Your #Career : 4 Ways to Protect Yourself From a #Layoff …Whether because of #Mergers, #Downsizing, or Organizational Shifts, each Year, Countless Workers Inevitably Find Themselves Losing their #Jobs Through No Fault of their Own.

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Whether because of mergers, downsizing, or organizational shifts, each year, countless workers inevitably find themselves losing their jobs through no fault of their own.

It happens to the most seasoned and dedicated among us, and that’s perhaps the scariest thing about getting laid off — no one is immune. That said, there are certain steps you can take to minimize your chances of getting laid off, and reduce your anxiety along the way.

1. Have a unique skill

Though soft skills — those that apply to virtually any position — are always a good thing to work on, at the end of the day, you’re probably not going to get to keep your job in a round of layoffs by virtue of your solid time-management ability alone. That’s why it pays to work on honing one particular skill you know your company absolutely needs. If you’re an IT professional, maybe it’s a complex software that’s needed to keep the workflow going. If you’re a designer, maybe it’s that cutting-edge graphics program that’s been giving your company its competitive edge. No matter what skill you’re best suited to focus on, if you set yourself apart as the one person who’s an expert in that arena, your company might hesitate to give you the boot.

How to Answer the Question ‘Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Company?’

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2. Know the business inside and out

Maybe you’re the best copy director your company has ever seen. But if your knowledge base is limited to effective sales pitches, and you’re not well-versed in market research, finances, or analytics, then you might still find yourself out of a job if your company is forced to slash positions. On the other hand, if you make an effort to educate yourself on all aspects of the business, your company will have a much harder time letting you go.

How do you get there? Sit in on other teams’ meetings, and ask to collaborate with various groups on recurring projects. The more exposure you get to different areas of your company and how they work, the more your management team might end up fighting to keep you.

3. Keep up with your business associates

It’s no secret that networking has been proved to help countless searchers land jobs, but many people find themselves networking defensively — that is, they only start reconnecting with contacts once they’re out of a job and need help. But if you make a point to stay in solid touch with your associates regularly, you’ll protect yourself in the face of layoffs in two ways.

First, if you network extensively within your company, you’ll have more people around to speak highly of you, which might spare you from getting the ax. Second, if you have associates you contact regularly, you won’t come across as taking advantage by reaching out for help if you are indeed let go. Or to put it another way, it’s a lot easier to ask a favor of someone you’re in touch with regularly than to sneak up as a blast from the past wanting assistance.

What to Never Say When Networking

4. Boost your emergency savings

Having more money in the bank won’t do a thing to help you avoid losing your job. What it willdo, however, is buy you some peace of mind that if you are let go, you won’t have to immediately resort to credit card debt just to keep up with your finances. Having that stress removed might, in turn, help you focus better at work, thus reducing your chances of landing on the chopping block. Plus, if you are laid off, you’ll be less pressured into taking the first job you find because you’re desperate for money.

Though layoffs are sometimes inevitable, there are things you can do to lower your odds when your company is going through them. If anything, working on the above suggestions will give you someplace to focus your energy so you’re not utterly fixated on the thought of losing your job.

This article was originally published on The Motley Fool. It is reprinted with permission.

Related Links:

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Your #Career : Avoid 99% of #ResumeMistakes with This Simple Checklist…They Say only Three Things are Certain in Life: Death, Taxes, and Making a Mistake on your #Resume .

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They say only three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and making a mistake on your resume. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit with that last point, but you get what I mean. The point is, resume mistakes are hard to avoid — like super-duper hard. And when it comes to your resume, even the tiniest of mistakes can make you seem careless or even outright incompetent in the eyes of unforgiving recruiters.

So how do you make sure this doesn’t happen to you? How do you prevent yourself from making blunders on your resume that can potentially cost you a job interview? Well fear not, for this checklist can help you do just that. Follow it closely and you’ll be able to avoid 99% of the resume mistakes people most often make.

1. Does this belong?

Doublecheck that everything on your resume should be on a resume to begin with. Age, nationality, criminal record, marital status, gender, professional headshot, and unrelated hobbies – none of these things need to be included.

Of course, it’s not always going to be clear whether or not you should be mentioning something on your resume. When such a situation arises, put yourself in the employer’s shoes and ask yourself if it is something you would actually care to know. If the answer is a resounding no, then rest assured you can leave it off your resume without much consequence.

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2. Did someone else look over my resume?

It’s darn near impossible sometimes to catch our own mistakes. Even published writers and book authors are not above having their work proofread by their editors, so whether it’s friends or family, get someone to read over your resume and share their thoughts. Even if they don’t catch any actual mistakes, it’s great to have someone offer a different opinion on how to structure a particular bullet point or reword a given sentence in order to take your resume to the next level.

If you’re having trouble finding someone, there are online communities that are willing to offer free resume help like /r/resume on Reddit. Simply post your completed resume and wait for resume enthusiasts to critique it and give feedback.

10 Expert Resume Tips You Need to Land the Interview

3. Am I using the proper verb tense?

Resumes should be written using the past tense. The one exception is when you’re describing your current job. In that case, using either the past or present tense is fine and ultimately comes down to personal preference. However, the most common mistake I see is that the wrong tense is used for the action verbs at the start of each bullet point. Not only is this blunder very straightforward to fix, it’s also extremely easy for recruiters to spot, so be sure to doublecheck this particular part of your resume.

4. Did I eradicate the use of pronouns?

Using personal pronouns like “I” and “me” is generally considered taboo in resume writing. While there are some experts who are fine with meddling with the dark arts of using pronouns on resumes, my general rule of thumb is to always play things safe. After all, even though it’s true that using pronouns is acceptable by some recruiters, not using them is certainly acceptable by everyone.

11 Cool Jobs Paying Over $100k & Hiring Now

5. Is my formatting perfect?

There’s nothing more discouraging to recruiters than glancing over a resume and immediately noticing a formatting mistake. Whether it’s an oversized heading or a bullet point just a tad bit larger than the rest, formatting mistakes lead recruiters to believe that you’re not as detail-oriented and meticulous as they’d prefer.

While you might think that there’s no way you would ever be silly enough to make this sort of mistake, it’s actually far more common than you would think. Part of the reason why is because the formatting of your resume can potentially be distorted when saved as certain file types or opened from another computer program. This is why it’s usually advised to keep the formatting of your resume as simple as possible. Another way to avoid this is to save your resume as a PDF, which ensures that all recruiters will see your resume formatted the same way.

6. Am I making unnecessary assumptions?

Mistakes are often the results of false assumptions. This is true in life, in writing, and perhaps most of all, in resume writing. When you edit your resume, ask yourself if you’ve made any assumptions during the initial writing process where you might have haphazardly committed to certain decisions you weren’t entirely confident in. Are you unsure about the usage of a particular word but decided to use it anyways? Did you add a bullet point you weren’t too sure about including? Now is the time to scrutinize all the questionable assumptions you’ve made earlier on to prevent yourself from making foreseeable mistakes.

Remember, making mistakes is inevitable, but we always have the ability to spot and then fix them. Don’t just haphazardly glance over your resume in search for errors. Instead, narrow your focus. Use this checklist to hone in on specific types of mistakes that might have been made and then methodically fix each one. Do that and you’ll be able to craft a killer resume that will impress all the recruiters out there who are tired of seeing mistake after mistake on other people’s job applications.

The Dos & Don’ts of Resume Editing

 

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Your #Career : Do These 8 Things If You Missed Out On A #Promotion This Year…It Takes More than Just Being Good at your #Job .

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Getting a promotion takes more than just doing your job well. To move up the ladder to the next step of your career, you have to prove to decision makers and leadership that you are ready and deserving enough to take on more responsibility. This takes consistently working your best, staying dedicated to your work, and much more.

If you’re sick of being passed up for promotions, check out these eight habits of employees that get promoted. Make small changes as necessary if you’re ready to take the next step in your career.

1. SET AND COMMUNICATE CAREER GOALS

Before the start of the year, sit down with your boss to set and discuss your professional career goals. Be open about where you see yourself in six months or a year. A good boss will help you achieve these goals by giving you opportunities to grow and provide support to keep you on track.

“In many cases, he or she truly does want to see you achieve your goals. As a manager myself, I constantly ask my employees, ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’ because if there’s a way I can help them along, I’ll do it. Whether that means putting in a good word for them in a different department at my current company or assigning them special projects that will help them build new skill sets for a different role, I want to help,” says Katie Douthwaite Wolf, a contributor at The Muse.

The key, says Wolf, is to avoid announcing plans to “jump ship or that you want to take over your boss’s position.” Instead, think bigger and broader and come ready to discuss the ways you think your boss can help.

Related: Emotional Intelligence Is The Real Secret To Getting Promoted Faster 

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2. ALWAYS BE A TEAM PLAYER

Employers don’t like it when employees are focused on “I” rather than “we.” They want team players who are committed to helping the greater good of the team, which ultimately benefits the company:

“A good employee volunteers his or her efforts before even being asked. They volunteer for more tasks and responsibility, and not just because of immediate reward,” according to the article, “How to be Promotable.” “This type of employees simply goes above and beyond and will be the first thought of when promotions are being decided.”

3. MAKE YOURSELF INDISPENSABLE

How can you make yourself an indispensable member of your team? One way is to become the go-to person for something specific, like designing dynamic sales decks to dealing with challenging customers. People in positions like this are not only sought after by coworkers, but also seen by leadership because they naturally stand out as someone people are always looking for.

Related: Your Five-Month Guide To Getting A Promotion

4. KEEP LEARNING

Show your boss that you’re committed to continuously improving and developing your skills by finding learning opportunities, both within the office and outside of it. This doesn’t mean you need to get your master’s or PhD, unless that’s relevant to your job. Instead, enroll in one webinar each month, use your own money to attend conferences, or ask to be put on projects outside of your department. This shows that you’re serious about your career, and aren’t waiting for someone else to get you where you want to go.

5. DOCUMENT YOUR SUCCESS

When asking for a promotion, leadership is going to want to know what kind of value you bring to the business. Rather trying to think back at all you’ve accomplished, build a “working” portfolio throughout the year. After you’ve completed an important project or performed a record sales month, document it. When noting your successes, focus on the most important details:

“Keep a record of everything you do that enhances the company’s bottom line, that puts the company or your department in a good light, that is creative and innovative, and that shows your loyalty and commitment to the organization,” says Randall S. Hansen, PhD.

This tracking shows that you’ve been successful and improved the company, and are invested in the work you’re doing.

Related: How To Land A Promotion Without Going To The Office

6. DON’T BE AFRAID TO TAKE CHARGE

Do you display passion, trustworthiness, decisiveness, and confidence? Possessing these types of leadership skills is essential for getting promoted. After all, the first step in being a leader is acting like one. Don’t get involved in office politics or develop bad habits, like being late or missing deadlines. Leaders need to be great role models for the employees they manage and work with, and without these skills, it will be hard to get a management promotion.

7. NETWORK WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Take advantage of every networking opportunity you have, even if it’s a small get together with new coworkers at lunch. Networking with others within your organization will allow you to get to know the people who can provide support now and in the future. It’s also a chance to promote yourself and your skills as well. You can reap similar benefits by getting involved with groups in your organization, like those who help plan events or keep the office stocked.

8. BE AN ENGAGED EMPLOYEE

Being engaged goes beyond paying attention or taking notes in meetings–both of which are also important. It means being an active member of your organization, attending every optional “Lunch and Learn,” or coming up with new ideas for sharing successes in the workplace. This shows your commitment to the company and the success of your coworkers.

Getting promoted is not an easy task–it takes time, learning, and dedication to yourself and the business. Successfully manage your own career path by using these eight tips–you might just get that promotion you’ve been hoping for.

A version of this article originally appeared on Glassdoor and is adapted with permission. 

Your #Career : Using Intuition – Those ‘Gut Feelings’ – To Help Navigate #CareerChoices …The Challenge is That we are Often so Used to #MakingDecisions with our Conscious Mind – Using Logic & Rationality – That we can Easily Dismiss or Miss this Other Source of Crucial Information.

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I once was in an interview process for a job I thought I really wanted. Deep down though I had a feeling that maybe it wasn’t the right job for me. Something just felt off. But I didn’t listen. Instead, I learned the hard way that those small inner nudges and gut feelings we have – they really do know what’s up. And (sometimes at least) we’d really benefit from listening to them.

Collectively, I would call these feelings, inner sense, or nudges our intuition. Accessing our intuition is particularly helpful in situations where our rational/logical mind can craft seemingly well-reasoned, good cases for either side of an argument or for multiple different choices and we’re left feeling confused and unsure. This happens both in navigating major decisions in our career and day-to-day at work. Tapping into the wisdom of our intuition can provide additional insight to take into consideration and help us make the choice at hand.

The challenge is that we are often so used to making decisions with our conscious mind – using logic and rationality – that we can easily dismiss or miss this other source of crucial information.

So, how can we cultivate being more in touch with our intuition?

 Reduce Stress

We can’t hear the signals from our intuition when we are stressed. When we are too stressed our body is in survival mode and the only signal it’s sending is to get out of this situation. So reducing stress levels is a primary first step in being able to tune into our intuition. Perhaps you’re thinking that reducing your stress is easier said than done, but even just taking a few slow breaths to calm your nervous system can help you tune in. My next point can also help lower stress levels.

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Meditate

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School teaches that through meditation we can gain greater awareness of our thoughts. And while we can’t stop our thoughts, meditation can lessen our natural tendency to identify with, believe, or get hooked by them. In my experience, meditation creates space for us to see and feel things more clearly – the space we need to tune out those arguments spinning in our mind and tune in to our genuine selves.

So, if you’re not already a meditator, give it a try. Headspace is an app with some fantastic introductory 10-minute meditations. It doesn’t have to be a lot of meditation time to start being able to tune in. After you’ve experienced the mental space and peace meditation can bring, you can try to access that when you’re in a situation where your mind is chattering away when you’re trying to make a choice.

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Try listening to your intuition and see what happens when you take its cue!

A great way to start getting familiar with your intuition is to start small with “low risk” decisions at work or at home. Maybe as simple as deciding where to take the team for lunch, or what movie to watch with your partner. When a decision point arises, try to tune in, then take the option your intuition is telling you. Observe the result. This builds your muscle for tuning in and builds your experience in taking the actions it suggests. As you experiment you can reflect and fine-tune your ability to read yourself and build more confidence in the information your intuition provides. Over time you can begin to use it for choices that feel more “risky.”

Imagine yourself in future scenarios and observe

When you’re struggling to make a decision, imagine yourself having already made the decision to do X. For example, imagine you’ve already accepted the job (ex. you have the salary, the title, you’ve been at the desk with the window view for 3 months). Now, in this future hypothetical reality, how do you feel? Do this again for each option (ex. with the option of not accepting the job, or accepting a different job). Try to find the option that once taken feels the best.

My life coach mentor and teacher, Martha Beck, calls this kind of technique using your “body compass.” Note: just be aware of fear tripping you up. You can still take an action that feels good and is what you really want, but also have it be a bit scary – fear is often a normal part of stepping outside of your comfort zone or trying something new.

With all of this I’m certainly not saying we shouldn’t listen to our mind and logic when making decisions. But, sometimes our intuition can have a lot of helpful information to add to our decision-making process. And I for one on many past occasions in my professional life wished I had checked in and listened to it more.

 —

Note: I have completed the Martha Beck life coach training program 

This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgment.

Please follow me to get notified of my latest writing.

And to learn more about my career coaching services for young professionals click here. I’d love to help you!

Forbes.com | February 13, 2018 | Sara Young Wang ,  WOMEN@FORBES .. 

I’m a #careercoach focused on helping you find happiness at work Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

#Leadership : Why Monday Is Your Most #ProductiveDay Of The Week…Even If it Doesn’t Feel like It. Here’s How to Make the Most of It.

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You may be working for the weekend, but when it comes to actually getting work done, Monday is the most productive day, according to a study by Redbooth. The data collaboration software provider found that the highest percentage of tasks–20.4%–are completed on Monday, compared to Friday, when only 16.7% of work tasks are accomplished. Tuesday is a close second, accounting for 20.2% of work.

“Given the relatively low completion levels on the latter days of the week, it’s likely that Monday is the ‘catch up’ day at work,” according to the report.

WHY MONDAY IS MADE FOR WORKING

Mondays are prime for work because they feel like a fresh start, says productivity coach Deb Lee. “When you’ve had the weekend to take a break, relax and regroup, you come back to work fresher than when you walked out the door the previous Friday,” she says. “We tend to tackle our work week-by-week, which means Monday can often be less stressful than say a Thursday or a Friday when those end-of-week deadlines are approaching. That stress-free, clean-slate feeling on Monday morning can inspire creativity and boost productivity.”

Focus is often at its highest at the beginning of a work week, adds Scott Amyx, author of Strive: How Doing the Things Most Uncomfortable Leads to Success. “On Mondays, you have a vantage point, looking at your priorities for the week and then appropriately applying your highest level of concentration to the hardest tasks,” he says.

Willpower might also be replenished on Monday, says Amyx. “For those who believe that willpower is limited, I believe that they do apply the greatest energy on Mondays,” he says.

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MAKING THE MOST OF MONDAY

The key to starting off the workweek in high productivity mode is being ready, says Lee. “You could prepare for the week on Friday afternoon, before heading home for the weekend,” she says. “Others look to Sunday evening as an opportunity to prep meals, pull clothes out for Monday morning, and check their calendars. It’s also fine to save your preparation for Monday morning—just be sure to set aside at least 30 uninterrupted minutes when you arrive at your desk to regroup and map out an action plan.”

Set up the week for success by not completely unplugging over the weekend, says Amyx. “Perhaps one of the biggest culprits to a stressful Monday is email,” he says. “Workers end up sifting through dozens of emails to come up for air hours later to find out it’s already lunch time. Give yourself permission to check once or twice on the weekend to quickly prioritize what’s urgent, important, lower priority or spam.”

Use your renewed energy on a Monday by blocking out time to focus, suggests Amyx. “Success comes when we do the things most uncomfortable,” he says. “Instead of acquiescing to your urge to check your email on Monday morning, time bound it to five to 10 minutes, not to answer emails but rather to quickly organize and prioritize. Then allocate the next one to two hours to do the hardest, brain intensive work without interruption.”

And cancel Monday morning meetings, suggests Mike Vardy, author of The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want. “If your meetings are scheduled for first thing on Mondays and if you have any pull with your superiors then ask if it’d be possible to shift the meeting to later in the day,” he writes on his Productivityist blog. “Mention that giving each of your colleagues time in their own space before going into a meeting would allow them to be more ‘present’ in the meeting. If you are absolutely certain that there’s no way you can avoid that early morning Monday meeting, then make sure you prepare for that meeting the night before. That alone will make your Monday morning better.”

When you start to organize your Mondays by your priorities, productivity, and rewards then you feel great about your accomplishments, says Amyx. “There’s no greater satisfaction than knowing that you overcame the biggest, gnarliest cognitive, creative work to make significant progress on your project or tasks,” he says.

#Leadership : 4 Ways To Face The Challenge Of Disruptive #Change …It’s One of the Most Common Laments I Hear from #Executives . “No Sooner do I Stabilize One Part of my #Organization when some Unexpected Crisis or Challenge Upends Another.”

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It’s one of the most common laments I hear from executives.  “No sooner do I stabilize one part of my organization when some unexpected crisis or challenge upends another.” 

The reality of constant, disruptive change as a way of life has many executives wringing their hands for ways to more than just cope, but thrive.  Is there a way for leaders to capitalize on being established companies with the advantage of scale when smaller upstarts are perpetually nipping at their heels?  How does a leader change today’s business while preparing for tomorrow?

We spoke with Scott Anthony, Managing Partner of the acclaimed firm Innosight and co-author of Dual Transformation: How to Reposition Today’s Business While Creating the Future. His research confirms that indeed, for leaders to thrive in today’s constantly disruptive way of life, they must be transforming today’s and tomorrow’s businesses. (You can also see a comprehensive video interview with Scott at our upcoming virtual summit Leading Through Turbulence.)

“ Disruption opens up windows of opportunity to create massive new markets ,” Scott explains in his book. However, in order to capitalize upon these new markets, “Executives must simultaneously re position their traditional core organization while leading a separate and focused team on a separate and distinct march up a new hill.”  Scott calls this process a “dual transformation” — to thrive as an incumbent in a transforming landscape, you must lead existential change within your organization.

In our conversation with Scott, he proposed four interlocking strategies for successfully navigating dual transformation.

Spend more time at the periphery

The future is unkind to those who aren’t prepared for it. Fortunately, “you can experience tomorrow today if you look in the right places,” Scott says. Those places are at the edges of your industry — peripheral zones untouched by traditional business models.

To explore these zones, Scott suggests spending time with hackers, kids, and artists. These are people who engage your business in ways that may seem incomprehensible to you, which makes their insight invaluable.

Scott sits on the board of Mediacorp, the largest media conglomerate in Singapore. The company makes most of its money by producing television channels, which seems like a safe way to run a successful media company. Scott disagrees.

“I’ve got four young children and I know from watching the way they consume media that the core of Mediacorp’s model is dying,” says Scott. “My 10 year old daughter, Holly, never watches normal, linear television. Instead, you’re much more likely to see her watching YouTube videos from Dan TDM… Dan TDM narrates himself playing games of Minecraft. Now, I view this as borderline bizarre behavior…But Holly and her friends are transfixed. And Dan TDM has 20 million followers on YouTube and reasonably reliable research suggests he’s making a couple million British pounds a year.”

According to Scott, “this is what the future of media is. And the more you spend time with people like Holly or other people who are beginning to experiment with new behaviors, the more likely you are to see those early signals of change” in any competitive landscape.

 

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Change the way you approach problems

Conventional business wisdom believes problems can be solved through rigid protocol. First, gather data around the problem, then analyze it, then make a decision, then execute. If the results deviate from what you expected, “figure out why that deviation occurred and you stamp it out, because deviations are bad,” Scott says.

In an era in which change is the only constant, this approach no longer holds water. Contrary to conventional wisdom, deviations are actually windows into the truth. According to Scott, an unexpected outcome is a launch point for asking, “What can I learn from this? What can I do differently? ”

To make sense of such a complex and fluid universe of information, your thinking needs to remain flexible, curious, and critical.

A client I work with recently demonstrated this via a failed product launch.  A digital product, customers would pay a fee to download it, and in the process become a subscriber.  But as the opt-out’s rose, a closer look revealed people didn’t want the product at all, but wanted access to all of the other content and tools behind the pay wall that were free.  His motto was, “If you can’t fix it, feature it.”  Rather than offering steep discounts and promotions to push the product they thought customers wanted, they paid attention, and redefined the value proposition and pricing structure, capturing the value from what customers actually wanted.

Recognize the early warning signs of disruptive change

One of the challenges in preparing for disruptive change, Scott says, is that “the data only becomes conclusive [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][that disruption has actually occurred] when it’s too late to do anything about it.” Thankfully, when a fundamental shift is about to take place, there are usually a series of early warning signs. Scott highlighted the three he believes are most critical.

“Customer restlessness is often an early warning sign that change is about to come,” Scott says. Restless customers are “demonstrating that they’ve got different things that matter to them. There used to be things you’d give them about which they’d say, ‘this is awesome’; they [would] pay you big premiums for it. Now they’re starting to yawn.” Restlessness reveals a void demanding to be filled.

Second, “any time you see a competitor doing something different, you want to pay careful attention.” Scott says that, “When you first see a disruptive attacker, it’s very easy if you’re the market leader to look down your nose at it and say, ‘it’s inferior… it’s not doing all the great things we do.” While that may be true right now, you also may be witnessing the birth of a new approach that will change everything. Don’t sit back.

Finally, watch your financial statements. If “your revenue growth starts to slow and your profits start to increase,” the plates may be shifting underneath your feet. “When your top line slows and you fight back against it by cost cutting, getting out of low value segments, and so on, it is often a sign that the disease of disruption has taken root.”

Stay grounded while avoiding stagnation

You can only successfully navigate multiple existential changes if you are yourself a grounded person.  Of course, being grounded will mean different things to different people. For Scott, it means maintaining intentional connections between his family and his work, while also allocating time to seek out new stimuli and immerse himself in new experiences.

Feedback is a powerful way to stay grounded.  You should regularly solicit feedback from those you lead, customers, and friends willing to be honest with you. Too often, failure to spot disruption can be rooted in failures of self-awareness too.  Staying ground in who you really are, and who you’re not, helps keep your eyes trained to notice realities you might otherwise prefer to ignore.

Disruption can be a gift. Pay attention to opportunities emerging around you, and capitalize on, rather than fall victim to it.

Ron Carucci is Managing Partner at Navalent and the author of eight books, including Rising to Power.@RonCarucci Download free ebook Leading Transformation in Organizations

Forbes.com | February 12, 2018 | Ron Carucci , CONTRIBUTOR

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#Leadeship : Here’s How to Stop an Argument with a #Narcissist from Spinning Out of Control… Great Tips on Dealing with your #Boss , Friend, or Family Member(s). Got One in Mind??

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  • Narcissists struggle with having positive feelings about someone while they are mad at them.
  • This means they get incredibly fierce and cruel during arguments.
  • For many people, the best thing to do is to leave a narcissist and cut them out of their life.
  • If this isn’t possible there are some tactics you can use to stop the argument escalating.
  • But it won’t be easy.

Narcissists tend to be incapable of something called “object constancy.” This means they struggle to have positive feelings at the same time as negative ones.

For example, once they are fired up for a fight, they can be incredibly cruel, because all they can comprehend in the moment are feelings of resentment and anger.

As a result, an argument about the smallest of issues can escalate quickly and fiercely. Something you may have thought of as unimportant, or even irrelevant, has been blown into a relationship-ending level row. They’ve spent your entire relationship working out how to push your buttons, and they will use everything in their power to make you feel insignificant and small.

If the narcissist is physically abusive, the tiniest inconvenience can cause them to throw things or even strike their partner.

Narcissists can be very delicate, depending on what sub-type they are. They can easily become offended, often accusing their partner of being “disrespectful” or “selfish” if they dare to do something for themselves. The world should revolve around them in their eyes, so focusing on anything else is taken as a direct attack.

This isn’t necessarily a conscious act, and it’s hard to understand whether narcissists really mean to cause the harm they do or not.

Expect the fight of your life

Elinor Greenberg, a therapist who wrote the book “Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid Adaptations: The Pursuit of Love, Admiration, and Safety,” told Business Insider that fighting with a narcissist is a completely different experience to regular relationship quarrels.

They are wired to be abusive because they’re so hypersensitive and completely lack empathy, so they are primed to take offense and misunderstand someone else’s needs and points of view.

“It’s a lot of work for a therapist,” she said. “I get screamed at, I’ve had people run from my room over the UPS man ringing my doorbell… I do 45 minute sessions, but the person who lives with them has it 24/7. So if they’re going to yell at me over the UPS man, you can see just how hard it is for them to have a relationship without getting nasty.”

Narcissistic rage ranges from direct confrontation with name-calling and hurtful slurs, to calculated, closed down reactions like giving their partner the silent treatment for hours at a time.

“They give you the cold shoulder, or they walk out and they find another woman,” Greenberg said. “But it’s all done silently and coolly and coldly — you know what you did.”

In a blog post for Psychology Today, Greenberg highlighted a set of ways you can de-escalate an argument with a narcissist if you find yourself in that position.

For most people, breaking things off with a narcissist and being free from them is the only option. They will never change, and your energy is better off being used elsewhere.

But there may be some instances where narcissists are unavoidable, like if you have a toxic colleague or member of the family.

Here are the steps you should take:

1. Don’t argue about ‘right’ and ‘wrong’

There’s no point trying to figure out who is “to blame” for something, as narcissists will never admit fault. They want to blame you for any negative emotions they are feeling, because they utterly rely on the image they are portraying as being faultless.

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2. Instead, try to empathise with their feelings

If you are with a narcissist in the first place, you probably already have a lot of empathy. But even the most caring people struggle to see the sense of having it for someone who is hurling insult after insult at them.

However, if you find yourself backed into a corner, one way to sooth a narcissist’s rage is to empathise with their feelings, and say something like: “You must have felt very hurt by what I did, I can understand why you are feeling that way.”

3. Use ‘we’ language

By saying “we” rather than “I” or “you,” you include yourself in the behaviour. The narcissist is probably so angry at you because you dared to defend yourself, so to try and stop the argument escalating further you can try and remind them you’re in this together, and it’ll be better off for everyone to stop.

4. Don’t expect an apology

There’s no chance of the narcissist admitting to any wrongdoing or apologising. This includes asking them to process what really happened. According to Greenberg, a narcissist will not be comfortable with the idea that they started an argument over something trivial, so it’s best to just move on.

5. Ask about a topic that interests them

Narcissists love talking about themselves, or expressing just how much more they know about something than you do. So, in a similar way you might distract a baby with a set of keys, you can dangle a new topic in front of their face to veer the conversation away from conflict. This might not be that effective in the midst of a fierce row, but if you do it after some time has passed, the narcissist will probably take the bait.

Another similar solution is to ask for advice. This may look like a slightly less transparent way of changing the subject, because it’ll make the narcissist feel like they are the only person you can go to, and make them feel superior.

6. Don’t take the bait yourself

As the narcissist believes you have hurt them severely by whatever they think you did, they’ll want to do the same to you. This means they’ll proverbially throw everything at you, from that one time you misbehaved a year ago, to how you’re acting selfishly right now.

Essentially, they are trying to get the maximum response out of you they can. Greenberg says that by ignoring the insult, you can often avoid the pointless fight. If you rise to the bait, things are likely to escalate, and you’re effectively giving the narcissist exactly what they want — your pain.

7. Remember to put yourself first

Most experts believe being in a romantic relationship with a narcissist is an emotionally draining, damaging process. Ultimately, it’s up to you if you think the tedious ego stroking and hard work is worth it or not.

In all likelihood, you’ll probably realise it isn’t, and you’ll one day be able to move on with your life without the narcissist holding you back. But in the meantime, using these methods to de-escalate a narcissist who is on a roll can help get you out of upsetting, and potentially dangerous, situations.

Businessinsider.com | February 11, 2018 | 

 

 

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Your #Career : 9 #JobSeeker Email Etiquette Tips to Help You Land the Job…….. #JobHunting sure isn’t What it Used to Be. Just a Few Years Ago, “Pounding the Pavement” was a Literal Thing.

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Job hunting sure isn’t what it used to be. Just a few years ago, “pounding the pavement” was a literal thing, and people were actually out on the streets, going from business to business to drop off their resumes. Today, most job applications do not take place in person. Everything is done online, and many people even apply for jobs via email. Just because you might not be applying for a job in person, though, doesn’t mean that you still don’t need to use proper etiquette to show that you are a professional.

Here are nine job seeker etiquette tips for applying for jobs via email.

1. Know Who to Send it To

When applying for a job via email, it is not enough to send it to “whom it may concern”. Whenever possible, try to find out the name and title of the contact person instead of sending an email to a general box. Make sure that you also send yourself a copy of each email that you send out. That way, you have a record of all of the jobs that you are applying for, and you aren’t going to end up doubling emails and annoying potential employers, which can easily backfire on you.

Read the Email That Immediately Scored One Man a Job Offer

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2. Always Use a Subject Line

Every job application email you send out needs to have a proper subject line. If you don’t put anything in the subject line, chances are that your email is going to end up in a spam mailbox. Your subject line should list the job that you are applying for, so the person who receives it knows exactly what job you want. You can also include your own name in the subject line to reinforce the fact that you are applying for the job, and not just sending an email on someone else’s behalf.

3. Use Business Email

Did you know that more than 60 percent of people do not use their personal email for anything that is business-related? According to Avatier, the majority of people tend to keep their business and personal email separate. So, when looking for a job, make sure that you are sending emails to business accounts, and that you have a separate email address for your employment search, as it looks more professional than just using your personal email.

4. Set Up Another Email

In addition to a business email account, it is a good idea to have a job search email account. Only use this email when you are applying for jobs. You can use it to keep track of the jobs that you have applied for, and be able to quickly and easily check messages from potential employers and other contacts. If you only use your business account for job searches, there is no need to have this additional email. In fact, it could end up becoming confusing if you are using two emails for your job search.

5. Use Proper Formatting

A job application email shouldn’t look like a typical email message. It should look like any cover letter you would send via snail mail. So, make sure that your job application emails are properly formatted. It should include a subject line, as mentioned above, and you need to edit, edit and edit some more to make sure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. The last thing you want is to look uneducated or unprofessional because you don’t take the time to correct errors in your emails.

10 Ways To Catch Every Resume Mistake Before You Hit Submit

6. Treat It Like a Business Letter

Your email messages concerning job applications should look like a regular business letter. Do not use acronyms, emoticons or slang. These things are okay for emails to friends, but not when you are trying to present yourself as a professional. It should start off with a salutation, and end with a signature. The only thing you don’t need to add is employer contact information in the upper left-hand corner. Otherwise, it should be identical to a letter that you would send through the regular mail.

7. Your Signature Is Important

Even though you can’t actually sign your email with a pen, you still need to add your signature. In an email, your signature should include your first and last name (it doesn’t matter which you put first), your email address and your home and cell phone numbers. It should also include your LinkedIn profile. This is your opportunity to show the person doing the hiring what skills you bring to the table without sending a cover letter that is overly long. This isn’t strictly necessary, but it something that is becoming more and more common.

8. Be Careful with Content

How you word your job application email is very important. It is a good idea to have a cover letter already prepared and edited, so you can just copy and paste it into the body of the email message. If you don’t have one ready to go, simply write it in before sending the email. If you are asked to send your resume as an attachment, send it as a PDF file or a Word document.

How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter

9. Don’t Leave Out the Attachments

If you say in the email that you are sending an attachment, don’t forget to attach it. Sending a second email with the attachment is not going to look overly professional. These days, it is pretty difficult to forget the attachment, especially if you are using Gmail, since it will notify you if you don’t add it after specifying that there is one. The attachments are going to include the details about you, your resume, etc., so you need to make sure that they are properly attached and that the person doing the hiring will see them.

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Your #Career : The Do’s & Don’ts of Asking for a #Promotion …We’ve Compiled the Ultimate Guide to Asking for a Promotion in a Great One Minute Read!

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You work hard. You’d like to see your efforts rewarded. In an ideal world, your superiors would recognize your talent and offer you a promotion. But advancing is rarely that easy. We’ve compiled the ultimate guide to asking for a promotion.

Read on if climbing the career ladder is in your sights!

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Positioning Yourself for a Promotion

  • Do decide on a timeline. Asking for a promotion shouldn’t be an impulsive decision. Planning will allow you to make sure you’re at the peak of your performance and have your results well documented before you broach the topic.
  • Don’t think a promotion will fix everything. Is a promotion really what you need in order to get where you want to be with your career? A promotion won’t make you happier if you’re not enjoying your current company and position.
  • Do analyze your current performance. Are you doing outstanding work? If you’re not meeting and regularly exceeding expectations, you’ll need to step it up in order to get on management’s radar. It also never hurts to volunteer for special projects.
  • Don’t toot your own horn. Sure, you want to be noticed, but it’s important not to come across as arrogant. Do your best to show that you’re confident, not cocky.
  • Do consider the timing. Is your company in a strong financial position? Is the climate generally positive? If not, it might not be the best time to jockey for a better position.
  • Don’t disregard your manager’s goals. Before you ask for a promotion, you should know what your manager’s team objectives are and have a clear idea of how your contributions are helping to knock those goals out of the park.
  • Do keep notes and gather statistics. In the months leading up to when you plan to ask for a promotion, make note of concrete accomplishments. If your job is one that uses analytics, compile statistics to show your successes — numbers talk!
  • Don’t forget to do your homework. Know the skills the position you’re aiming for requires. Make sure you’re prepared to demonstrate how your skills and accomplishments are a good match for the job.
  • Do plant a seed and get feedback.

Let your boss know that you’re interested in moving up in the future. Let them know where you’re at today, and how you see yourself evolving to fill a new role in the future. Have a concrete action plan and ask for feedback on it.

 

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Your #Career : 10 #CareerExperts Share Their #1 Piece of #JobSearch Advice…. We Reached Out to Nine #CareerExperts to Learn their Best Advice on How to Find a Job in Today’s Market — Here’s what They Had to Say.

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Once you announce that you’re looking for a new gig, unsolicited job search advice is inescapable: “Video resumes are the future!” “Go back to school!” “Talk to my cousin’s best friend’s son, he knows someone who used to intern there!”

While all of the people sharing job search advice like this are well-meaning, they’re usually not career connoisseurs — just friends and family who want to help you out. As a result, the quality of their advice is often suspect.

There’s plenty of good job search tips out there, but if you really want to identify the advice that’s worth your time, you’ve got to get it from a credible source. And who better to weigh in than professional career coaches, HR consultants and other subject-matter experts?

We reached out to nine career experts to learn their best advice on how to find a job in today’s market — here’s what they had to say.

1. Have a Job Target You Believe In

“Be clear on what you want, why you want it and what qualifies you… Without clarity from the very start, virtually every stage that follows will be based on little more than a hunch — and that is an extremely fragile foundation for navigating a dynamic job search. You begin by engaging in some form of assessment. It could involve taking a standardized assessment instrument, keeping a journal or talking with people whose advice and feedback you value — friends, family, or a career coach. The goal is to achieve self-awareness in the form of a career target. The next, and equally important, step is a reality check. Here is where you determine that the goal you selected makes sense. Is it appropriate for you and is it attainable?” —Roy Cohen, career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide

How I Finally Got Job Interviews at My Dream Companies

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2. Create a Plan

“Identify a few key features, such as, why is finding a new job important to you? What is your ideal time-frame for finding a new job? …What are types of companies you’d like to work for? When will you perform job searches — is there a day of the week that you will meet for coffee with your networking connections? What’s your timeline for updating your resume and cover letter? Post the plan somewhere you will see it and put important dates on your calendar. This is my favorite advice because most people don’t plan their search; they simply go about it in a haphazard fashion, [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][so] you’ll be ahead of the game. If you plan your search, you’re committing to a new job and will be more likely to find the job that you love.” —Mary Warriner, career coach

3. Develop Your Career Story

“A branded career story helps differentiate you from the competition, provide clarity for yourself and showcases your unique value proposition to the employer. The people that are most successful in their job search are those people who are able to first clearly articulate what they’ve done, how it’s been impactful and how it can benefit a future employer. From there, the resume tweaking, network building and LinkedIn optimizing become a lot easier and more effective.” —Jena Viviano, career coach

4. Apply Even If You’re Not a 100 Percent Match

“Job seekers (especially women more than men) may be underestimating the value they can bring into a role. For many roles, hiring managers are looking for people who will be quickly deployable to do the work and usually the tasks you need to complete on a regular basis are learned or refined on the job. If you meet the majority of the qualifications for a job you are interested in and are confident you can quickly learn the remainder, apply for that job, but make sure your resume demonstrates your past success in learning new skills.” —Mary Grace Gardner, career strategist at The Young Professionista

5. Go on Informational Interviews

“The best way to get a meeting with decision makers is to ask for informational meetings with them. Rather than the ‘hard sell’ of ‘I’m looking for a job, do you know of anything,’ this informational meeting takes the ‘soft-sell’ approach of asking for information and for them to share their story so you gain advice for your job search and career journey. People who are happy in their work generally love to talk about what made them successful, so if you reach out to decision makers and ask for informational meetings, it’s only a matter of time.” —April Klimkiewicz, career coach and owner of bliss evolution

Everything You Need to Nail Your Informational Interview (and Score Your Dream Job!)

6. Brand Yourself

“You need a brand in the digital age because while your job is what you do, your brand is who you are… By branding yourself properly in the digital age (think: elevator pitch with a digital footprint on LinkedIn), and combining it with true networking strategies, you will rank yourself higher in the job search potential.” —Wendi Weiner, Resume Writer & Career Transition Coach

7. Supplement Online Applications With Offline Efforts

“Sites like Glassdoor provide so much great information about job postings, salaries and company reviews. We’ve never had more good information at our fingertips. But, don’t rely on the internet [entirely]. Hiring managers are bombarded with hundreds of resumes that come in through the internet. When you’re searching, apply online. But, then think about what you can also do offline. For example, do you have contacts at the company that you could network with? Could you reach out to the hiring manager directly? When you connect to the company offline, you become a real person… These straightforward offline steps will put you in the fast lane when it comes to hiring.” —Angela Copeland, career coach

8. Become a Star Performer at Your Current Job

“Assuming you can do the work, the most important differentiator that will land you a sought-after gig is to establish yourself as the positive, collaborative, authentic and trustworthy co-worker/boss everyone would love to have. And you only do that by cultivating professional relationships and acting from a place of authenticity and integrity. Like attracts like, and people who are themselves authentic and trustworthy are looking to hire and work with people who show the same commitment to a positive work environment… show in every interaction you are the type of colleague or boss who keeps her word, values the team and contributes to a positive work environment… Focus on people and opportunities will open up.” —Aurora Meneghello, career coach and founder of Repurpose Your Purpose.

9. Network With Everyone — Not Just the Bigwigs

“I think the most effective networking includes the informal kind which happens in daily life — at your kid’s soccer game, at the dentist’s office, at parties, etc. If someone says, ‘What do you do for work?’ you can say something like ‘I’m a project manager at a large industrial manufacturer but I’m looking to make a move to XYZ, do you know anyone in that industry?’ It may smack of the ‘putting it out into the universe’ kind of advice but you honestly never know who will have a connection for you, so I’m a firm believer in working any and all angles… As a consultant, I’m always interviewing for jobs, in a way, so I treat every baby shower, swim class and vet visit as a chance to meet potential clients and get that job.” —Jill Santopietro-Panall, HR consultant and owner of 21Oak HR Consulting, LLC

8 Networking Strategies You Haven’t Thought of Yet

10. Use Resume Keywords & Get Referrals

“Companies today receive a high volume of resumes. With the increased use of online applicant tracking systems even among smaller companies, it means the recruiter or hiring manager may not see your resume unless you use just the right keywords… Referrals [also] increase the likelihood that a recruiter will see your resume. If you don’t have a personal connection, use social media to find out who does. Don’t be embarrassed to ask someone to make an introduction on your behalf, people do this all the time. If you’re uncomfortable asking for favors include an easy way for them to say no, like ‘If you’re not comfortable connecting me, I completely understand.’” —Mikaela Kiner, Founder/CEO of UniquelyHR

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