Let me share a story that I recently heard. Gloria was in the grocery store line and had six cans of beans in her cart. She put her six cans on the conveyor belt. Suddenly, the cashier stopped her. He said, there is a limit on the beans. You can only buy four cans of beans, so you have to put two of them back. The woman didn’t know that there was a limit of only four cans per person in…
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By definition, influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. When I read this definition, there are so many people that would fit into this definition and be considered an influencer. Some examples could be family, friends, teachers, managers, mentors, peers, and coaches to name a few. They share their lessons, ideas, and beliefs with us every day and influence us. We are not only influenced by the people in…
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The most important thing when you have an idea is to get it implemented, right? Does it matter to you if you are the one to sell the idea or if someone else does it for you instead? It doesn’t mean that you are going to give your idea away or lose the credit for the idea. It just means that depending on the situation you are in, you may have to do things differently to move your idea forward. You…
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The thought of leaving your current role creates so much fear and may cause you to hesitate. You will only do it when the pain of staying is too great and the new role seems like it will be a much better fit. In my experience, change occurs when you are ready for it. Going through the job change might feel like scary, but the experience can help you grow in so many ways. You will meet new people, learn new…
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Although there are unhappy people in their jobs, they will stay and put up with it far longer than they should. They avoid making the change because they know that they will need to meet new people, learn new things, and most of all be vulnerable. They will no longer be the person who knows everyone and understands how everything works. Starting over at a new place taps into their vulnerability and creates uncertainty. Is that a good reason to…
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I can remember a time when you used to print off resumes and cover letters to mail them to companies during a job search. I know it sounds crazy that we used to have to do that before the internet! Once things moved on-line, it seemed like the best thing ever to just apply online and attach your resume to the application. However, it created another challenge. Everyone else started applying that way too! Job sites used algorithms with key…
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Things have evolved over time and people are no longer staying at one company for many years. People will now have at least 7-9 different job changes over their career and receive different types of incentives to make it worth their while. Moving to another company can help you get to a salary increase and potentially a higher level title. There are other things that you get when you shift companies that aren’t so easy to measure. You will expand your network as…
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How do you help a new team member engage quickly when they join your team or the company? A thorough onboarding process is a critical first step to engage new team members. It helps them figure out how the company is organized and where they fit in. The engagement process for the new person starts right away and is essential throughout the first few months. They continue to ask themselves whether they have made the right decision to join this group…
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Engagement of a team starts with the leader. You may not realize it, but your team and others in the organization watch you. If you are not engaged at work, then no one on your team will be either. If you want them to be engaged, then you will have to consistently set an example for them. Gallup has surveyed organizations and found that there is a direct correlation between engagement and an organization’s health. The ratio between engaged vs disengaged employees…
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What does an employee need to be engaged? Do they need an inspiring manager? A senior leadership team that sets the example of engagement? An organizational culture that supports engagement? Having these things in place will definitely help, but employees also need their own internal motivation and drive to be engaged. Having your own drive and determination is necessary especially when you have a manager who isn’t motivating you in the best way. Jeff was an engineer who had worked for…
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