Category Archives: contruyendo redes

Una patadita (en tu trasero) pero con amor.

contruyendo redes, libre y relevante,

ValentineInspirada por el día de San Valentin – que ya casi llega – decidí escribir acerca de los diferentes colegas que nos rodean en el trabajo.  Si observas bien, en el mundo del trabajo hay dos tipos de colegas.  Hay los que juegan en tu equipo y los que juegan en contra de tu equipo. 

Y no me refiero a las diferencias que hay en sus preferencias de pareja. 

Me refiero a la diferencia que hay en las intenciones de aquellos que te rodean.  Si prestas atención, aunque nadie carga uniforme, es muy fácil determinar para qué equipo juega cada uno. 

Los de tu equipo tienden a apoyarte, a darte tu espacio, y a motivarte cuando estas teniendo un día confrontante. Y si, en ocasiones te dicen las cosas tal como son – aunque te sientas retada.

Por otro lado, esta el colega que juega en contra tuyo.  Aunque jamás te lo dirá, este colega te tiene envidia y/o miedo.  Por lo tanto sus intenciones son destructivas.  Le da pavor quedarse solo en la bufonería – por lo tanto trata de traer abajo cuanto colega se le atreviese.  Entonces tiende a interrumpirte – ya sea con chistes, chismes o quejas – o todos al tiempo.  Constantemente apunta a problemas – sin ofrecer soluciones. (y ¡que ojo el que tiene para los problemas!)   Es tan destructivo como un virus.  Y tenlo por seguro que te chupara de tu tiempo y energía.  Con amigos así – no necesitas enemigos!

Y entonces, ¿en el 2010 con quien escogerás rodearte?

 

¿Te gusta la foto?  Gracias ajatierra

Who has time to stand still?

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18 to 30 year olds, take note – and then action.

Brazen Careerist (BC) has evolved to position itself as the #1 site for career management among Generation Y…you know who you are.

Watch this to get a better idea of what the new and evolved BC is about.

 

As one of the founders, Ryan Paugh, shared with me: 

“Our vision is to create a career management tool that helps those with less experience level the playing field.  Sites like LinkedIn are wonderful if you already have a Rolodex full of connections, or if you have years of experience to share with potential employers.  But what about people new to the workforce?  And what about people who want to make a big career shift?  How do you network?

We’re creating a place where instead of experience, your ideas are most important. We encourage people to connect through blogs, groups, comments, etc, and build relationships with each other. I’ve never had a worthwhile conversation on LinkedIn and I’d like to see a career management tool that fosters real conversations. I think Brazen Careerist will help do that :)”

And what does that have to do with my blog – and with you, for that matter?

For those of you who don’t know, I’m one of the earliest adopters of the Brazen Careerist community. 

When looking for a place to feature my blog; a place where my ideas would be heard; a place to have meaningful conversations with like-minded people who are doing great things in the community –  I found Brazen Careerist. (It helped that they are ranked #1 by Alltop)

After some persuasion*, the editing team at BC invited me to be a guest blogger.  Later on they syndicated my blog.   As a result, my posts are now featured as regularly as I publish them on my own blog. (Click here to see for yourself)  Something I’m most grateful for.

For more than a year I have been connecting with like-minded people around the world.  And I’d like to invite you to do the same.  Your career will benefit – big time.

How do I know? 

Because BC is a community of do-ers not talkers. 

I invite you to browse through the profiles of members. I trust that you will find young professionals commited to achievement, to contribution – and as some have expressed, to changing the world.

NOW go do something for your  career, join – it’s free. 

Better yet, take the plunge into conversations. At times you will finhat some may disagree with your ideas. Don’t take it personally. Soon you will find that it’s healthy disagreement. Rarely does meaningless  chatter develop. 

I’ll see you at BC.

 

*During their early days, BC was only for 18 to 30 year-old bloggers. Eager to join, I made my case by telling Ryan that I still get carded at bars – which is true.   Shortly after I was allowed to join as a guest. (and that’s one of my writing career‘s milestones)

Who’s on your panel?

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It’s well-known that companies – public and private, for profit, nonprofits and not-just-for profits – all go to great lengths to put together a panel of advisors. Although some have advisers on a more formal basis than others,  the common theme is that businesses rely on the advice of those they believe are in the know. 

That said, it’s amazing that in this day and age there are those who wing it in this area of their careers. 

Aside from putting their expertise to the test, here are a few ground rules that will help you build your own panel of advisers – one you can trust. 

  1. Are your advisers interested in your success?  Ask panel candidates if you’re not sure.  And make sure that they follow their words with actions. If they say that they will introduce you to their network, there better be a follow through within 24 hours of meeting them.
  2. Are they effective?  The best way to tell an effective person from a slacker is the speed with which they return your phone calls and emails.  It’s such common practice in the business world to return phone calls the same day and emails within 24 hours, that it’s become like a hand-shake.  Aside from showing their respect towards you, failing to respond promptly is a sign of disorganization.  Does it make business sense to follow the advice of an unstructured person? 
  3. Your parents are not advisers.  You read right.  Often I come across people who take their parents’ advice as gospel.  At times they may be the few lucky ones whose parents happen to work in similar fields or in closely related industries.  However, more often than not, I find that people seek out their parents for advice out of habit.  Not because it’s a well-thought business decision.  And that’s the key phrase – business decision.  To be effective, picking panel members needs to be guided by business principles.  That said – parents, please don’t take this personally (it’s business).   And you?  Get out of your comfort zone.  Look for imitation-worthy people – regardless of their bloodline.
  4. Are they imitation-worthy? The easiest way to determine this is to figure out how committed someone is to excellence.  Excellence is not perfection.  Rather it’s a commitment to being better every day.  Those who strive for it often lead extraordinary lives, tend to be self-aware – and are interested in supporting others achieve greatness in their lives too.

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.  It shows that you take success seriously and that you’re commited to achieving your goals.

Find career enlightenment through personal branding

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Take it from a self-proclaimed strategic job-hopper; career enlightenment is about achieving your goals in a sustainable way. That said, personal branding is at the core of an enlightened career.

Rest assured that today’s tough economic climate calls for an even greater focus on personal branding.  During a time when businesses are looking for ways to cut costs, and when a large majority have recurred to laying-off staff, a strong personal brand is what will allow you – as an employee – to tip the scale in your favor. Make no mistake, a strong personal brand has the power to make employers look beyond cost and instead focus on quality.

By minding the following brand attributes, it’s possible for the ‘average Joe employee’ to reach career enlightenment.

An enlightened careerist is:

Genuine – A 100% commitment to being true to yourself will provide a solid foundation to your career. It will drive major aspects of your career such as your networking efforts, and your career goals and decisions.  It is what will say to the world that your uniqueness is your strength.

Trustworthy – In the world of work, trust is a powerful currency. Being known as someone who delivers on their promises opens doors – even for someone who does not have all the skills or experience for a role.  On the other hand, no amount of skills or experience will erase a tainted reputation.  Building trust with employers, colleagues and clients takes time.  On the other hand, breaking that hard-earned trust often takes very little. (who said the world was meant to be fair)

Solution-focused – Particularly during challenging times, it’s vital to not waste time on unproductive activities.  Asking ‘what can I do?’ rather than finding out what happened is what delivers results. This requires implementing a zero whining policy and dropping the blame game. 

Goal-oriented – Knowing what really matters to you will place you in the seat of power of your career.  Not knowing leaves you exposed to being dragged by those who have goals of their own.  Focusing on your goals is far from being inflexible.  Rather, when you know where you want to go, it’s more likely that you’ll remain nimble and do what it takes to achieve your goals – even if that means changing courses and redefining your career.

Self-aware – Ignorance might be bliss – but little by little will lead you to miss out on opportunities for growth.  On the other hand, knowledge gives you the option to improve those areas which aren’t quite right.  As much as asking the right questions is key for staying in touch with yourself, answering honestly is as important.

Risk-favorable – Taking risks is a trampoline to bigger and better opportunities.  Benefiting from risk is more a matter of reframing outcomes than of achieving the expected ones.

While you seek for career enlightenment, keep in mind that true enlightenment is at the intersection of knowledge and action. 

What one thing will you do right now to get closer to your goals?

 

Photo credit: The Sun Herald

Rejoice! Strategic Job Hoppers

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For those of you who haven’t heard, last week was important for job hoppers around the world. UpMo, an online service with the tag line: GPS Your Career, turned 1!

Taken from their website:

“Your greatest risk during tough times is not unemployment; it’s the risk of losing career control and direction.”

As a self-proclaimed strategic job hopper, I’m an advocate of tools that empower people to manage their careers strategically.  For several reasons, UpMo achieves that.

It offers:

  1. Customized feedback that’s supported by actionable advice.  The “Network Readiness Evaluator” takes about ten minutes to complete.  As its name implies, it rates your networking readiness.  More important, it also offers personalized advice on the areas that you can improve upon. (Hint: answer honestly – as if no one’s watching)
  2. Benchmarking information.  The team at UpMo was not afraid to set the bar high.  They reverse engineered the careers of professionals earning upwards of $200,000.  That means that their advice is based on the habits of high achievers, offering you a unique opportunity to size up your career against theirs.
  3. A powerful tool to plan your career with the end in mind.  UpMo has a tool which lets you play forward your career decisions. For example, it will help you find out how an MBA will impact your longer-term goals. And what about taking time off?  All based on the paths of high achievers.
  4. Visually appealing tools.  For visual learners, UpMo will feel like candy for your brain.  For those who have trouble visualizing, the colorful graphs are likely to kick start your mental juices.
  5. Tools and templates for you to apply their feedback.  Almost from the get go you can start working on the areas of your career that need improvement.  UpMo offers several straightforward tools like “My Action Plan” which helps you track your immediate, weekly, monthly and longer term progress.

Indeed, UpMo set out on an ambitious mission.  For now it’s delivering on its promises by offering users a one-stop-shop career planner.

Careerists of the world, what are you waiting for to move up?

FREE – from me to you…

alcanza metas, autoconciencia, contruyendo redes, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, estratégico y sostenible, liderazgo, negociacion

A few months ago, my blogoshpere friend Bonnie Lowe invited me – and other career experts – to answer:

“What is the best career advice for 2009?”

My first reaction was: ‘I’d love to be a part of something that adds value to my readers.’ Little did I know how powerful the end result would be.

Now I’m delighted to offer you the best career advice for 2009 for FREE. It’s my way of thanking you for your support.  (It does mean the world to me.)

Inside The Best Career Strategies for 2009 you’ll find how the who’s who of career management answered that question.   From image consultants to personal brand gurus to career coaches, it’s all in there for you. (Kudos to Bonnie for making this happen – G-d knows how many hours she spent making it all come together) 

Among the top contributors are:

  • Jason Alba – CEO and founder of Jibber Jobber – an award winning website that has loads of information and tools for your career.
  • Dan Schawbel: a personal branding guru and author.
  • Anita Bruzzese – author and award winning career journalist.
  • G.L Hoffman – author and blogger, featured on USNews.com and World report.
  • Miriam Salpeter – founder of award winning blog: Keppie Careers.
  • Sandy Dumont – Executive Director of the Impression Strategies Institute.

To access the document (in pdf), simply click on the blue box found on the upper right-hand side of my blog – just below my picture. (The one that has ”Best Career Strategies 2009” written on it)

Enjoy and let me know what you think.

BTW you’ll find my contribution on page 34.

Not a sports fan? Don’t fake it…

autoconciencia, contruyendo redes, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, estratégico y sostenible, liderazgo, , , ,

(Networking for Loners revisited)

Shawn Graham’s post about networking over at Courting Your Career got me thinking about – well, networking.  Admittedly he makes a valid point about how following sports is a great strategy to break the ice particularly with people from different backgrounds.   I agree that as a Latin American if I were a football, a basketball or a baseball fan, it may have been easier to connect with others on the US college scene.   Now that I’m living and working in Sydney, I would probably find more connections with locals if I’d be a footy, a rugby or a cricket fan.  However, as much as I enjoy playing tennis, cycling and swimming, I have trouble faking an interest in watching others play – let alone memorizing their stats.  And even when I know that my tennis game is bound to improve from watching the pros at work, I have trouble stretching my attention span to watching a full match.

For those of you who are also at a loss for words when the conversation gravitates towards the latest sporting news, know that there are many other effective ways to connect – without trespassing no-go zones. (My personal ones are: gossiping, politics, sex and religion.)

  1. Food – As an experience we all share and most everyone enjoys, food is a universal glue amongst us all.  Thankfully, unlike sex, it’s acceptable to share our love for it with strangers. There’s also no need to be a gourmand to be an authority on the subject.  Sharing our finds of eateries around town, our sick & twisted encounters during our travels, or our own experiments and creations (whether successful or not) all make for a sure way to bond with people.
  2. Wine, beer and hard liquor – This is not reserved for snobs and it’s certainly not about sharing with strangers what a fool you made of yourself while drunk at last year’s company Christmas party (save that for the bar scene).  There’s more to speaking about booze than drunkenness and hangovers.  Not enough has been said about grape varietals, single malt whisky and boutique beers, seriously.
  3. Books – Only at high school parties it’s uncool to talk about what you’re reading. Sharing with someone what’s on your night-table or your favorite author is a sure way to connect in a non-threatening way.  Personally, whenever I meet someone I find interesting, I ask them about what they’re reading. That’s how I’ve found some really great reads – and bonded with bosses. (feel free to label me ‘geek’) Why if you don’t read? (which I find hard to believe if you’ve made it this far in your career), keep going down the list.
  4. All things culture –There’s no need to try too hard (or dress up) because whether it’s theatre productions, concerts, movies, exhibitions, or the opera, most people enjoy some form of art.  Speaking with others about the many expressions of art is such an easy way to keep your finger on the pulse of culture. As a bonus, you stand to find out about events that you would’ve otherwise missed.
  5. Travel – It’s more the norm than the exception to meet people who have travelled beyond their country borders (except for Bush Jr. – that’s as far as I’ll trespass the no-go zone).  Whatever you do, avoid giving someone a laundry list of all the places you’ve travelled to.  That’s what nouveau travellers do.  Besides, one of the easiest ways to connect with people is by listening.  Also, we all love stories.  Systematically running down a list of all the stamps on your passport is bound to bore people and make you come across as obnoxious. Focus on experiences you’ve lived overseas.   Feel free to throw in tips.
  6. TV shows – How much can you talk about Desperate Housewives at a business meeting without coming across as unprofessional?  For hours if your client is into it as much as you are!  DH aside, it’s likely that people watch some sort of TV show.  Aside from being an easy way to connect with people, finding out what they watch is a good way to learn something more about them. (For the record DH is my favorite form of brain candy and I indulge once a week – not twice – on Monday nights, Sydney time.)
  7. Sports – No, not watching them, playing them. And you don’t need to be a jock (like some have labeled me). In our health conscious world, it’s more common to find people who are active than those who aren’t.  And how refreshing it is to see how the business world no longer revolves around golf. You don’t need to look that hard to find colleagues and clients who regularly run, bike, swim, practice yoga, hike or play basketball, tennis or soccer.  In that sense, I’ve found that sports are a great conversation starter.
  8. Them – So you have this one-of-a-kind individualistic individual in front of you and you’ve failed to connect with them through any of the topics on this list.  What now?  Talk about them. I guarantee that will do the trick. We all love to talk about ourselves – especially with someone who shows a genuine interest in us.  Besides, as humans, you’ll find that we’re not that different from one another. We all have dreams, fears, feelings. Albeit the content of all those may be different, but we experience very similar things.

It is possible to network without faking it.  I know this after trying very hard to fake an interest in watching sports.   After a few failed attempts – marked by falling asleep shortly after the national anthem – I’m glad I stuck to my guns and instead looked for other ways to connect with people. Staying true to myself and sharing my real interests has made a big difference in my own path.  Beyond what faking it would have achieved. Guaranteed.

 

Photo by Dallas Photoworks.

 

 

 

Dan – the personal brand man – does it again

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Dan Schawbel, Gen Y’s personal branding guru, has done it again with his latest issue of Personal Branding Magazine (click here to download your free sample).

As the magazine’s editor, here’s what Dan has to say about this issue:

“Many people rush into personal branding, without first taking precious time to discover who they are and what they want to do for the rest of their lives. In this issue, we expose how to unlock your true potential, unearth your passion, acquire the necessary skills and how to set achievable goals. We’ve interviewed some of the leading businessmen, such as Marcus Buckingham, to help you with your own personal development.”

In a nut-shell, I highly recommend that you go grab a coffee or a tea (if you’re like me) and start reading your free sample.  It’s packed with valuable information – that will take your career game to the next level.

To subscribe to the full publication, which is out on 1 Feb (a few sleeps away), click here.  The price for an annual subscription, which includes 4 issues is $12.95.  Even better, half of the proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society.

What’s in it for me? 

This is my chance to support a good friend and fellow blogger who’s work I admire and personally learn from.  Also, Dan has invited me to write The Brand Assessment column for the following four issues.  A project I’m most proud and excited about joining.

Stay tuned.

Working with your family: a privilege or a curse? (part 1 of 2)

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Based on my experience working in and out of my family’s business, I know that while there certainly are advantages, working with parents is not all fun and games.

Here I share with you the major perks that I lived in my first job out of college while working as the assistant manager of my mom’s restaurant group. (In my next post you’ll hear the other side of the story)

This is part of my inheritance – I trust that you’ll spend it wisely:

Trust and responsibility:  If like me you have a solid relationship with your parents, working in their business could mean that you reach a level of trust and responsibility that you’ll find hard to match in any other organization.  I found this to be the case particularly when I worked in entry-level jobs at other companies.  While I felt I was trusted, I was never really entrusted with the level of responsibilities that I had almost since day one when I was working with my mom’s business.

Quick approval for projects:  Because of the high level of trust, it’s quite possible that your projects will be approved faster than in any other organization.  After all it’s likely that you’ll have more pull with the decision maker.

Ups expectations:  Admittedly taking on more responsibilities in an entry level job can mean a steeper learning curve.  However, it can also set a higher benchmark for your career.  (Later I’ll talk about the downside of that)

Easy access to a solid network:  By association with your parents, it is quite possible that you’ll have faster access to a network of decision makers, key opinion leaders and other people high up in the pecking order in the business community.  Personally, I discovered that developing the same level of rapport on my own took longer.

Carry the torch:  Working in the family business means that you’ll play an integral part in continuing your family’s legacy – which some day you’ll be able to pass on to your own children. 

Bonding:  By virtue of experiencing more things with your parents, like facing the challenges of running a business, you’ll end up bonding more with them.  I found that I got to know things about my mom that I otherwise wouldn’t, like her gift for influencing others without being authoritative.

I’d LOVE to learn from your experiences.

And stay tuned for the other side of the story.

Networking for loners (made easy)

autoconciencia, contruyendo redes, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, estratégico y sostenible, liderazgo, , , , , , , , , , ,

I confess.  In most areas of my life I’m a loner.

Sports have been a major part of my life ever since I can remember.   And for the most part I’ve gravitated towards individual activities.  Singles tennis, running, skateboarding, biking, swimming.  All of which involve very minimal interaction with other people – if any at all.  Don’t get me wrong, I can handle having another person next to me on a court or a field, but more than that and it becomes a threat to my existence (kinda’ like what Warhol said about his nudity).

Even though I was nominated ‘best all around’ during my senior year in high-school (I can’t believe I’m sharing this with you) in college I was labelled a GDI (and proud). 

At work I tend to eat lunch alone at my desk.  I’m known for saying ‘no thanks’ to invitations – more so if they involve going out with a group.  It could be because I am a bit of a workaholic that I stay back working, but mostly it’s because I love to sit and enjoy the silence.  That’s how I gather my thoughts and psych myself up for the afternoon.

So how on earth does a loner like me end up making a good living in business development and getting several awards in the process?  When it’s a job that requires that I mingle with people?

Here are my secrets to networking and getting what I want from people:

1. Be genuine:  It is much more likely that people who care about you are those who will help you.  The best way I know how to get people to care about me is for me to care about them.  It really is that simple.  At work functions I apply the 80/20 rule and I only spend time with people I find interesting.  I know that if I bond with one or two people, chances are I’ll be able to get more out of our relationship than if I tap 20 people and move on.  And I’ll enjoy myself along the way because I’ll be dealing with people I genuinely like and who I feel I can be myself around.

2. Don’t wait until you need someone to approach them:  I don’t like being used.  That’s how I know that other people don’t like it either.  To avoid getting to a point where I only contact people when I need them, I stay loosely connected – because I care to know how they are (remember, we bonded at some point).  It’s just like practicing preventive medicine vs the curative kind.  If I approach someone when I need them, it’s too late.  They will sense that I’m using them.  And although they may play along and get me what I want in the short-term, chances are that I’ve lost a relationship.

3. First give:  I love to receive things from people – and it doesn’t have to be big for my energy levels to spike.  A sincere compliment has a similar effect on me as a bunch of flowers – both trigger my serotonin response.  And when someone gives me something – as small as a compliment – I feel good about being nice back to them.  That’s why I know others also feel good about reciprocating after I’ve given them something.  Making deposits in people’s emotional bank accounts has proven to be a good investment.  If you’re thinking that it’s too Machiavellian to go around complimenting people left and right, re-read my secret number one.

4.  Ask, ask, ask:  I admire people who persevere.  And I will go out of my way for people who believe so much in what they’re doing that they’re willing to do anything to see their cause through.  When someone I barely know asks me for something, I find it gutsy, not annoying.  More so, I feel honored that someone with such great qualities considers that I can help them.  That’s why I believe that anyone worth asking will not mind my own asking.

How have you loners out there made it in this network-crazed world?  I’d love to know…