It’s tempting to fall in with the masses and set New Year resolutions. I have never been one for resolutions. Instead, I prefer GOALS. Goals have a purpose behind them. And, I don’t think goals have to be BIG GOALS. Why not set smaller goals that build up and amount to something more, like filling a jar with pebbles. Eventually, you’ll fill the jar.
So, here is my list of suggestions from my years of coaching and my own self-improvement. Pick just one, two, or be bold and choose 5! This time next year, you’ll be filled with satisfaction at what you’ve achieved.

1. Gratitude journal. You have probably heard about these recently. I love this practice. Each night, before I go to sleep, I take a moment to write down 3 things I’m grateful for. Even through extraordinarily tough times this year, I managed to be grateful for what I had. It helps you focus on the abundance in your life. Remember, what you focus on grows. If you focus on the negative, you will bring more negative to your life. Having a gratitude journal turns your attention to the positive and helps it grow.
   
2. Take up a hobby that’s always intrigued you. What is that hobby that’s you’ve always thought you’d enjoy learning one day? Mine is glassblowing. Take a class. See if you like it. There is nothing like letting the creative juices flow to help you feel renewed after a tough day at the office.
   
3. Take a class related to your work to enhance you knowledge and skills. Many of us want to progress in our career. Often, that requires some additional learning. As a learning junkie myself, I can’t help but find new things to learn. For others, you need to put some effort forth. And, don’t wait for your employer to offer something. It’s YOUR career. YOU own it, so make a commitment to yourself and learn something new!
   
4. Plan a long weekend twice a year. So many people tell me they are too busy to take a vacation. I’ve never been that person, and not quite sure I buy that, but everyone can take a few days away from the office. And don’t take them at home. You’ll be too tempted to get all your chores done. No, plan a short trip out of town. It might just be an hour drive away, or a 2 hour plane trip, but you’ll be away from home and able to rejuvenate. And the bonus? Three days away will feel like 7! You need downtime away from all the cares of the world. If you can’t fit in a full week, do yourself, your family and your job performance a favor and invest in some serious time away.
   
5. Make a vision board. This is one of my favorite things. As stated above, what you focus on grows. I keep a vision board in my office, in plain view. On it, I write goals, big audacious goals, along with statements of affirmation. Some people like to include photos. Make it your own and post it somewhere you can see it frequently.​
   
6. Read a book a month. Everything you want to learn in life is available in a book. Prefer audio books? Well, that’s fine. I like the feel of a real book in my hands. And, you’ve heard how people like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates devour books. Some believe it’s the secret to success. As I said, I love to learn, so I always keep a pile of books ready to work my way through. Maybe a book a month is aggressive for you. Ok, make it 6 books a year, whatever works for you. Just make it a stretch and do it.

 
I’m sure you can find other simple goals you can set for yourself. By making several smaller goals, you’ll be able to keep up with them, and in the end, you’ll be better off for it. And, you’ll be proud that you were able to stick with it for the entire year!
 
What’s your favorite goal to set? Let me know what you decided to do, and then next December, let me know how you did!

Do you have a plan for your retirement? Oh sure, you may have a 401(k), a stock portfolio and a ROTH IRA, but do you have a PLAN? Retirement no longer means a rocking chair on the front porch passing the time. With 10,000 baby boomers reach age 65 each day, we have the largest active retirement population ever. The boomers continue to shape each generation as this huge wave of 79 million people rolls into retirement. ‘Retirees’ are still young and have 20-30 years of activity ahead of them. How are you planning to use that time?

That’s where retirement coaching can help. We begin with an assessment of what factors may need attention. The six arenas include: Health & Wellness, Leisure, Spirituality, Work Identity, Finance, Family and Personal Development. These 6 factors are intertwined and critical to a successful, fulfilling retirement. With all the focus on financial planning, the remaining 5 get lost in the shuffle.
People no longer retire with a gold watch and head off to sit in a chair for the remaining 30 years of life. No, they want to be active and engaged. But, what does that look like and how do you define it for yourself? The stronger your work identity, the stronger your need to find meaningful activity in retirement.

Retirement is often bucket list time. Time to travel to all those places you’ve always dreamed of, learn that new hobby that’s always interested you, find the time to spend with family and loved ones. But, have you figured out how to make that all happen? If your dream is to travel in retirement, but you’ve got aging parents or adult children in need of your help, you’ll need to find creative solutions to make your dreams come true while fulfilling your obligations.

No, retirement is no longer simple. Once you’ve completed the assessment, your coach will sit down with you and debrief on the findings, identifying the areas of focus that need attention in order to help ensure your retirement is what you’ve always hoped it would be. Together, you create a strategy for addressing these issues and putting yourself on the right course for the retirement you desire.
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Don’t let retirement sneak up on you. It IS coming, so why not prepare and be ready? You can start as early as 15 years in advance, or as late as the year before. The important point is to simply start planning – NOW. Lay the groundwork and ensure you’re the retirement you realize is that which you’ve been working towards for so many years!

Nearly every person I meet who is in job search mode is focusing on one thing: THE RESUME. And while a resume remains an integral part of any job search (after all, most employers require one), this is definitely NOT where you should be spending your time. I adhere to the philosophy of the 60-30-10 rule frequently mentioned in multiple career counseling and job search sources (The Career Counselor’s Handbook: Figler & Bolles for one). If you spend all of your time on writing, rewriting and rewriting your resume over and over, you’re going to run out of time, energy and enthusiasm. I ask you, how many times have you updated your resume and then let it sit in your computer files? There is a better way; a way I coach all my clients to use.

I believe in the power of networking. And it’s not just me. Every publication you can find, including Payscale.com, find that 85% of jobs are landed through networking. That’s right! So why spend 80% of your job search on perfecting the resume? Yes, you definitely need to have a well-crafted, perfectly grammatical resume. And yes, you need to revise it for each job you apply for, but that should be the end of the work on your resume! And the same goes for your LinkedIn profile.

Once you know the job(s) you are seeking, spend no more than 10% of your time investing in your resume and LinkedIn profile. Get them written appropriately for the field you wish to enter, have at least two other sets of eyes look at them for grammatical errors, and be done with it. And remember, even the best written resume can fail to pass the application tracking system (ATS) gatekeeper. If your only method of job searching is applying online, you are limiting yourself to a 15% chance of landing that new job, and you’ll fall prey to the ATS black hole.

30% of your time should be spent on electronic communications: emails, phone calls, and online connections via LinkedIn. With the accessibility afforded by LinkedIn, there is virtually nobody you can’t make a direct connection with. Interested in a particular company? Well, start making connections with people there now. Become someone with an inside connection! That’s going to almost ensure you get at least a phone screening. Call people, reach out to those you know and those you want to know.

And, yes, now we get to networking. And yes, it should be 60% of your job search effort and time. Simply getting out and talking to people. You cannot understate the importance and value of face to face communication. Wouldn’t you rather hire someone you’ve met and spoken to, than some anonymous name on a resume? Plus, the more people you speak with, the more people know you’re looking and can become extensions of your search.

Now, let’s talk about networking. For many, it’s scary. The thought of going alone to an event with a hundred people and trying to make new connections is uncomfortable, to say the least. But, it doesn’t have to be that kind of event. What do you like to do? What hobbies do you have? Simple get out and do them with groups, and you can, and should, make some new connections. Put yourself in as many places as possible where you can expand your circle of acquaintances. Anyone you meet can help you eventually. After all, most people have jobs, or friends and family with jobs. Any one of them could hear of an opening that meets your skillset. 

DON’T just go around asking people to help you in your search. That will be off-putting for some and positively offensive to others. Just be friendly. Ask them questions about them. What do they do for work? Why do they like working where they do? Look online for tips on networking and prepare a list of questions you can ask. Be prepared in advance. ENGAGE! People love to talk about themselves and are naturally attracted to people who are curious about them. And remember, be AUTHENTIC. People can sniff out a ‘user’ easily. Make it part job search and part making new friends.

Great networking also includes being clear on what kind of job you are looking for, or what skills you want to put to use. The more specific you are, the more the person understands what it is you are looking for. Just saying “If you hear of anything you think I might like, let me know” will get you nowhere. Are you looking for a receptionist job, an executive assistant job or an office manager job? Your contacts are trying to help. Give them the best information possible to do that. Know what key words apply to what you want to be doing. When people speak of jobs these days, they speak in terms of key words. You’re a software developer? What languages do you code in? C++? Java? Are you a design thinking guru? An Agile master? Share those words and people, even if they don’t have a clue what those words mean, can remember them and recognize when a job opening matches.

Finally, be gracious and pay it forward. Don’t make it all about you. Sure, you need a new job and you might be feeling a little desperate, but karma can work for you or against you. What can you do for other people? How can you help them? What goes around, comes around. And remember to say ‘thank you’ to anyone who does help. Send a note to let them know of any outcome that resulted from their help.
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So, get out of the house! It’s the holiday season. People are going to parties and other social events. There’s no better time of year for meeting new people and running into those you already know. Share the word. The job search is a numbers game. The more people who know, the more people can help you. The more leads you get, the sooner you’ll have a lead that succeeds.

As the year winds down and before you’re caught up in a flurry of social activities, set aside some time to take stock of 2017 and what you want to accomplish next year. The more proactive you are with your career goals, the more likely they will come to fruition. It’s worth a small investment of your time during this busy time of year.

1. NOTE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS: What is it you accomplished this year? Write it down. Make it specific. I can’t tell you how many clients come to me for help and no longer have access to the measurable results they achieved. Did you increase sales 30%? Did you move the needle on the employee satisfaction survey by 15%? Get those numbers now!
2. UPDATE YOUR RESUME: With your fresh list of accomplishments, add new bullets to your resume to ensure it’s fresh and ready to go should an opportunity arise. While I love helping clients recraft their resume, I’d much rather know people are doing it on a regular basis. Did you start a new job? Get a promotion? Make sure your resume is updated with this information.
3. UPDATE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE: There are two huge reasons to keep your LinkedIn profile updated. 1) It will always reflect your most recent career accomplishments and 2) If you regularly update it, when the time comes that you are ready to move on to a new job/company, nobody will notice a sudden flurry of activity on your profile – a dead giveaway to a manager that someone is ready to leave.
4. SET YOUR GOAL FOR 2018: Where do you want to take your career in the next 12 months? Do you have your eyes set on a promotion? New job? Pivot to a new career? Whatever it is, now is the time to establish that goal so you don’t lose a minute getting there.
5. DETERMINE ANY GAPS: With your goal in mind, determine any gaps in your resume/experience/education/skills. What would a hiring manager be looking for in the desired position that you don’t have? It could be as easy as volunteering at a local non-profit to gain some tangible experience. Or maybe a class or certification. Don’t put this off. Some courses are only offered once or twice a year. If you miss the February class, you may have to wait until November, when the year is nearly over.
6. MIND THE GAP: Ok, I lived in England for a while, so I’ve adopted their phrase. But, with an awareness of the gap that exists, as noted above, fill that gap! Don’t let it hold you back. You can, and will, accomplish whatever you put your mind to. When I decided to transition from being an accountant to a leadership development professional, graduate school became a priority. Yes, it took two years to complete, but meanwhile, I was able to gain valuable experience in my new chosen field so when I graduated, I hit the ground running and was approached to fill an open position that changed my life.
7. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: This is important, particularly for those who may be in toxic situations. Even the most qualified people can lose confidence if working in a negative environment. It’s phenomenally easy to believe the negativity that surrounds you. Get yourself away from those people. Surround yourself with people who believe in you. Move on!
8. DON’T LET SETBACKS DERAIL YOU: Ok, so someone else got the promotion you were striving for. Be honest. What was it that gave the other person the upper leg? What did you do or not do that kept you from being the successful candidate? Then, set to work to correct it. Now, there will always be favoritism. You can’t avoid that. But, if you’re in an environment that operates this way, it may be time to move on to another company. Maybe this company just isn’t the right fit for you.

Start today! Take 5 or 10 minutes each day to work through this list. You’ll be amazed at how soon you’ll have a plan for moving forward. And, when you reach your goal, write and let me know. I’d love to help you celebrate!

This time every year, I write about maximizing your networking opportunities. It’s one of the most social times of year, so you’ve got multiple opportunities to network. And, yes, I know most people groan when I speak of networking. Few people enjoy walking into a room of strangers with the goal of making some key connections. But there is an easier, more organic way to network.
Networking is more about talking to people you already know. Sure, it’s great to make new connections, but you already have more people in your network than you realize. Let’s talk about how you maximize your existing connections during this uber-social time of year.
GET OUT OF THE HOUSE: Yes, this might be an obvious one, but with technology the way it is, it’s all too easy to ‘be social’ and sit at home behind the computer. The more people you naturally encounter, the more opportunities you have to get the word out that you are looking for a new job, or to advance your career. So, get out of the house and go SEE people.
KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY: It’s important to have your 30 second elevator pitch ready to go. Write it down and practice saying it until it becomes natural. You may ask, “What should be in my pitch?” Start with a descriptive sentence about your profession and experience. Follow that with specifics about your unique value proposition. End with your personal attributes that you are known for. That’s it. No more, no less. Just a brief overview. If they are interested, they’ll ask for more.
KNOW WHAT YOUR GOAL IS: If you don’t know what job you’re looking for, people can’t help you. It simply isn’t enough to ask “If you hear of anything I might be good at, please let me know.” If you don’t know what you’re looking for, how can you expect someone else to know? The more you can tell people about what you’re looking for, the easier it will be for them to help. “I’m looking for a senior accounting position in tech.” is a lot easier to help with than “I’m looking for a new job in accounting.” Sure, they know it’s accounting, but entry level or CFO?  If you don’t know what career you should shoot for, hire a career coach. They will help you explore your skills, experience, and education to define an appropriate target (or two).
HAVE GREAT QUESTIONS TO ASK: Everyone likes to talk about themselves. Have a few questions prepared to start conversations. If you’re at a house party, simply ask “How do you know [the host]? Or if you’re at a public function of some sort, “Have you been to this event in the past?” See, they are very easy. The trick is to have them planned out in advance.
LISTEN: Listening is a skill we simply don’t maintain throughout our lives. While someone is answering the question we asked, we’re already thinking of the next question to ask. Or we’re waiting for them to stop talking so we can talk. STOP. BREATHE. LISTEN. You’ve asked someone a question. Be curious. Listen to their answer! Then ask a follow up question to their answer. If you asked them, “Where did you go for vacation this year?” Don’t just wait for them to stop so you can say where you went. Ask a follow up question. “Was it your first trip there?” or “Why did you pick that as your vacation spot?” See, it’s easy. People feel valued when they are listened to. If you value them, they will likely like you more, and therefore be more willing to help you in your search.
BE SINCERE: People can see right through someone who is just out for themselves. Sure, you are trying to push your own agenda, but remember everyone has value and the biggest part of networking is building relationships. And we all know, relationships are a two-way street. So, be sincere. Be truly interested in other people. Don’t make it all about you.
GO EASY: Don’t be too pushy or talk too much about your job search/strategy. After all, it’s a social event. Follow their lead. If they don’t ask follow up questions, leave the topic and move on to something else. If they are interested, they’ll ask you questions. Yes, it’s as simple as that. Forcing the issue in a social setting will only turn people off. You don’t know what kind of day they had. Maybe they want to forget about work for a while.
IT’S A MARATHON: Don’t expect anything to happen immediately. It’s not a sprint. Relationships take time. Invest in any new or existing relationships and you will see results in time. Sure, you may be desperate for a job to start bringing in income, but you can’t force it.
JUST DO IT: The best way to get good at anything is to practice. So just get out there and start. It may not be perfect the first time, but keep at it. Eventually, you will get the hang of it and have dozens of people helping you find that new opportunity.
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More great resources for networking:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/12/13/4-great-ways-to-network-over-the-holidays/#7b91e459452a
https://www.felixglobal.com/6-ways-for-networking-through-the-holidays/
http://www.businessinsider.com/7-holiday-party-conversation-starters-2013-12

Managers have worked to achieve a certain level of success. Most often, that success comes about as a result of what they know and contribute to their organization. So, it’s natural, particularly for the new manager, to share that knowledge base with those who work with and for them. In many cases, this is a good thing. However, there is an immense benefit of not telling, but rather, asking questions and listening.

How many times in your career have your gone to your manager for help? You’re faced with something and you’re not sure how to proceed. Here are two different scenarios that can follow.

SCENARIO 1: Employee goes to manager. Employee asks manager question. Manager answers question. Employee goes away to execute said answer. The employee has learned two things: their manager always has the answer and the answer provided worked.

SCENARIO 2: Employee goes to manager. Employee asks manager question. Manager asks employee for their ideas about a solution. Employee thinks and offers a possible solution. Manager says, “Great, now go give it a try.” Employee leaves and tests their theory. One of two outcomes will ensue. Either the solution is successful or it is not. In both cases, however, the employee has learned and grown. They’ve learned to exercise judgement. They’ve learned it’s ok to take a risk, make a mistake and learn from that. They’ve also gained confidence. Another benefit of this scenario is that the employee will eventually come to the manager less often in search of an answer, leaving the manager more time to do her job.

The lesson here? Ask questions then LISTEN. As a manager, one of your key responsibilities is to develop those who report to you. In one of my former companies, the saying was “Hire people smarter than you so they can take your place, freeing you up to move up in the company.” A little self-serving? Sure, but think how that benefits your company.

I witnessed the benefit of this approach a few years ago when I was facilitating a workshop in a leadership development program. The key principle of this workshop was asking questions and listening. Several months later, one of the students in the class reached out to let me know she had received an award for best manager in her State’s region. She attributed much of that success to the workshop where she had learned to ask questions of her subordinates, listen and let them make their own decisions. As a result of this new approach, her subordinates learned, they were happier in their work, and she was free to do the work she needed to do.

So managers, when someone comes to you for an answer, simply ask them what they think. Listen. Then suggest they give it a try. It won’t always be perfect, but they will learn and in the long run, everyone benefits. They will grow, you will have a stronger, more capable team, and the company will reap the rewards.