Corporate governance, the system by which business corporations are directed and controlled, is being hit by a tsunami of change.  The storm started in 2002 with the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and has been intensifying since then with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, an updated NYSE listing requirement, amended federal sentencing guidelines, and the list goes on.

These new requirements – combined with traditional director obligations under a corporation’s state of incorporation, articles of incorporation, by-laws, various plan documents, and committee charters – have created so much additional work that directors feel they are not focusing enough time fulfilling their primary responsibilities of strategy and management oversight.

Just as an example, the Dodd-Frank legislation imposes more than 400 new regulations with which corporations must comply. The legislation requires that the Federal Reserve issue new regulations.  Contained in these new regulations is a new “standard of corporate governance” for public Boards.  These standards will undoubtedly create new requirements, and most commentators expect that the escalation of corporate governance standards will continue for the foreseeable future.

How have boards responded?  Some have created or expanded nominating or governance committees to manage this process.  Others have created new committees such as “regulatory” or “compliance” committees to meet the new requirements.

In addition to these responses, Boards should consider adding directors with extensive corporate governance/legal backgrounds.  These candidates would have certain advantages:

• Individual directors could concentrate on areas with which they are most qualified by virtue of their business background and experience (e.g., sales, accounting, human resources, R&D, computer technology, distribution/supply chain);
• Directors could specifically rely on a member with a legal/corporate governance background to help oversee Board and corporate management efforts required to comply with the avalanche of new or expanded legal requirements and oversight obligations;
• Corporate management could turn to a legal/corporate governance-qualified Board member to evaluate and communicate the complex and sometimes confusing legal environment in which all corporations must now operate.

Public companies today live in a treacherous business environment, an environment filled with legal risks and exposures.  Even some of the most routine board functions now contain a legal component or standard. The criminalization of regulation violations (EPA, trade, FDA, antitrust, etc.) and aggressive law enforcers (state attorney generals, agency administrators, whistle blowers, or private law firms) have clearly created the need for legal expertise on corporate boards like never before.

So, how can corporate boards surf a Tsunami of corporate governance issues?  With legal representation.

Your resume may get you in the door.  Once inside, what will keep you there?  How will you stand out from your competitors?  How long will you be remembered?  Two minutes?  Two days?  Two months?  Two years?  It can take years to develop a business relationship.  How well do your communication, or soft skills, make you stand out?  An effective communicator is consistent, polished, and memorable in the areas of leadership, presence (body language), wardrobe/grooming, speaking, and etiquette.

Simply put, your personal brand is your reputation.  We are all born with one.  The question is, “Is it working for or against you?”  A personal brand is a collection of your attributes – skills, knowledge, and character.  It is a sum of personality, perception, and promotion.

The goal of personal branding is to align who you are with what you do.  When you align these you create a magnetic draw that brings opportunities and people to you.  You will be recognized and remembered far beyond a first impression.  A personal brand is an evolution.  As you change, your brand should change with you.

Who are you when you show up in a face-to-face conversation?  Does the same “you” show up everywhere or are you a chameleon based on the setting and audience?

Ask yourself: How does the world perceive me?  What is my reputation?

Working on your personal brand can be very unsettling.  You may struggle with “If I change, I’m not going to be myself.”  You may know you need to change, but how far do you go?  Unfortunately at times we’re stuck in habits and patterns.  If what you’re doing today is not serving your reputation, then something needs to shift.  It takes concerted effort to make this shift.  A new habit takes 30 days to stick.  At best, it takes six months to build and ease into a conscious personal brand.  It will feel like you’re being pushed out of the comfort zone.  That’s a necessity to get to the other side and see results.

There is a common misconception that modifying your personal branding is “fixing.”  In truth it is enhancing and strengthening your toolbox so you are perceived as authentic, current, passionate, and engaged in your life.  We invest in our homes (mortgage), our education (school loans), and our cars.  How often do you invest in your greatest asset – yourself?

Ask yourself: Who are you outside of the workplace?

Many people believe they are defined by their work role.  Wrapping your identity around a job is a dangerous place to be, for when or if the time comes that you are unemployed, you’ll feel lost.  This will affect your mindset, body language, and voice.  In transition, it’s understandable to struggle and have a difficult time owning your personal brand.  This is the time to look for the part of you that is happy, and highlight it so the perceived flaws are less noticeable.

You are not defined by your role.  Determine who you are outside of work so you are excited to learn who others are regardless of where they work.  The human relationship comes first.  You will have much more valuable conversations if you connect on a human level before talking business.

Creating a personal brand. Begin analyzing your personal brand by walking through the funnel process.  Journal answers to each question.

After you have drafted your personal brand funnel, ask personal family/friends and professional colleagues how they view you.  Let them know you trust their opinion and genuinely want to know how they perceive you.  Ask them for feedback in the areas of:

•    Leadership
•    Presence
•    Wardrobe / grooming
•    Speaking
•    Etiquette

While you await external feedback, ask yourself the same questions and jot them down for reference.  When feedback is received, compare your assessment with the external assessments.  Are they aligned or ajar?

Ask yourself: What areas can I improve upon?

Choose one area to focus on and create a 30-day new habit.  Examples include: Choosing a strategic standing position when in a networking environment; wearing a wardrobe icebreaker per outfit; increasing your tonality in speech.  Choose an accountability partner to increase your odds of success.

While you work on your new habit, observe those around you.  Whom do you remember?  What sticks out for you?  Whom would you compliment?  Who offends you?  If you can see it in others, you can see it in yourself and you can begin to take action on your own personal brand.  Be willing to “push” outside your comfort zone.

If you’d like to talk to me about this article, or consider a self-assessment, you may reach me at clareh@callosumcreative.com.

Celebrating 30 years of executive development, we were thrilled to have more than 300 friends, clients, and alumni gather in our backyard garden and tennis court to reconnect and make new friends.  All of us were fed in more ways than one – by Rankinfyle’s lively jazz, Simon Lin’s innovative sushi bar, and Hel’s Kitchen’s delectable treats.  After a week of power outages and stormy weather, we couldn’t have asked for a more delightful evening.

Our magician gave us one of our biggest compliments of the evening – concerning you.  A true pro in his own right, he had carefully positioned himself away from others to observe the crowd before intermingling with small groups.  Having attended more than 6,000 corporate events, he was delightfully surprised at how folks would immediately approach him and engage him in interesting conversations at this event. That community spirit was certainly reflective of our theme – The Magic of R|L . . . is You! 

The following comments capture the essence of R|L and the evening:

• “You have an uncanny ability to identify the uniqueness and value of each individual you encounter or work with and you convey it with authenticity and passion.  Over the years you have instilled hope in the lives of so many people.”
• “You guys throw the best party in town.  It was good to catch up with many old friends and make some new ones.”

Thank you once again for being so supportive of R|L – the team, our values, and our services.  We are forever grateful to you.  Without your continued involvement we wouldn’t be able to help people unleash more of their authentic selves and craft the life / career they want.

Best wishes for your continued success and may you always  . . . “Create Uncommon Results!”®

“If it wasn’t humiliating enough to be passed over for a promotion that should have been mine, I now have to endure my peer as my boss.  He’s making my life miserable.  While we never had the strongest relationship, I didn’t feel undermined at every turn like I do now.  What a jerk!  I don’t trust him as far as I could throw him.”

Sound familiar?  Has something like this ever happened to you or someone you know at work?  Maybe the scenario is different, but the end result is that you now find yourself reporting to a former peer.  How do you handle it and move forward through a tough and delicate situation?

Here are some concrete suggestions for you to consider.

Top 10 Ways to Thrive, Not Merely Survive

1)     First, keep your ego in check. While it may already be bruised, don’t become overly defensive or reactive at every perceived slight. As tough as it may seem, stay focused on making the best decisions for the business.  Don’t engage in “one-upsmanship” power plays or posturing.  Watch the common tendency to be passive-aggressive toward your new boss or sarcastic when you speak about him.  Others will recognize when your former peer is being inappropriate.  You lose when you point it out.  There’s an old saying: “Whenever you throw dirt, you get muddied and lose ground.”  People will take their cues from you.  If you are positive and operating above the fray, others will appreciate your professionalism and not view you as mortally wounded.

Ask yourself:  “What 3 things can I do to stay up, when it’s easier to feel down?”

2)    Be aware of the potential for awkwardness. Even before you experience the inevitable tension between you, based on your new respective roles, acknowledge the possible difficulty for you both.  Observe that while his current role feels like it would have been a “natural next position” for you as well, let him know that since you didn’t get the nod, you were pleased that he got it.  You might also indicate that you hope there will be other challenging opportunities for yourself in the future.

Be genuinely pleased for his success.  While it may seem counterintuitive, allow yourself to be even more open and transparent around your boss.  You might find it helpful to have a candid discussion regarding your desire to work effectively with him and the company – as you are, like him, committed to the growth and profitability of the company.  Ideally, this will diminish the awkwardness between you and it will also aid in strengthening your relationship.

Ask yourself: “How do I leverage the situation for good?”

3)    Be vulnerable and open to change. Your former peer may feel that it is important to reset the relationship by being tougher with you, initially.  When assertively confronted with an approach different than your own, for instance, you might use language such as, “You may be right.  What else should I consider?”   Challenge his thinking in a positive, non-emotional, straightforward, yet collaborative manner.  If he is sensitive to being challenged directly in meetings, express your viewpoints with him prior to or after meetings.  Discuss ways to create healthy feedback and a problem-solving, collaborative style between the two of you.

Ask yourself:  “How do I manage my vulnerability and move things forward?”

4)    Objectively evaluate your gaps and shortcomings. This may be a good time to evaluate what might have been the deciding factors on his behalf that led to his getting the promotion, and not yourself.  Critically identify any limiting factors in your own skill sets or personality that contributed to your being passed over.  What areas might you need to strengthen in order to achieve the next level of success?  Depending on your position, it might make sense to meet with an executive who occupies a role at least two or three levels above yourself.  The point being – don’t be a victim; own the outcome that you have created, albeit unconsciously.  The single greatest reason for a peer getting ahead of you, talent notwithstanding, is the visibility and level of endorsement that this executive has versus yourself. If you didn’t get the nod, learn from it.  Take responsibility for your successes, as well as your setbacks, as that’s where the true learning takes place.

Ask yourself:  “What 1-3 key areas do I want to embrace?”

5)    Lighten up. If you are upset, where might you be withholding your support from your boss and minimizing his strengths?  Make sure that your own disappointment is not routinely contributing to your negatively judging his leadership methods or behavior.   Find ways to genuinely respect his strengths.  Since he got the promotion, others must recognize and respect his attributes.  What strengths might they have seen?  What would your attitude toward him be if you saw his talents as clearly as others did?

Ask yourself:  “If the situation were reversed and I were the boss, what attributes would I most admire and respect of his?”

6)    Be like Radar. If you recall, Radar was the uber-efficient Army company clerk in the hit TV series, M.A.S.H.  His company commanders never had to ask him for anything, as his anticipatory skills were phenomenal.  By raising your awareness of what your new boss needs and wants, you will significantly diffuse his need for unwanted control.  Also, consider: what are those things that you do / don’t do that trigger behavior that you don’t like?  The simplest way to support him is to Anticipate, Prepare, and Initiate Action.

Ask yourself:  “What does my new boss want and need?”

7)    Let your talents shine. What are your key skills and abilities?  What personal and professional capabilities and strengths do you have that would complement your boss?  Ask him what he needs from you for him to be even more successful in his new role.  Tell him that you’d like to partner together to make the organization wildly successful.  Be an advocate for him and for the success of the company.

Ask yourself:  “What strengths do I have that complement my boss?”

8)    What do you need to succeed? Make specific requests of him to help you be even more successful, serving the greater organizational good.  How can you build greater endorsement and support for one of your initiatives that he considers to be important?  Consider getting counseling and mentoring from other senior leaders in the organization and begin to build broader endorsement for yourself.  Where else and how else might you grow your career and contribute to the organization?

Ask yourself: “What is the one significant thing I need to do differently to succeed?”

9)    Really get to know him outside of the office. Spend time with him on business trips or association meetings.  If he is a decent speaker, recommend him to address your industry’s national meeting, for instance.  By doing so, you would be clearly communicating that you are lifting him up and acknowledging him in his new role.   It is a great way to rebuild natural bonds and to understand intentionality without the politics internal to the office.

Ask yourself:  “What is the best way to comfortably and genuinely make this connection?”

10)    Seek to learn . . . about yourself and others. View this experience as a phenomenal opportunity to be increasingly aware of the empowering and disempowering beliefs and behaviors that drive you, positively and negatively.  Examine the extent to which you might be operating out of an entitlement mentality, and shift to a posture of self  accountability, self-management, learning, and growth.  Start asking yourself, ”How do I really feel about my peer’s promotion?  What meaning am I attaching to this situation?”  If you harbor any disempowering emotions, beliefs or behaviors surrounding the event or the players, you might objectively evaluate the adverse impact on you and others.  Then decide, act, and commit.

Ask yourself:  “What are my two most startling epiphanies surrounding this issue?”

BOTTOM LINE:

Based on our experience working with thousands of executives, the percentage of individuals who leave their companies after being passed over for promotion is in excess of 90%.  If you want to remain in your organization after losing out on a promotion, then you need to embrace these tips and significantly modify your mindset and behavior, lest you become part of that 90% statistic.

If you’d like to talk to me about this article or your situation, you can reach me at clydel@robertsonlowstuter.com.

I recently read an article that explored the perils of expressing oneself – or unknowingly being represented – via social media and other internet venues.  The article, entitled “The Web Means the End of Forgetting,” appeared in The New York Times several months ago, authored by law professor Jeffrey Rosen.   What struck me the most about the article was the notion that the development of our identity occurs as we engage in electronic communication – be it social or professional media or otherwise.

Identity can be both the instigator and the outcome of internet communication, even as identity shapes and is shaped by our life experiences.  Some aspects of this identity are under our control; some may be beyond our influence.  For instance, my height is something over which I have limited control.  I can wear heels to boost me up a few inches, but ultimately that doesn’t change the fact that I’m 5’2”; it’s a part of my identity.  On the web, I can make myself look taller with just the right photographic perspective, but when you meet me, there is no denying the truth.

You may be wondering, “What does all this have to do with career transition?”  Rosen would tell you that the connection between identity, internet, and job search is powerful, knowing that hiring parties of all sorts can do a quick Google search to find out who you “really” are—or how you portray yourself online.

In today’s world, it is not a question of whether or not we use the internet in some aspect of our job search.  Rather, the question is:  what principles underlie our electronic engagement in the job market?

So as you face the electronic day, here are a few items for personal reflection, to refine your purposes before you hit “comment,” “post,” or “send.”  Ask yourself:

1)      What do I want to communicate about myself?

• With regard to my qualifications and experience?
• With regard to my career goals?
• With regard to my family and personal life?

2)      How do I best align my methods & style of communication with my values?

3)      Who is the audience I am expecting to read this?  Who else might have access to this information?

4)      What are the best e-venues for engaging in my job search?

5)      How can I best leverage professional media for networking purposes?  How will I know when my attempts to network prove self-serving or self-destructive?

6)      What are the potential repercussions in my job search if I say too much of the wrong thing?

7)      Which friend or trusted colleague can partner with me in honesty and accountability to ensure I represent myself well?

When it comes to communicating in the digital age, how and what you communicate is largely up to you.  You may protect your job search by tempering your online comments or by simply refraining from participating online.  Like anything, you’ll likely find that electronic communication—via email, professional networking media, or blogging—can be good or bad.  And at the end of the day, the recruiter or interviewer will have a chance to meet you and see for themselves who you really are.

• Be insatiably curious.  Ask yourself, “What if?” and “What’s another perspective?” at least once a day.
• Use mindmapping to consider broader options.
• Recast your limiting or disempowering beliefs and behaviors to achieve a better result.
• Take others to lunch, get to know what they do well.
• Plan every personal encounter with your end goal in mind.
• Listen to the voice of your customers as you problem-solve and before you make your decisions.
• In every way, “Create Uncommon Results!”
• Creative ideas often come by adding some play into your day.  Take a break and see what happens.  Learn by walking around.  We rely on computers too much.
• Build your digital identity and brand . . . one article at a time.
• Expand your accomplishments.  Think about who else could benefit from knowing what you have just done or learned.
• Pay it forward.  Consistently deliver random acts of kindness with no expectations of anything in return.
• Brain Game:

I wave without hands.  My storms never rain.
I like being teased, but please do not drain.
You can pick me in public,
I’m racked without pain,
Scans may detect damage,
whether left, right, or main.
Don’t call me a bird.
Matter not.  Won’t complain.
DNR me . . . I’m dead.
Indeed, I’m your _ _ _ _ _.
Dr. Jack Maggiore, Chief Statistic Officer
Health Life Laboratories

• Everything in life is a learning opportunity – seek to grow positively from it.
• Optimize the strength of your existing brand by being crystal clear on your vision and by operating authentically.
• Determine new ways of applying what you already do well.
• Dare to be more.  Think in bigger terms.  What would you believe and how would you act if you knew you could not fail?
• Access multiple perspectives by asking yourself, “How would my boss handle this?  My peer?”
• Brainstorm with others.  Your collaboration will easily take your solution to the next level and build endorsement and credibility along the way.
• Know what specific difference you want to make in your organization and then give it your all.
• Take 15 minutes at the close of your day to plan the key priorities for the next day.  That way, you will come in more focused and ready to go.
• Build momentum by creating a high sense of urgency in all you do.  Speed is a competitive advantage.
• Master your role.  Ask for feedback, “How can I/my team be even more effective?”
• Calculate your risks and then act.
• Master thinking strategically and operating tactically.
• Create customer evangelists based on real value-add who will then do the marketing for you.

We encourage you to take one or two of the ideas above and meaningfully incorporate it into your business practices, remembering that connections indeed boost creativity!

For those of you who attend a fitness class, I bet you have a great teacher or instructor.  Whether it is their personality, expertise, or personalized instruction, one or all of those factors make your workout fun and enjoyable; if you really don’t like your teacher, I doubt you’ll keep going.   So, imagine my surprise when I went into my favorite yoga class and found no teacher.  The culprit:  A scheduling error. 12 people were ready for Sunday yoga practice with no one to lead.

Before I had time to roll up my yoga mat and resign to working out on my own, one of my fellow classmates, Howard, suggested that we teach the class together.  At first I thought, ‘This is our club’s responsibility and that’s why I pay them.’  However, I also quickly concluded that there were 10 other yoga students that would be denied their class as well.  So, Howard and I agreed and we moved our mats to the front of the class and began to teach.

What happened?  Real-time leadership.  Both Howard and I were presented with a situation where we knew action was needed.  Neither he nor I are trained as yoga instructors, but we both know a bit of yoga and instinctively felt that we could do this…together.  While I was instructing the group on a set of moves, Howard was ready with another sequence of moves when I concluded.

In essence, real-time leadership is about taking control of some event that is unplanned or unforeseen.  It takes quick thinking and action when you least think you’re ready or needed to do something.  The bigger the risk, the more courage it takes.  Real-time leadership is a defining moment in time; it defines who we are and the lives we impact.  It also changes our boundaries of what is possible.  It certainly required Howard and I to stretch ourselves and step into the role of leaders.

The truth is, there are many opportunities for real-time leadership.  This is just a short list:

• Kids/elderly parents in emergency situations;
• Damaging storms/weather/flooding/blackouts;
• Medical emergencies at local coffee shops, bars, or wherever;
• Hostile/terrorist events (train stations, planes, large gatherings, etc.);
• Stepping in to mediate a conflict situation at work.

In addition to the yoga example, I will always remember my 96-year old Grandfather answering a reporter’s questions about how he shot an intruder in his home through his locked bedroom door.  He smiled and answered:  “When you’re a doctor, you have to think fast and act faster.”  His quick real-time leadership caused both intruders to flee his house, keeping his wife and himself safe.  It also enabled the police to arrest one of the intruders 45-minutes later in a local ER while being treated for a gunshot wound to the abdomen.  The reality: we are all leaders when we assume the responsibility for an outcome, regardless of our age, gender, education, or formal organizational role.

Feel free to share your experience about a circumstance in which you demonstrated real-time leadership, particularly in a business setting.   What preconceived beliefs about yourself did you have to re-assess and shift?  What was the outcome?  Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

Oh, and in case you are interested on how our yoga class turned out…it was great!

Ambius, the world’s largest provider of interior landscaping and maintenance services, receives over 12,000 customer payments a month by check from businesses around the country.  While we continue to try to move customers to electronic payment methods, over 90% of our B-to-B customers continue to pay with physical checks to control cash flow and document approvals.  As CFO, I recognized that the cost of continuing to utilize the traditional bank lockbox solution was becoming cost prohibitive and I knew there had to be a better solution.

Our Challenge
Customer payments were sent to Ambius via our post office box maintained by our bank.  Payments received were physically transported at least once daily to the bank for processing by their lockbox department.  Bank personnel then had to open the mail, sort, enter, and scan the check and any remittance stub, ultimately creating an electronic file of payments received.  This file was transmitted electronically to the company for payments to be applied against the company’s outstanding accounts receivable file.  One third of the companies failed to include the remittance advice, or included only partial information.  These exceptions left the bank with an onerous task of deciphering them for proper application.  Indecipherable submissions were photocopied and sent to Ambius for manual review and processing.  The bank added extra fees for handling these exceptions, and exceptions slowed down the proper matching to our customer records.  With the bank pressing for even higher fees associated with invoice file matching and check imaging, I knew I needed to look for alternative solutions.

A Solution
The key to success was to dramatically improve the process.  I researched the market and found a highly qualified supplier of bank lockbox processing software that was willing to explore the commercial market.  Tangent Systems agreed to work with Ambius to tailor their existing software  to work in a commercial environment.  Tangent developed a turnkey DocuTran system within weeks.

Customers now send payments directly to Ambius’ own post office box and we contract for daily delivery by courier each morning to the company.  Mail must be opened, and “clean” remittances are separated from those that require extra handling.  Payments are batched in groups and fed through the telephone-sized check transport machine.  DocuTran automatically checks Ambius’ database of invoices, confirms the invoice number, and extracts the account number and invoice dollar amount – an important step in the system’s quality control that immediately catches any operator errors.  The check amounts are read automatically by CAR/LAR (Courtesy Amount Recognition/Legal Amount Recognition) and balanced.  DocuTran then electronically updates the individual accounts receivable records.

Furthermore, we enhanced the system so that physical checks are no longer sent to the bank for deposit.  The bank only receives an electronic file from us daily, which improved our float, further reduced labor for processing, and lowered the deposit cost for each item.  This approach has improved efficiency at Ambius by:

•    Addressing exceptions quickly;
•    Reducing the data entry burden;
•    Improving internal and external customer service;
•    Eliminating next-day posting errors;
•    Providing remote access to historical information at other Ambius branches; and
•    Improving DSO by approximately four days.

Return on investment was extremely high, with full payback in less than six months.  We achieved a cost reduction in labor and bank fees in excess of $150,000 annually.  Improvement in bank float by a full day further enhanced our savings.

Bank lockbox pricing clearly does not reflect the reality of what this new, simplified technology can provide.  I believe anyone with more than 2,500 checks per week would benefit from this solution.  There is no question that in-house processing will dramatically improve quality, decrease cost, and improve your customer satisfaction.  The only people that should be concerned are the banks.

In Part I, we explored the signs that a career is derailing.  If this is the case for you, what can be done to regain control?  The following 10 steps are a place to start.

1.  Take Complete Responsibility for Your . . . Career.   Don’t seek nor expect others to advance your career.   It’s your responsibility, your challenge, your joy.  Note what is working well and what is not.  Fine-tune your career focus, leverage your talents, and get energized.  Employ the adage, “If it is to be, it’s up to me!”

2.  Conduct an Inventory.  Objectively assess your success in light of the vision you have for your career against the role you currently occupy, the results you’ve achieved, your compensation, your contributions, and your level of satisfaction.

3. Calibrate Reality by Securing Feedback.  Ask confident and successful colleagues to candidly comment on how they see your contributions against your current role, leadership capabilities, and interpersonal skills.  Use this feedback as a reality check to calibrate what you can modify to improve your overall effectiveness.

4.  Build Your Brand.  Simply put, who you are is your brand.  Your brand is a compilation of your talents, skills, abilities, track record of accomplishments, behavior, and attitude.   Assess how you are currently perceived, determine the impact of your brand, and commit to continually improving your image, talents, and skills.

5.  Envision Your Future Career State.  Imagine yourself in your career 10 years in the future.  Imagine yourself being happy, successful, financially set, and having quality, meaningful working relationships with your colleagues who admire and respect you.  When you envision this future state what images, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors come to mind?  Ask yourself:  what role do I occupy?  What are my primary responsibilities?  What is my total compensation? What additional skills am I presently enhancing?

What’s the Delta?  Assess gaps in: role, responsibilities, reporting relationship, staff, professional/personal skills, relationships, and results achieved, passions, and most importantly, career/job satisfaction.

Closing the Gaps.  Observe what other capable leaders do.  Experiment and fine-tune your own thoughts, feelings, and behavior until you are able to consistently replicate your successes.  What can you do right now to begin to close these gaps and get on the right track, taking control of your career and your life?  In 48 hours?  In 30 days?  In 6 months?  In 12 months?

6.  Develop and Execute Strategies to Enhance Your Career.  Identify your short / long-term career and leadership mastery goals.  Outline major milestones and conduct a S.W.A.T. analysis highlighting roadblocks, accelerants, P&L impact, and specific accountabilities.

7.  Commit to Your Success.  Tell others of your commitments.  Your word is your pledge.  It is a declaration of what you promise you’ll deliver.  You are bound to your commitment.   Be reliable.  Be trustworthy.

8.  Gain Leverage on Your Commitment to Change.  Ask Yourself: What has worked in the past?  What will work now?  What will my career and life be like if I don’t achieve my (career, financial, relationship, and health) goals?  In 1 year?  In 5 years?  What will my career and life be like if I do achieve my (career, financial, relationship, and health) goals?  In 1 year?  In 5 years?

Don’t ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.  Because what the world needs, is people who have come alive.          Howard Thurman

9.  Objectively Evaluate Your Progress.  Assess how well you are progressing on a monthly basis.  Keep your “report card” simple:  identify the 5 most important career elements and grade yourself against a simple criteria (↑  means I’m ahead of my plans and exceeding my expectations; ↓ means I’m falling behind in my skill advancement;  and ↔ means I’m in neutral – somewhat stuck in my learning and results achieved.)  Use your grade to pinpoint areas for targeted development.

10. Create an Advisory Group.  Enlist 2-3 executives to help you in advancing your career and leadership skills.  It is very empowering to ask for and receive candid advice regarding significant career milestones.  Quite frankly, others will see things you don’t see.  The role of your Advisory Group is to:  (1) provide feedback to you on issues you may not fully be aware of; (2) challenge you to stretch and grow in your thinking and behavior; and (3) be a  sounding board against which you can safely “think out loud.”

Best wishes in your career success!

The turmoil and churn in the executive ranks in America and abroad is constant and increasing. From Robertson Lowstuter’s experience, career longevity for executives is a startling 3 years or less. What is driving this executive turnover?  Massive downsizings, cost reductions, marketplace pressures, less tolerant Boards of Directors, changes in top leadership, widespread outsourcing, new global competition, mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances, and focus on quarterly results.

Unwittingly, companies have communicated that executives need to take charge of their own careers and seek advancement and job security inside and outside of their current employers.

BE PROACTIVE.  SEIZE YOUR CAREER

Rigorous annual check-ups will help you objectively read your career’s vital signs.  Assess your capabilities in light of your contributions, organizational support, advancement, political agility, and compensation.  Sitting in a job too long is similar to ignoring the signs of high cholesterol or sky-rocketing blood pressure; they’re ticking time-bombs.  If you are a long-service employee, consider what it would take to revitalize your career.

SIGNS OF CAREER DERAILMENT

Instant Gratification:
There’s no denying it; we have largely become addicted to instant gratification. The notion of “paying your dues” or honing your craft and expertise over time, while gaining wisdom, is a foreign concept for many people.  Few executives are deeply committed to “walking the talk” and to mastering those skills that build accountable, collaborative, and interdependent relationships.

Sense of Entitlement:
Entitlement is related to Instant Gratification.  “Not only do I want it now, I deserve to have it.  I’m worth it, after all, I’m unique and special.”  Early in my career I got zapped from a job and company that I loved, not because I wasn’t competent, rather because I zigged and my boss zagged.  I suspect that I didn’t modify my behavior or attitude because I felt that my performance and “personal charisma” were enough.  In effect, I felt entitled.

Displaced Responsibility:
In my case, I blamed my boss for my termination.  My performance as a victim was flawless; indeed, worthy of a standing ovation.  In short order, I eventually came to the realization that I, alone, authored the script for my exit.  I am the one who was too confrontational and didn’t take responsibility for the unintended impact on my boss and others.  Once I took full accountability, I was instantly able to revitalize my world.

Interestingly, we found that many of our executive clients in transition are outraged when they are terminated.  However, with a bit of probing they admit that they did not manage their relationships with their boss, or peers, or the board well enough to gain widespread organizational endorsement.  They were upset that the company pulled the trigger before they did.  Additionally, these terminated executives also admitted that they weren’t as productive, creative, or as committed as they once were.  In essence, they had, like me, emotionally left the company, in essence, though not physically.

Shallow Thinking:
Time and time again, I have seen evidence of the fact that people do not think deeply enough about what their roadblocks and accelerants to success are.  I believe that people know when they are stalled, stuck or derailing, albeit it may be at the unconscious level.  If you have ever been in this situation, you might have known what to do (build stronger rapport with your boss, for instance), but you might not have known how to do so.

Inauthentic Leaders:
Fear is commonplace in the C-Suite. If you don’t manage how you communicate or behave toward your boss or other leaders, you could easily trigger an adverse reaction.  Change – real or perceived – will trigger an instantaneous attitudinal response of threat with the behavioral response that is defensive.  Whether you chose to fight or flee is dependent on your own attitude and the meanings that you attach to being confronted by this change.

Generally, inauthentic leaders are not known for responding well to being challenged nor are they skilled at developing others.  Certainly they do not address derailing executives very well.  On the other hand, authentic leaders love independent thinkers as they know it is the path to personal growth.  They invariably view confrontation or change as a learning opportunity.  Authentic leaders are insatiably curious and gently probe, observe, hypothesize, and reflect on what and why things transpired the way they did.

Ambiguous Leadership Climate and  Organization Culture:
By definition, when ambiguity is present, so is uncertainty.  Uncertainty leads to stress and declining performance if the stress is perceived as overwhelming.  Some people thrive in pressure-prompted environments; others are paralyzed by them.  It is essential that you identify what leadership climates and organizational cultures you thrive in.  Learn how to master yourself and the people and company dynamics in which you are employed.  If you’ve diligently applied yourself to changing, and your relationships and the conditions remain toxic, then it may be best for you to exit.  If you stay against your better judgment, or stay for the wrong reasons, you will probably dull your boldness, confidence, and inventiveness. . . and ultimately, your performance.

After observing the signs listed above to assess your career’s vital signs, what are some positive steps you can make to Take Charge of Your Career and Life?  Stay tuned for Part 2.