Bouncing Back from “Bad” Feedback

Written by: Julie Cohen

Article Overview: Feedback is someone’s perception of you, it is not you. You get to evaluate its accuracy and meaningfulness. What you do with the feedback is up to you. You can evaluate it, act on it or ignore it. If it comes from a supervisor or employer, you may be required to make changes, but you can choose how to approach it.

Feedback has an effect on you whether you’re receiving it from an annual performance review, a 360 feedback assessment, or a seemingly well-intentioned comment from a supervisor or colleague. Your interpretation of the feedback depends on a multitude of factors including the source, the content, the intention, your ability to change in relation to the feedback, and how you’re feeling when you receive it.

How to Find a Job in One Day

By Lisa Johnson Mandell

“Just tell us how to get a job!” you’ve implored us at AOL Jobs, and we listened. We’re getting out the heavy artillery for you by posting the “One-Day Career Makeover” from the book ‘Career Comeback–Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want.’ It’s a makeover you can give yourself at home, so it costs very little, if anything — and you can do it no matter where you live. In just one day, it can put you head and shoulders above your competition.

Dare we say it? It can even be fun, if you do it right. This doesn’t have to be an expensive, laborious, months-long process: Everything can be completed in a lively eight hours, the equivalent of one normal work day. Recently, Kristen went from looking like a fun mom to a fund raiser in a matter of hours. This recently divorced mother of three needed to re-enter the working world fast, and in only one day she was ready.

“I hadn’t had a full time job outside the home in years–I was busy at home raising my kids,” she said. “Everything had changed 180 degrees since last time I looked for work. It’s overwhelming trying to figure out even where to start. This immediately got me going in the right direction.”

Kristen’s small son had recently battled cancer, and she decided she would like to work for a non-profit organization to help raise funds and comfort families. She needed to know how to incorporate her invaluable personal experience in her professional resume, how to use social networking to reach out to potential donors and sponsors and how to dress professionally to approach them in person. She was able to accomplish all of this and more in just one day.

Even if you already have a job, you might be worried about hanging onto it. Why not set aside a Saturday to give yourself this one-day career makeover, so you’ll be ready to start a job search if, god forbid, you get laid off. It never hurts to reconnect with old (and possibly influential friends) This is also a helpful exercise if you’re happily employed and seeking a promotion.

“Once I started suddenly dressing better for work and sharpening my image,” said Anne, who prefers not to give her full name so as not to tip her hand, “people thought I was going on interviews for other jobs. Within two weeks my bossed called me in, asked me if I was happy, and offered me a raise and a promotion–even in this economy! It was great!”

Who knows? Once you complete these steps, you just might wake up the next morning and find, waiting patiently in your e-mail box, a few job opportunities from employers who are looking for you!

Here’s your agenda:

8-10AM: Spend two hours producing a killer resume, highlighting your special skills and eliminating work experience that is irrelevant to the types of positions you’re currently seeking. You might want to create a few different resumes, if you’re applying for diverse jobs in different fields. See emurse.com for answers to all your resume questions, as well as resume templates and useful examples and tips.

10AM: Start the physical process. If you’re feeling flush, go for a blow dry if you’re a woman or a haircut and/or shave if you’re a man, at your favorite (budget) salon. If you’re watching your pennies, wash, dry and style your hair at home so you look your best

11AM: Women: Have your makeup done for free at the makeup counter in your favorite department store. You might want to at least buy a lip-gloss to thank them. If you’re doing the home-version of this makeover, carefully do your makeup in-house, as if you were going to an important event. Men: Take this time to shave and trim any unruly facial hair.

Noon: Select a fresh, hip, outfit from your closet. Make sure there are pops of color in it — no plain white shirts, or a boring cream shirt and black jacket combos. Feel free to use the news anchor’s trick of wearing a colorful shirt/top and/or tie with jeans or sweats underneath — you’re only going to be shooting head and shoulders. No big prints, and no busy backgrounds. It’s best to stand against a plain colored or brick wall, so no one will be able to tell where you are. Once you look your absolute best, have a friend, spouse, neighbor, whomever, snap several digital photos and download the best on your home computer.

1PM: Serve your photographer lunch — it’s the least you can do for his or her services. While you’re eating, have your photographer proof your resume. You should NEVER send it out without having at least one other person proof it.

2PM: Select an elegant business card template from one of the many free online providers like Vistaprint.com or Bizcard.com. Some sites will print the cards for you free — all you have to do is pay postage. You’ll want these cards to have your name, your e-mail address, and your phone number. No street address, and only include your profession or the position you’re seeking if you have something very specific in mind. Otherwise, leave it open.

3PM: Start your own blog so it will be easy for employers to find you online. Post that fabulous digital photo you just took and a professional profile using information from your new resume. Also, provide snippets, tips and teases from any online articles about your profession that you’ve read recently. Make sure you provide a link to the original article. A few sites that offer free blogs include blog.com, blogger.com and blogster.com.

4PM: Begin your social networking campaign. Post that flattering photo on LinkedIn.com, and fill in all the professional information that site allows you to. Remember to use the job title you’re seeking quite a few times, so that recruiters who are searching for people in your field can find you easily. Send connection requests to people who work for companies you admire. You can do the same thing on a professional Facebook page. If you already have a personal Facebook page, start a professional one that has no pix of your kids, pets or any references to Farmville or Mafia Wars, etc. Find connections and friends in alumni groups, former employer groups and special professional interest groups on these sites, and any other networking sites that pertain to your profession. Search old yearbooks and company directories for ideas about connections.

5PM-on: Step away from the computer. Relax on the couch, kick your shoes off, pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage and indulge yourself with some mindless TV, reveling in the knowledge that even while you’re sleeping, prospective employers could be searching for you, finding you, and praying that you’ll take the job they’re offering.

“It was a lot of work, and it was tiring, but it was actually a lot of fun,” says Kristen. “When you look good, you feel good. I wasn’t at all ready to go out and find a job before, but now, it’s definitely time! I feel really confident!”

You can get more information about each of these steps in the book ‘Career Comeback–Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want.’ But if you’re eager to get started right away, just do a search for the parts you want to clarify on AOL Jobs. Happy (and fast) job hunting!

Source: http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/08/26/how-to-find-a-job-in/

Bad Day at Work? 10 Tips to Help You Make It Through

By Aaron Crowe

Work is stressful. There are deadlines to meet, bosses to please, customers to help, and it can feel like people are pulling you from every direction. Before you have a Steven Slater meltdown and pull the emergency chute — whatever it may be at your workplace — take time to reflect and find ways to survive your worst days at work.

Here are our top 10 tips for surviving your worst work days. U.S. News & World Report has 40 others, but we’ll just expand on the highlights.

1. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

Everyone wants to look like a superhero at work who can get everything done. But there are only 40 hours in a work week, so don’t take on too much or you’ll look worse for not getting it all done. Your boss will be disappointed when you can’t get the job done in time, so it’s best to think ahead on this recommendation and not promise something you can’t complete.

2. Take regular breaks.

Work is mentally and physically tiring, so taking a few 10-15 minute breaks throughout the day can re-energize you and make getting back to work a lot easier. Take a walk around the block. Federal law requires that they be paid breaks, so don’t let your employer hassle you for taking them.

3. Don’t skip breakfast or lunch.

Just like a child in school, regular meals are important to keep the mind and body working at work. If you’re having a bad day at work and feel stressed, think about whether you skipped a meal on that day. Chances are you did and were too rushed to eat. Mom was right: Breakfast is important.

4. Make some friends and allies at work.

This will help lower your stress by knowing you have someone covering your back if something goes wrong and you’re not there to hear it. At a time when layoffs are common, it’s a good idea to have someone in your corner who will speak up about the great work you do if a list of employees to be laid off is being formed. Start by meeting regularly with your immediate supervisor and letting them know each week what you’re up to and how you will accomplish your shared goals for the week. Then start meeting with higher-up bosses and ask if they’ll mentor you.

5. Stop trying to multitask.

You may think you’re saving time by writing an e-mail, reading a report and talking on the phone at the same time, but you’re not. Research shows that doing multiple tasks at once is more time consuming and can harm your health. You want to do a lot of work, but you also want to do it well.

6. Remind yourself of what’s really important in life.

Photos of your family on your desk can help remind you, but if you’re away from your desk, stop and take a breath and remember what’s most important in your life. Your children, for example, are more important than the most stressful work task. Your purpose in life isn’t to get stressed at work.

7. Seek work that suits your personality.

Maybe dealing with inconsiderate people in an airplane and trying to referee fights over overhead bins isn’t suited for you. If you’re in a job that doesn’t feel right, then start exploring jobs that match how you work best. Do you like to work alone? Do you work best in groups? Whatever your personality, there’s a job to match it.

8. Learn to manage your boss.

This is a tough one, but if you can figure out how to manage your boss, your life will be a lot easier. It will take some trial and error, and learning from other employees, but it will keep him or her out of your hair and allow you to do your work to your best abilities. Find out if your boss is a micromanager and wants constant updates; if so, provide them. If your boss is more hands off, then enjoy it and find out how often they want to know what you’re up to. Empathize with your boss to help them become better at what they do.

9. Get a hobby that makes you happy.

Just like reminding yourself what’s really important when you’re stressed out at work, having a hobby to get to when you get home can make the problems at work less of a headache. This step includes having a life outside of work, meaning you’re not working long hours and have something to talk about other than what’s going on at work. Find a sport, reading group or anything else that relaxes you to keep you occupied with anything other than work when you’re away from work.

10. Ask for help when you need it.

Unlike the JetBlue flight attendant, you don’t have to deal by yourself with a problem. Slater could have asked another flight attendant for help, but he pulled an emergency chute and escaped with beers in hand. If you’re overwhelmed at work, ask for help. You’d be surprised at how many co-workers will come forward to help out. When asking someone to join your project, be sure to remind them that you “owe them one” when they need help.

If none of those tips works and you’re still getting frustrated at the little things at work, then it may be time for some counseling.

Source: http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/09/06/work-stress/

In Presentations, Learn to Say Less

Ron Ashkenas

Ron Ashkenas is a managing partner of Schaffer Consulting and a co-author of The GE Work-Out and The Boundaryless Organization. His latest book is Simply Effective.

Imagine that you had 30 seconds instead of 30 minutes at the next executive staff meeting to get your message across. Would you be able to focus your energy on the most compelling way to convey your most important thought?

Honestly, many of us would be flustered by the limitations. But the ability to sharpen an idea so it can be communicated quickly and effectively is becoming critical. In most organizations today, information has expanded while time for analysis and decision-making has shrunk. We can’t afford to wade through reams of material and convoluted arguments. We need to get to the core of an issue as quickly as possible.

But zeroing in is not easy. I once sat through a lengthy presentation where the senior manager politely asked the presenter to summarize his point in one or two sentences. The presenter looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Without his slides, notes, charts, and illustrations he was lost. And the presence of all those props was losing everyone else: After the meeting, the general consensus was that the presentation was unclear.

Why is it so difficult for people to get to the point? Certainly it’s not a lack of examples: We are constantly bombarded by sound bites and tweets, all of which convey short bursts of focused information. Yet the skill to turn a “presentation” into a “tweet” remains elusive for many. Let me suggest two largely unconscious reasons for this recurring pattern: Too much data and too little self-confidence.

Managers often deal with problems that have no right answer, which leads us to collect more and more data. Eventually, when the deadline arrives and we still don’t have a clear answer, we end up presenting stories, facts, figures, and other interesting tidbits hoping that someone else will be able to make sense out of this ambiguity.

But even if our analysis does lead to a conclusion, many managers lack the self-confidence to state it and stand behind it. What if a senior person disagrees? Will the message upset someone? With these doubts in mind, many of us hedge our bets, avoid uncomfortable discussions, and surround the message with so much fluff that the real conclusion is barely visible.

So how can you get better at clearly conveying a message or helping your people develop this skill? Start with these steps to get it right:

1. When you prepare a presentation, work backwards. Start with the key message or takeaway that you want to convey. Then imagine that you had to send that message via Twitter instead of using slides, charts, documents, and discussions. Force yourself to summarize your key points in no more than 140 characters. Based on that focus, then think through what other information you’ll need as backup and support.
2. Practice making your presentation without any slides or other supporting materials — and limit the time to six minutes. Think of it as a TED talk that’s going be watched by millions of people on YouTube. Doing this (and getting a friend to capture it on video) will force you to be very clear about what you want to say and how to say it with conviction and zest.
3. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience and imagine how they might react to your condensed message. What questions will they ask and what concerns might they have? How will you address these, and how open will you be to alternatives? Speculating about these scenarios ahead of time will give you confidence to state your position clearly and respond to audience feedback.

It’s not easy to say less and convey more. But if you learn how to do it well, you’ll have much more impact on your audience and on your organization

Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/ashkenas/2012/01/in-presentations-learn-to-say.html

Friday Humor: Did You Back Up?