Lead and others will follow

What do you prefer more? A boss that motivates and develops you throughout your career. Or a boss that provides you with meaningful work. Why can’t you have both?

It took a while for it to all sink in. The Pittsburgh Steelers had won the Super bowl. Towards the end, they were able to make the plays that were necessary for the team to be victorious. Along with the very gifted defense and an offense that made it work, there was one person who really made a difference and was able to tie the team together. Mike Tomlin, the Steelers head coach. There are interesting qualities about this young head coach that I’ve always admired. Mike doesn’t like to take credit for what his team is out there doing. He enjoys talking about the actions they took to make the plays and provides constructive feedback when their plays are successful.

I like that about him and have often found that his success as a coach and leader relate quite well to the type of role a supervisor plays when developing employees in the workplace. Take a close look at your office relationships. What is the approach that you take when dealing with your employees? What approach would you like your boss to take with you when it comes to development?

There is an art form to use when enhancing an employee's life in the office. As a supervisor, your goal is to coach your team and provide them with opportunities to develop and maximize their skills. When a supervisor takes this approach with tempered knowledge, they are doing the company a huge favor because they are enhancing their employees and contributing to the growth of the department.

It’s as simple as each one teach one. Yeah, yeah, you’ve probably heard that one before. But it is true!! Develop your employees! Enhance their skills so they are confident and do a better job in the workplace. Talk to your employees about their performance on the job. Praise their efforts and offer your appreciation by recognizing the little steps that they are making when they do well. It’s not a specialized skill that only 5% of the population can perform. Everyone has the ability to develop their employees. It just takes a solid commitment to do so. Your daily mantra as a manager should be “As a leader, you are only as good as the employees that follow you.” Do you believe that? Then live it!

A friend of mine has a boss that pretty much lives this mantra in the workplace. When my friend first started working for her company, she came in as an assistant. Along the way, her boss has included her in the decision making, has provided her with opportunities to develop her skills, and encouraged and supported her decision to return to school for her Masters. Now, after being at her company for 7 years, and being groomed by her boss, she is now Director of her department and very devoted to working towards the company's mission.

Now, I can guess the main part of the story that you’ve noticed is that she moved from an assistant to a Director. But, I think the more important piece is that HER BOSS DEVELOPED HER ALONG THE WAY. ( I hate all caps.) Yes, her boss got it. (Mike Tomlin got it also!) A significant portion of an employee's career is based on the development and training that they attain while on the job. And yet there are naysayers. Some people claim that by doing this, you are developing and training employees to leave the company. But, that is a false argument. That should not be the mindset at all. Embrace the employees you have working for you and you never know, they may just stay with your company for 7 years or more!

As always,

Prioritize, set boundaries, and live!

20 Seconds

20 Seconds

Think of your best friend.

19 seconds

If they asked you to review their resume for a very important job, how long would it take you to review it? 10 minutes? 1 hour? 2 days? You would have to check for spelling, accuracy, grammar and whether that resume is adequately tailored to meet the criteria of the job description. Now, think of 200 people applying for that same position and they all asked you to review their resume. How long would that take you to complete?

15 seconds

This is probably one of the agonies that recruiters encounter when faced with recruiting for positions for their companies...especially today, where the market is bad, lay offs are occurring, and there are more qualified individuals searching for jobs. During that first round of scanning for the basic qualifications of the job, the recruiter gets in a zone and will skim resumes searching for the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities required for that position. By doing this, they are able to ween out the individuals they feel are not qualified.

10 seconds

The clock is ticking. What have you really done to set yourself apart from the other 199 applicants? Have you devised a plan for getting that job!! Here’s a tactic that may work. Get a copy of the job description and read through it highlighting the education, experience, job duties, and essential functions of the job. If you see that you have not met most of the qualifications for the job, then do everyone a favor and slowly move your hand away from the mouse and do not press “Send”! :-) But, if you do meet the qualifications, then develop a quick spreadsheet comparing parts of the job description to your qualifications. Once there’s a match, you should be on your way.

5 seconds

Next, update your resume. Are any of the key words, technical terms, education requirements, certificates, things I like to call “the catches” anywhere on your resume? If not, PUT those catches in your resume. Have you ever taken an exam where you had to write an essay? Didn’t you want to give the professor all the information that you gathered during his lecture, pretty much word for word in order to get that A+. Then proscribe this same tactic on your resume. Of course, please add the appropriate catches if they are true and if you have actually provided that type of service at your previous positions.

3 seconds

Nothing sucks more that stumbling during an interview and worse yet, failing a background check because you lied on a resume. :-( Integrity counts during the interview process, so please provided catches that complement your work history and provide a clear picture of your knowledge, skills and abilities.

0 seconds--Time is up!

So, there you have it. 20 seconds. That’s pretty much the average amount of time a recruiter will take during the first round of scanning resumes...whether they are reviewing a traditional hard copy or via an automated system such as People soft. How are things working out for you? Do you have catches in your resume? Did you spell check once, twice, three times! I hope this puts things in some perspective. Email me if you have additional questions about resume writing.

As always,

Prioritize, set boundaries and live!