The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are.
7. Speaking when angry.  Using emotional volatility as a management tool.
8. Negativity.  The need to share our negative thoughts, even when we weren’t asked.
9. Withholding information.  The refusal to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others.
10. Failing to give proper recognition.  The inability to praise and reward.
11. Claiming credit we don’t deserve . The most annoying way to overestimate our contribution to any success.
12. Making excuses.  The need to reposition our annoying behavior as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.
13. Clinging to the pas. t The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past; a subset of blaming everyone else.
14. Playing favorites.  Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.
15. Refusing to express regret.  The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we’re wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.
16. Not listening.  The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.
17. Failing to express gratitude.  The most basic form of bad manners.
18. Punishing the messenger.  The misguided need to attack the innocent, who are usually only trying to protect us.
19. Passing the buck  The need to blame everyone but ourselves.
20. An excessive need to be “me”.  Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they exemplify who we are.

Take Action:

Pick one behavior or bad habit you can change right now?   What specific action can you take to make this change? What supports do you have or will need to succeed? What potential obstacles  may get in the way? How will you deal with them?

Career Success Tip:

Most leaders fail not by a lack of skill or intelligence but by their interpersonal skills – how they deal with others. Also see Career Intelligence Part 1, What’s Your Career Success IQ? and 5 Career Killers for High Achievers.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post Watch Out For These Bad Habits: They Can Stop Your Career appeared first on Career Management.

Unfortunately, your boss is busy dealing with a the latest crisis. As a result, she forgets to show any gratitude to you and the other high performers.

Working hard and getting ignored by your boss can be rough. That’s why you sometimes have to take matters into your own hands. Boasting of your own accomplishments can feel awkward. But look at it this way: If your boss doesn’t notice your hard work, and you don’t point it out to her, then how will she know you’re ready for that promotion or if you can handle that huge-but-fascinating project?

Things don’t have to be like that. Here’s how to build your reputation and get the recognition you deserve without looking like an attention seeker.

Step One: Decide What You Want

There are many types of recognition, so decide what type you want because everyone wants something different. Companies often thank staff with awards, certificates, or bonuses. However, people often just want simple thank you. So, what exactly are you looking for? Do you want a simple “thank you” or an employee of the month designation or a bonus or

Step Two: Define Why You Deserve Praise

Don’t walk into your boss’s office with no advance preparation to say what a great job you’ve been doing. Rather make a list of the accomplishments you’d like to discuss. Beside each one, list the value that accomplishment has brought to the company. Be sure to make yourself look good, but also share credit where credit is due.

Step Three: Praise Yourself and Others

This is where you’ve got to get creative. You know your boss and your business environment, so think of ways to let her know of your value. Point out some of your key accomplishments from the list you developed.  Emphasize the importance of these accomplishments and how you and your co-workers could be recognized for this.

If this type of self promotion feels a little too much like bragging, then think of ways to let your boss know what you’re doing without being so obvious or bold. For example, send your boss an email every time you win a new account or when you’re finally able to please your company’s worst customer. These little “progress reports” keep your actions in the open in a delicate, not-too-obvious way.

Career Success Tip:

Although not everyone is comfortable talking about their accomplishments, you might harm yourself if you don’t speak up. If your boss doesn’t see the great work you’ve been doing, she might give that promotion or special project to someone else without knowing any better. It’s up to you to prove that you can handle the added responsibility and to do that, your boss has to know what you’ve already done. Also see My Success Portfolio and Build Your Reputation and Your Career.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post Getting the Recognition You Deserve appeared first on Career Management.

What usually happens is that we get all excited about changing something in our personal or professional lives. We truly want to change but then as I say “life and work  intervenes”. We get busy with other commitments.  And our hopes, dreams and goals get put on the back-burner. We say to ourselves, “let me just get through this crisis or project”  and then I’ll get back to it – whatever it is.

What Are Your Career Goals for 2013 provided  five strategies to achieve your goals whether you want to find a more satisfying job, make more money, get that promotions make a job change, push for that promotion or whatever. Here are an additional five strategies that actually get you moving and keep you moving towards what you want to achieve in 2013.

1. Stay forward-focused.

Too often we talk about what we don’t want but not about why we want it.  We want to lose weight, quit smoking, stop procrastinating, etc. These are great goals.  The problem is that unless we connect our goals to something is important to us, then we will likely not give it our full attention and commitment on a daily basis. So, for example, you want to quit procrastinating.  OK, Why? Is it because you get stressed out and worry about getting it right and on time. You may have a boss who’s  very detailed and expect things accurately and before the deadline. And you know that you want to be seen positively in her eyes because there’s an upcoming project you want to be the lead on.

So always connect your goals with the outcome you want and the importance of that outcome.

2. Take small daily actions.

So many good plans derail when we over-commit and under-deliver. To write a blog or a book, to lose 10 pounds or to stay ahead up to date on your tasks, then what can you do every day towards that goal. It could be setting aside 15 to 30 minutes every day to write or exercise, even if its walking around the block, or to create a to-do list first thing in the morning and setting aside “no interruption” time (s) to focus on these tasks.

3. Find an accountability partner.

This will supercharge your efforts. Daily or weekly check-ins have keep many high performing  professionals and leaders moving ahead for years. The best example is   the executive coach Marshall Goldsmith and his long term friend who have connected by phone every evening no matter where they were. They each asked each other key questions about their goals. It truly does “keep you honest” and motivated.

4. Don’t run away from the possibility of failing.

Fear of failure is the greatest single obstacle to success in life. But here’s the kicker, it’s not failure that holds us back – it’s the fear of failure -it’s the anticipation of failure. We may tell ourselves:: “If I do this and fail, I’ll look dumb; I’ll embarrass myself; I’ll disappoint; people will think I’m not competent or I’m a loser, etc.” So what? What’s the worst thing that can happen? Is it as bad as you think it would be? Check with others. We must look at failure as what it really is, a temporary setback and an opportunity to get it right the next time. Winners win more frequently than losers because they stay in the game.

5. Realize the power of optimism to bring about the changes you desire.

Visualize success, talk success, believe in your success. Expect success to happen. yes, challenges, disappointments, mistakes happen. The important things is to move on. Also stay away from negative people. If they’re not happy for themselves, they certainly can’t be happy for you.

Career Success Tip:

Success is more than working hard, being busy and burning a lot of energy. It’s a laser focus on what matters. So examine all your “to-do”s and pick the ones that count the most – the ones that can make a big difference in your life and career.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post Your Career Goals: Are You On Track or Side-Tracked? appeared first on Career Management.

Most of us do  – even extroverts like me. So don’t despair! Here are a few ninja skills to help you get over the “I don’t know what to say or do”.

1.  Make the first move .
Hand out, smile on, greeting ready. When you make the first move, you create some energy and put yourself in a confident position. It takes a little practice if you are uncomfortable doing it, but if you get good at it, then you start the conversation stronger and it makes small talk a little easier.

2.  Find common ground fast.
Common ground is some point of life intersection we seek with people we meet for the first time. Geography, education, hobbies, children, sport teams and many others make up the general opening topics of conversation. This is how we connect with people we do not know.  If you have nothing in common, then don’t feel bad about it. They know it too. Make your gracious exit.

3.  Make an impression, but don’t leave a mark.
If you let them speak 70% of the time, then you will be thought of as a courteous person good at conversation. The problem is people tend  go to opposite ends of the spectrum of word volume when they are nervous — too much or too little. If you want to make an impression, strive for the middle through questions and comments.

4.  Have three  good questions at the ready.
You have probably heard that people like to talk about themselves. So instead of worrying about what you will say to others about yourself, focus instead on finding out about the other person or the people in the group. Here are three categories of questions that will activate a conversation.

• Conversation starters: “What do you do? What area of______do you work in? or What made you decide to come to this event or what did you think of the presentation?”
• Observations of change: Ask the person what changes they have seen in a particular area of business, sports, movies or some other topic over the past year. This creates a conversation rather than an interrogation with monosyllabic answers.
• Future predictions: Ask the person what they believe will happen in the next year in a particular topic. Sports is usually safe and politics usually is risky.  But it really depends on the event and group. The point is to create dialogue and rapport – not disagreement or rancor.

5.  Plan your exit.
At a lull in the conversation when it is clear that the topics are exhausted, decide if you want to continue the relationship.  If not,  put out your hand and say, “It was a pleasure spending a few moments with you, I hope to see you again soon.”Then you simply move on in the room to other people. Or if you do,  conclude with what you’re going to do next such as “I‘ll send you the article we’ve been talking about” or “Let’s set up a time when we can get together to talk further.”

Career Success Tip:

In spite of seeming to have little useful purpose, small talk serves many functions. It helps develop positive relationships between friends, work colleagues and new acquaintances. It also paves the way before engaging in more functional topics of conversation with others. Therefore,  having skills for small talk will give you more confidence and get you through the discomfort. Also see Smart Networking and What’s Your Communication IQ?

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post Communication: Make Small Talk Big Talk appeared first on Career Management.

She requested career coaching to help her  start out right foot.  Here are 5 questions I suggested to help her  get to know the lay of the land and make a good first impression with her boss.

1.  What are your expectations?
Get clarity on a number of things right from the beginning.  It could include  flexible or strict working hours,  resources that will be provided, people you will be working with as well as your position tasks, responsibilities and authority.

2.  What’ are the top priorities for my job?
Oftentimes, bosses assign employees more work than they realize. Asking him or her upfront what takes precedence makes your boss choose among the many projects you may have been assigned,  This is important so you know how to budget your time. You want to know the top priorities and focus your time, energy and resources on these.

3. What are the department’s top priorities?
Figure out how to help him succeed in his job. If you understand what’s important to your boss, this will help you to meet and exceed his  expectations.  You also are striving, in the first weeks and months at your new job,  to confirm that he made the right hiring choice

4.  How will I and what will I be evaluated on?
It’s important to know how you and your boss will gauge your performance. You need to know what you’re working on matters and how your results will be measured. The more concrete information you have about performance expectations and outcomes, the greater the likelihood of meeting them.

5.  How do you prefer to communicate and how often?
Realize that bosses, like most people,  have different expectations in terms of frequency and method of communication.  Does the boss want you to check in every day, every week or only when a specific project is happening? Does he want you to swing by unannounced, make an appointment, send an e-mail or call first?.  So ask and adjust accordingly.

Career Success Tip:

Every boss is different and every company is different. Make sure you’re on the  same page  otherwise you’re in for a rude awakening . Therefore, when you first start a new job, always check your understanding and get feedback.

For example, after your boss has explained something to you, it’s beneficial to summarize what you’ve heard so that the boss knows what information you retained and can fill in the details where you may have missed something. You can say something like, “Let me see if I understand this correctly … am I missing anything? Also see Tips for Starting a New Job.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post New Job and New Boss: Get Off On The Right Foot appeared first on Career Management.

Whether you want to find a more satisfying job, make more money, get that promotions make a job change, push for that promotion or whatever, here are five strategies to make it happen.

1. Look back before looking forward.
Ask yourself: Did my job build me up in 2012? In the best case, a job gives us more than money and a place to go during working hours. Did your job build your resume, your contacts and your confidence in 2012? If so, great! But don’t get too satisfied. Can your job develop you further? If not, what’s your next step?

2.  Set goals that stretch and motivate you.
Write down three professional or personal goals for 2013 that can move or advance your career. If you can take one mini-step toward each goal this month (for instance, redoing your Linkedin Profile or redoing your resume you’ll feel as though you’re moving forward rather than standing still.

3.  Realize that relationships are critical for career success.
The first of the year is great for networking. If you have let your network languish a bit,  as many of us have, refresh it over the next 90 days! Write down the names of at least 10 people you want to connect with or catch up with. and then  reach out to them. How well are you using social media?

4.  Determine ‘brand you’ and sell it.
All too often, individuals don’t effectively market themselves when they’re searching for a new job or vying for a new position within their current company. Figure out what your strengths are, and exactly what you bring to the table. Do you have an elevator speech or “30-second commercial”? That’s a clear, succinct description of who you are and what you do (or are looking to do) should you meet someone who does not know you.

5.  Create a game plan and stick to it
What do you want from a career in 2013? Do you want a job that will be a better fit for your skills, values and ambitions? Or will getting a certification or advanced degree make you more competitive? Or do you want to have less stress and more balance in your work life? Whatever it is, make sure you have clear action steps with metrics or benchmarks to keep you on track.

Career Success Tip:

Periodically evaluate the progress of your game plan. Ask yourself these key questions:  Should I continue along this path? Alter it in some way? Or even move to a totally different path? Am I spending a sufficient amount of time dedicated to my career goals? Who can help me get to where I want to go?

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post What Are Your Career Goals For 2013? appeared first on Career Management.

You must add value. That means what you do contributes specifically to your organization’s bottom line. After all, you can work long and hard at counting paperclips – but unless counting paperclips somehow adds to your organization’s bottom line, all of that effort is likely to go unnoticed.

Start Having a Profit –Loss Outlook

Particularly now, organizations need to be lean and efficient. That means they want people who are doing things that create real bottom line value. They want contributors who will provide them with a return on their investment in them.

For salespeople, it’s relatively simple to measure how their work translates to the financial gains – sell more widgets and and increase profits. But for others, it’s not so clear. So, even if your work is far removed from directly generating revenue or decreasing costs, you should have a profit-and-loss outlook. Start by analyzing your job description. What is your job’s overall purpose? State this purpose in a way that relates to an element of the bottom line.

Examples:

• An accountant is responsible for delivering accurate timely financial reports to senior managers. But how does this add value? Senior managers are better able to make informed strategic choices about the right products and markets leading to revenue increases.
• A personal assistant is responsible for providing support services to an executive. So, how does this add value? It frees the executive from small or routine tasks, meaning that she can focus on making her business more efficient thereby lowering the cost of
• A warehouse manager is responsible for ensuring that all orders are shipped on time, and that goods are properly packaged. What value does this add? Customers are satisfied and therefore place more repeat orders, meaning that revenue increases.

Now It’s Your Turn

Start by thinking about profit and loss, regardless of your position, and question the value you add on a regular basis. Don’t assume that merely showing up for work and doing what’s expected will be enough to secure your success. With cutbacks or restructuring, you need to show that your work is well worth your compensation.

Career Success Tip:

Job security does not come from a title or position Rather it comes from the positive impact you have for your department, business unit or company. Developing an awareness and desire to help your organization run effectively as possible is key to your long-term career success. Also see Company Re-organizaton: How to Stay Employed and Don’t Get Caught Up in the Peter Principle.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post What’s Important to an Employer? appeared first on Career Management.

Career Intelligence #1 gave 20 real world practical ideas about managing one’s career . Here are 20 additional ones  gleaned from a conference presentation where the audience was asked “what great advice did they received during their successful career?”

Some quoted a great boss, others a mentor or coach or professional colleague and others a family member – mother, father, sister, brother in law, even a grand mother.

Which ones can you start using right now?

1. You never get what you deserve just what you negotiate.
2. You are only valuable to a company when you add value to the company.
3. Always ask your boss what you can do to make him/her look good to their boss.
4. The day you stop managing things and start managing people you become a leader.
5. Do you think he /she (your boss) would turn down a great offer to stay and work with you?
6. The tough part is not the knowing what you must do but the doing what you know you must do.
7. Treat people well on the way up as you never know who you will when you are on the way down.
8. If you remove negativity and embarrassment from your mind, you will be much more successful.
9. Always know the difference between job monotony and job dissatisfaction before you decide to quit.
10. Check all activities to see if they are value adders or energy suckers and abandon the energy suckers.
11. Good managers don’t actually manage? They LEAD. And its corollary: It’s awfully tough to push a rope.
12. Employee is paid in two coins – by cash and by experience. Take the experience first; the cash will naturally follow.
13. You don’t have to be friends with the people you work with. You just have to get along with them enough to do your job.
14. Follow the money trail. (Translation: get aligned with the business groups who are generating revenue for the organization.
15. If you don’t quickly make decisions about the path you want to take, sooner or later, someone else makes that decision for you.
16. Accept a job because you want to work for the company, have the experience and because you agree with their values. Bosses leave.
17. You don’t have to win every argument. Even if you’re right, sometimes it’s better to have the other guy walk away thinking he is.
18. Only through failure and pain do you really grow. So don’t be afraid to take risks, make mistakes and fail…just make different ones each time.
19. If you want to be a manager, be aware that you won’t get to play with the toys anymore; you will be looking after the people that play with the toys.
20. Success is measured in different terms for each of us. It is much more important to do what makes us happy than it is to imitate someone else.

Career Success Tip:

A casual piece of friendly or professional advice, given at a time when you’re open to it and even perhaps need it, can change everything. Career intelligence is relevant no matter what your job function is or what kind of company you work for. Everyone must have career smarts to succeed in today’s workplace. Also see Keys to Career and Life Success, Five Career killers For High Achievers, What Your Career Success IQ?

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post Career Advice For Young Professionals and Leaders appeared first on Career Management.

Absolutely true! the first 6 months in a new job is your opportunity to learn, to be seen, to make a name for yourself and build your brand. This is the time when you will show the organization how right they were by hiring you.

If I were coaching someone, I would recommend that they do several things to get off to a strong start.

1. Get the lay of the land.
   It’s easier to ask “dumb” questions during the “newlywed” period. Inquire not only about the written rules, but also the unwritten rules in the organization; f find out who the key influencers are and why they are influential;  and take time to observe and discover what’s really important to the organization.
2. Quickly add value.
   Assess what unique skills or talent you bring to bear to address the most critical challenges. Look for  quick wins to establish credibility and respect as quickly as possible.
3. Ensure they have absolute role clarity.
   Two dangerous pitfalls are straying into someone else territory or overlooking some aspect of their responsibility.
4. Write a broad ‘100 day plan.
   Be sure you get input from your manager and even your employees. It should includes specific strategies as well as how these strategies are aligned with the department and corporate goals.

Career Success Tip:

Realize that joining a new organization requires you to quickly understand and adapt to a new culture, to new people and to a new political arena. It’s not business as usually. It’ may require you to learn new things and to do what you’ve done before in new ways. Also see Tips for Starting a New Job, Making the Right Career Moves Part #1 and Part #2.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post The First Six Months On the Job: What You Need to Do! appeared first on Career Management.

Asking for help makes many of us uncomfortable.  But it’s critical especially when risks are involved. After all, would you rather get the help you need or jeopardize your career by missing key deadlines, or producing poor-quality work? What’s more, many bosses operate a “no surprises” rule – they’d much rather be alerted to a problem early than be surprised (and perhaps embarrassed by it)

Ask the Right Way

There are right ways and wrong ways to ask for help. Asking for help the right way can make you look as if you’re in control, and can help you seem focused and dignified. Asking the wrong way could make others think that you don’t have control of the situation or that you’re unable to handle the stress of your job. Here’s how to ask for help the right way:

• Realize that people may be happy to help you.
  People are often flattered that you’ve asked them for their expertise. So, don’t be nervous.
• Practice or role-play how you’ll ask.
  Realize that your body language sometimes says far more than your words. Also control your words and emotions.  If you become anxious or babbling or intimidating , it may not only damage your reputation but it can make the other person reluctant to help.
• Explain what steps you’ve already taken.
  This shows that you’ve done what you sensibly can to resolve the situation yourself.
• Develop possible solutions on your own.
  For instance, don’t say, “I can’t handle my workload.” Instead say, “I think that handing over Project X to Karen will help me to put my full focus on Projects Y and Z.”
• Be specific about what you need.
  Don’t make a vague request such as, “I need help with this report.” Instead, explain precisely what you need: “I’m having difficulty creating an Excel template to generate graphs. Can you please help me with that?”
• Show appreciation.
  Always say thank you after someone has helped you. If you’re in a leadership role and a team member gave you much-needed assistance, you might want to offer some type of reward, or at least thank the person in front of the team.
• Offer your help in return.
  Whenever people help you, make sure they know that you’re happy to consider returning the favor if they ever need it.

Career Success Tip:

Most of us will need to ask for help at some point in our careers. This may be difficult, especially for managers, but it shows that we have humility and good judgment. Do a self-assessment first. Learn how to get organized or manage your time better, if this is the source of the problem. If you do need to ask for help, do so when you’re fully in control of your actions and emotions. Be aware of your body language and develop possible solutions that show that you’ve tried to solve the problem yourself. See Are You a Workaholic?

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

The post Asking For Help Can Help Your Career appeared first on Career Management.