If right now job searching is all new to you and feels overwhelming, please know that you have a lot of company—that many people faced with sudden job loss are shocked and unsure. Just admitting that this is new to you is a great place to begin because it invites others to help you. The “I’m new to this” message is a good one, unlike “I’ll never get hired again, so what’s the point?” And running a good job search doesn’t require advanced degrees or stunning credentials, but it does call for openness and a willingness to learn. Take small steps, consult with others, keep track of what’s working and what isn’t, adjust your strategy, and you’ll make good progress.

I’m sometimes asked about my success rate (how many of my clients land new jobs). After trying to answer this, I came to the conclusion that I can’t. There are too many variables; and of course, some clients land new jobs after their programs are over and they don’t let me know about it. So my data is inconclusive. But here are factors that affect how successful job seekers are:

• Previous experience in the job search process

• How up to date they are in their field

• Their attitude

• The economy (and this can be very industry specific)

• Mergers and acquisitions (Is their market expanding or shrinking?)

• Their willingness to commit to a process that requires patience, persistence, courage, and good communication skills

To be one of the success stories, you need four qualities:

• Patience: The hiring process is never fast enough, whether it takes a week or many months

• Persistence: Effective follow-up will set you apart from many job seekers, and it gives you the chance to show your determination and professionalism.

• Courage: Looking for a job is a little bit like being lost in the woods without a compass. There are days when the frustration of it all brings you down, but you can’t let it beat you.

• Focused communication: You need to be able to articulate who you are, what you’re good at, and your goals. And you have to offer specific proof of your value.

There’s a lot you can’t control in the job search process, but there are many things you can, including the qualities mentioned in the preceding list. Focus on these, be systematic, keep at it, and you’ll land a new job. This is what career counselors see every day: There are ups and downs, high points and low points, events that are logical and ones that aren’t. But if you stick with it and learn from the process, you’ll be working again.

Resources and Ideas

Some people find it helpful to draw on their own past experience, specifically how they got through other difficult times. Did they join a support group? Did they find books or audio resources that were helpful? Did they start walking five miles a day?

If your pride is hurt and you’re having a difficult time getting past your frustration and anger, see if you can

• Look at the big picture. By this I mean seeing that what has happened to you isn’t personal (although it feels that way). Realize that thousands of others have recently lost their jobs and have to go through the same process that you do.

• Find ways to take advantage of this involuntary change in your life. That could mean doing some career planning, helping an elderly parent, spending more time with your children, or simply giving yourself time to consider what you might want to do next.

• Consider that you might end up in a better job than the one you lost. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this happen, but of course it’s hard to believe in the early days when you’re stunned.

• Help someone else. By reaching out to another person who is in transition or by tutoring a child, you’re getting your focus outside of your own situation. This often helps you gain perspective.

• Figure out how to build tolerance for the search process. It’s easy to think you can just do it, but because there are often many ups and downs, it’s good to consider who you know who’s been through this recently, what groups might be helpful, and how you’re going to create a schedule that you can sustain.

• Lastly, make your workspace attractive. I love flowers, so I try to always have a vase on my desk with roses or lilies or whatever is blooming in my garden. This makes it easier for me to get my work done.

Jean Baur, author of Eliminated! Now What?, is a senior consultant with the nation’s leading outplacement firm, Lee Hecht Harrison. She has partnered with thousands of clients to help them overcome job loss and recession-proof their careers. In addition, she designs and delivers workshops to improve clients’ interviewing and overall search skills. Visit her online at www.jeanbaur.com.

Within the first two to 30 seconds that it takes to create that first impression, you may not have even said a word. More likely in those initial moments, you, the job seeker, are simply standing up to greet the interviewer and your entire first impression relies solely on your nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is everything from your body language, facial expressions, tone of voice when you are speaking, and of course your personal image.

So how do you go about using your personal image to intentionally create a strong first impression?  First off, do a bit of research. Investigate the company, see what they stand for, find out the details out about their mission, their values, and how the company is structured. Some companies even put a short video on their website, describing to potential employees what they expect in the way of dress and how candidates should present themselves.

Once you know about the company, research the area. Is the job you’re applying for in New York City or is it in Kansas City?  Or perhaps you’re considering a position overseas. In that case, it’s crucial to understand the country’s culture before you jump on a plane or onto Skype for that interview.

Now that you know something about the company you are applying to, how do you know what to wear?  There are four main areas of your personal dress to consider before you head to that interview: color, cut, level of the position, and reflecting the company’s wants and needs. Color and color psychology used correctly can be a powerful tool to communicate who you are as well as the type of professional you are. Simply put, in the color world, the deeper or darker the color, the more professional the color is thought to be, while the lighter the color, the more juvenile or immature the color is thought to be. So if you are going for a powerful, professional look, stick with darker colors and avoid pastels.

Now when it comes to which color to wear, this is where the cultural research really pays off. Western society and Eastern society each have different interpretations of color. Investigating the different color meanings will help you determine which color to wear for the message you want to send. A perfect example is the color red: in Western society red represents passion, where as in Eastern society, depending on the country and their culture, it can have a variety of other meanings. You want to be sure you’re speaking the color language of the company on the receiving end of your impression.

The cut of your clothes is crucial because clothes that don’t fit just say sloppy and unkempt. If you want to come across as the true professional that you are, you need to be certain that your clothes fit you perfectly. So go visit a tailor and see what can be done to ensure you’re reflecting your most polished, professional self.

Now when it comes to the level of the position and what the company wants, you have to temper this with who you truly are. Dressing in a manner that doesn’t reflect who you are on some level will end up making your outfit look like a costume. Typically, if you are applying for a position below management, a business casual look is acceptable in most areas of the United States.

Also consider the company’s style and approach to doing business. Does the company talk a lot about teamwork and innovation? If so, a business casual look may work in this environment across the board. However, if the company talks about long standing tradition and conservative values, then a business suit may be your best bet.

All the tools are out there and available to help you, the job seeker, put your best foot forward and maximize your first impression with a potential new employer. It’s up to you to put the pieces of the puzzle together. But if you take the time to do the research and apply the knowledge, you soon will be a job seeker no more!

Alison Craig is an author, a speaker, and the CEO of 3 Impressions, inc., an impression management firm. The 3 Impressions^SM ideology of Craig’s, transforms individuals and corporations from a mundane, mainstream existence to a place that reflects a zealous, passionate, and free spirit with a distinctive and focused direction, leading to a life lived on a level unattainable to many. For more information go to www.3impressions.com.

His book Art is Work is mainly a collection of his design work, but he opens it with a curious and powerful insight. He says everything we do falls into three basic categories: Bad Work • Good Work • Great Work.

You Already Know What These Categories Mean

Over the years, I’ve asked thousands of people at hundreds of different organizations what these categories mean to them. Intuitively, they know—and their answers can be summed up like this:

Bad Work

Bad Work is a waste of time, energy, and life. Doing it once is one time too many. This is not something to be polite about. It’s not something to be resigned to. This is work that is pointless.

Sadly, organizations have a gift for generating Bad Work. It shows up as bureaucracy, interminable meetings, outdated processes that waste everyone’s time, and other ways of doing things that squelch you rather than help you grow.

Good Work

Good Work is the familiar, useful, productive work you do—and you likely do it well. You probably spend most of your time on Good Work, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Good Work blossoms from your training, your education, and the path you’ve traveled so far. All in all, it’s a source of comfort, nourishment, and success.

There’s a range of Good Work: At one end it’s engaging and interesting work; at the other, it is more mundane but you recognize its necessity and are happy enough to spend some time doing it.

You always need Good Work in your life. At an organizational level, Good Work is vital. It is a company’s bread and butter—the efficient, focused, profitable work that delivers next quarter’s returns.

Great Work

Great Work is what we all want more of. This is the work that is meaningful to you, that has an impact and makes a difference. It inspires, stretches, and provokes. Great Work is the work that matters.

It is a source of both deep comfort and engagement—often you feel as if you’re in the “flow zone,” where time stands still and you’re working at your best, effortlessly. The comfort comes from its connection, its “sight line,” to what is most meaningful to you—not only your core values, and beliefs, but also your aspirations and hopes for the impact you want to have on the world.

But Great Work is also a place of uncertainty and discomfort. The discomfort arises because the work is often new and challenging, and so there’s an element of risk and possible failure. Because this is work that matters, work that you care about, you don’t want it to fail. But because it’s new and challenging, there’s a chance that it might.

For organizations, Great Work drives strategic difference, innovation, and longevity. Often it’s the kind of inventive work that pushes business forward, which leads to new products, more efficient systems, and increased profits.

So Far, So Good

Those are three fairly straightforward definitions. You’re probably nodding your head and thinking, “Yep, I get that.” But how do you get the balance right? What’s your perfect mix?

The truth is there is no perfect mix. Finding the right mix between your Good Work and Great Work (with no Bad Work) is the practice of a lifetime. And even if you do find a harmonious balance now, it will change. The best mix for this year won’t be right twelve months later.

A number of factors account for this:

1. Great Work decays. Over time, Great Work decays into Good Work. As Great Work becomes comfortable and familiar as you master it, it no longer provides the challenge, stretch, or rewards it once did. Your Great Work of today won’t be your Great Work five years from now.

The iPod syndrome kicks in. Remember how special iPods were when they first arrived on the scene? Now everyone has one, and they’re taken for granted.

2.  Good Work has its attractions. Even as we hunger for more Great Work, we’re always drawn back to the comfort of Good Work. It’s a perpetual tension—the challenge, risk, and reward of the Great against the familiarity, efficiency, and safety of the Good.

3.       Different years demand different responses. Some years are “stretch”
years when you go for it; others are years to conserve your strength, gathering ideas and laying the groundwork for your next initiative. This ebb and flow reminds me of an anniversary card I once saw that read, “Thanks for 20 great years . . . 7 average years . . . and 2 absolute stinkers.”

But here’s one thing I bet you’ve never said: “I have too much Great Work.” Because no one says, “My life’s just too interesting, too stimulating, too engaging, too fulfilling, too provocative. . . .” No one says, “I don’t want to do more Great Work.”

In fact whatever your mix might currently be, almost inevitably you’re hungry for more Great Work.

Michael Bungay Stanier is the founder and senior partner of Box of Crayons, a company that works with organizations, ranging from AstraZeneca to Xerox, to help them do more great work. With contributions by Seth Godin, a bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change.  To read more about their new book, visit Do More Great Work (Workman, 2010).

In fact, GE, Hewlett-Packard and Burger King all started in a down economy.

General Electric Co. was established in 1876 by famed American inventor Thomas Edison. In the middle of the Panic of 1873, a six-year recession, Edison created one of the best-known inventions of all time – the incandescent light bulb. In terms of market capitalization, GE is now the third largest company in the world. GE has evolved from a strong manufacturing business to an enterprise earning more than 50 percent of its revenue from its financial services division.

Hewlett-Packard Development Co. was inauspiciously born in a Palo Alto garage at the end of the Great Depression. The electronic company, initially supported by a mere $538 investment, has grown into the first technology business to exceed $100 billion in revenue, earning $104 billion in 2007. It now operates in nearly every country in the world.

Burger King Corp. began in 1954 when James McLamore and David Edgerton opened a Burger King restaurant in Miami, Fla. During another recession in 1957, the company introduced its successful signature burger – the Whopper. Today, the company operates more than 11,100 locations in 65 countries.

In times of economic uncertainty, it can be difficult for people in unfulfilling careers to find the courage to change their lives and switch fields. However, a lot of people out there would be happier if they took a chance.

Thirty-three percent of Americans hate their jobs, 87 percent dislike their jobs and 67 percent labor in the wrong career field, according to the book “Caught Between a Dream and a Job.” And 25 percent of employees view their jobs as their No. 1 stressor in life, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s “Stress … At Work” publication.

What’s the difference between people who are optimistic and moving forward and those who are just getting by? I believe that much of it has to do with how you view the glass – half full or half empty.

George Sheehan, an author, track star and cardiologist, once said, “Success means having the courage, the determination and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.”

People with a positive outlook and a life plan don’t get off the track when things change – they just change tracks.

As a life and career coach, I spend a great deal of time helping clients realize their dreams and take the steps to reach their goals. Particularly in this economy, it’s important to engage in some re-evaluation of your goals, course correction and daily planning for success. Use the following process to take your life to the next level:

• Take some time to think about your big picture vision for your life, career and family. Describe in writing your personal or professional vision in the first person as if it is happening right at this very moment. For instance, you may write something like: “I am on the way to work at my clothing store called The Finer Things. I actually love going to work now because it doesn’t feel like a job.” Continue to write about why you enjoy running your own clothing business, including purchasing the clothes, developing client relationships and etc. This helps you get in touch with what you enjoy doing, not just what you’ve ended up doing. If it’s a new career that you’d like to pursue, use this same big picture vision to write about the position and visualize what it would feel like to be doing that work.

• Next, start a list of the big steps – or mile steps as I call them – that would be needed to reach your goal. For instance, when starting a new business you may need to research the industry, develop a business plan or get some training. For a new career, your mile steps may be taking classes, researching potential companies, developing a new resume or joining a network organization for that industry. Mile steps are the big milestones that will get you closer to your big picture vision.

• From there, break the process down further into daily action steps, which I call mini feats. Mini feats are the smaller steps you take each day that move you step-by-step to your big picture vision. They are given a scheduled time so you will complete them just like any other important thing that should get done each day. Each mini feat needs to be a minimum of five minutes in length. A mini feat might be to complete an application, schedule an appointment or do some research on the Internet. These small daily activities keep you motivated and on track toward your goals.

• Surround yourself with inspiring and motivating people. You may find your usual crew begins to thin out as you take on a new life direction. Seek out those people who are supportive of your goals and join groups or seek counseling to keep you motivated and accountable.

• Be easy on yourself. Change and transformation can bring up all sorts of good, bad and ugly stuff. When you feel yourself struggling, take a break. When you have small successes, give yourself kudos for all of your hard work and continue to move on to your big picture vision.

• Start now. You don’t want to look back in 10 years and realize you’re still at the same place in your life. Even if you love your life now, growth is a necessary part of your evolvement on this planet. Every single day of your life is precious. Embrace it, and those you love, to the fullest.

“Being laid off was one of the best things to happen in my life. By following this program, I got a clear picture of my life goals and was able to focus on my strengths, beliefs and desires,” said Prerna Ohara, president of San Diego-based Your Company Concierge. “Since starting last year, I have already launched my new business and elevated my personal life to the next level. I know now that there is no limit to what I can achieve for myself.”

Allison Maslan is the founder and president of Blast Off! Life and Business Coaching (www.MyBlastOff.com), a highly acclaimed author, an international motivational speaker, the inventor and developer of Blastation, an interactive life coaching software program, and the president of the Homeopathic Wellness Center. In her new book, “Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan To Launch Your Dreams Into Reality,” Maslan gives tips for tapping into your passions and finding a fulfilling career.

Example questions are: “Tell me about a time where you confronted an unexpected problem,” “Describe an experience when you failed to achieve a goal,” or “Give me a specific example of a time when you managed several projects at once.”

Equip yourself to answer the questions thoroughly. Obviously, you can prepare better for this type of interview if you know which skills the employer has predetermined to be necessary for the job you seek. Researching the company, studying the job description, and talking to people who work there will enable you to zero in on the kinds of behaviors the company wants. In the interview, your response must be specific and detailed. Candidates who tell the interviewer about particular situations that relate to each question will be far more successful than those who respond in general terms.

Ideally, briefly describe the situation, the specific action you took to have an effect on the situation, and the positive result or outcome. It’s also helpful to think of your responses as stories. Frame each example as a three-step story, usually called a S-A-R, P-A-R, or C-A-R statement: 1. situation (or problem, challenge), 2. action, 3. result/outcome. Become an engaging storyteller in your interviews, but be careful not to ramble.

It’s difficult to prepare for a behavior-based interview because of the huge number and variety of behavioral questions you might be asked. The best way to prepare is to arm yourself with a small arsenal of example stories that you can adapt to many behavioral questions. Despite myriad possible behavioral questions, you can get some idea of what to expect by looking at Web sites that feature behavioral questions. Knowing what kinds of questions might be asked will help you prepare an effective selection of examples.

Interviewers will expect most of your examples to spring from your professional experience, but it’s acceptable to draw a few responses from such activities as volunteer work and community service. Wherever possible, quantify your results. Interviewers especially want to hear these outcome metrics.

Remember that many behavioral questions endeavor to probe the way you responded to negative situations; you’ll need to have examples of negative experiences ready, but try to choose negative experiences that you made the best of or–better yet, those that had positive outcomes or that you learned from.

Here are 9 effective steps to prepare for behavior-based interviews:

1. Identify up to 20 examples from your past experience in which you demonstrated top behaviors and skills that your research has indicated that the targeted employer seeks. Think in terms of examples that will exploit your top selling points.
2. Half your examples should be totally positive, such as achieving accomplishments or meeting goals.
3. The other half should be situations that started out negatively but either ended positively or you made the best of (or learned from) the outcome.
4. Vary your examples; don’t take them all from just one area of your career.
5. Use fairly recent examples–within the last year is best. Some employers, in fact, specify that candidates give examples of behaviors demonstrated within the last year.
6. Describe examples in story form using a PAR/SAR/CAR structure.
7. Write your example stories down and give them titles. Though you don’t want to use these written versions as scripts or memorize your responses, you’ll find that writing them helps organize and crystallize them in your mind. Giving them titles will help you recall them from your memory bank more easily.
8. To cram for a behavioral interview right before you’re interviewed, review your resume. Seeing your achievements in print will jog your memory.
9. In the interview, listen carefully to each question, and pull an example out of your bag of tricks that provides an appropriate description of how you demonstrated the desired behavior. With practice, you can learn to tailor a relatively small set of examples to respond to a diverse range of behavioral questions. Expect interviewers to pose several follow-up questions and probe for details that explore all aspects of a given situation or experience.

Once you’ve snagged the job, keep a record of achievements and accomplishments so you’ll be ready with more great examples the next time you go on a behavior-based interview.

Katharine (Kathy) Hansen, Ph.D., is the author of Top Notch Executive Interviews (from which this post is adapted), as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes, and six other books. Kathy is creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers. She is an educator, author, and also blogs about storytelling at A Storied Career.

Here’s the first question: Do you want to keep this job? If you do, what’s the best way to try and paint a picture for your boss that portrays your remaining at the company in a positive light, and creates a vision of you as an employee determined to pull your weight, to excel, and be beneficial to the company? In other words, how can you–on the spot–change your boss’s mind and help her see that doing so will be to her advantage?

1. Open with a positive. Make a positive opening statement, such as, “I want to thank you for all of the opportunities you’ve given me.” Don’t wing it; write your opening statement down and commit it to memory if you have any inkling that a layoff is imminent.

2. Get your boss talking. Ask a great question, such as, “If there were one area I could improve upon that would enable me to stay, what would it be?” Again, don’t wing it; write it down if you suspect this is going to happen.

3. Control your presentation. Keep a low voice, a slow voice. Don’t allow yourself to become emotional no matter what the answer. Don’t allow your voice to go up, or your speech to speed up. Don’t lean aggressively forward suddenly. Ahead of time, practice talking in the mirror with a calm, composed manner so you’ll know what it feels like.

4. Grab your opportunity. If there is a discussion or she gives you an answer that gives you hope, be ready with another question, such as, “What can I say that will assure you of my efforts and ability to take your direction?” Don’t wing this, write it down and commit it to memory.

5. Repeat it three times. If the discussion is going well, repeat the above question. Don’t start winging it. Ask the above question at least three times. This is a tried-and-true strategy used by pro negotiators. By getting the other party to confirm her cooperation three times, you help to seal the deal. You can vary the question a bit: e.g. “What can I do to make you feel confident that I’m working hard to fulfill your expectations of the job?”

6. Set an agenda for the future. Ask these questions: “How can we be sure I’m on track?” “What kind of review schedule could we put in place to assure success?” Don’t just assume everything will be fine. Do negotiate the agenda to give you the best chance for success, and to get your boss thinking about and talking about your success.

7. Stay cool and calm. No matter the outcome, don’t raise your voice, don’t point blame, don’t fail to follow the above steps–all of them. No matter how things turn out, thank your boss and, if appropriate, wish her the very best. It will pay you in the long run.

Next time around let’s talk about what to do if you don’t want to keep the job.

Jim Camp is an internationally sought negotiation coach and trainer, and author of NO: The Only Negotiating System You Need for Work and Home (Crown), the revised and updated version of his critically acclaimed business book, Start with No. As president and founder of The Camp Group, he has coached individuals, companies, and governments worldwide through hundreds of negotiations worth billions.

]]> http://www.myglobalcareer.com/2010/09/06/seven-things-to-say-after-hearing-youre-fired/feed/ 0 http://www.myglobalcareer.com/2010/08/18/would-you-invest-in-your-career/ http://www.myglobalcareer.com/2010/08/18/would-you-invest-in-your-career/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:01:09 +0000 Vaughan Evans http://www.myglobalcareer.com/?p=796 Continue reading]]> One-half of US employees are dissatisfied with their jobs, up from two-fifths 10 years ago. Are you one of them?

If you are seriously dissatisfied, it’s going to affect your attitude. And that may show up in your performance. It could also put you at risk of losing out to others who are more satisfied with what they do.

But are you really in the wrong job or business? Or is it just a case of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence? Are you dissatisfied or unfulfilled for little or no reason? How can you tell?

Here are some steps to help you figure out if you’re in the right job and some recommendations on what to do about it.

Think of yourself as a business. Would you back yourself? Would you invest in You, Inc? If the answer is no, you’re in the wrong job. To invest in a business, or in this case, in yourself, you need to be comfortable on three main fronts: that market demand for your services is buoyant, that competition is not too tough, and that you are reasonably well placed to succeed.

Consider market demand for You, Inc. You need to be sure that demand for you is not about to fall off a cliff. If you worked as a travel agent before the dot-com era, long-term demand for your services would not have looked promising, given the looming threat from e-booking and e-ticketing. Is there something happening in your industry that could affect future demand for your services?

What’s the competition? You need reassurance that there are not too many people competing for jobs the same or similar to yours. For example, if you work in the printing industry, you may find that jobs like yours are being outsourced to Asia. Some manufacturing companies have moved their entire operations overseas. Who’s lined up to replace you?

Check how you measure up. How well placed are you in your marketplace? How well do you meet the capabilities needed to succeed in your job? Do you have the right skills, knowledge, and experience? Are you efficient enough? Is your attitude right? Is your heart in what you do? If not, you’re in danger of becoming unbackable.

Become more backable. If you find you are in the right job, how can you become more backable? You need a strategy. Which of your strengths can you build on? Which of your weaknesses can you improve in? What study, training, or related work experience can you undertake to reinforce that strength, or negate that weakness?

Consider moving on. If you find you’re unbackable in your current job, it may be time to move on, to a job where you would be backable—preferably in a field that brings out the Hwyl in you, the Celtic concept of passion, fervor, and spirit that can lift you to extremes of success. But how to find such a job, and how would you know whether you would be backable there?

List and screen jobs that ignite your passion. Make a long list of all those jobs and businesses done by friends, family, colleagues, people in newspapers or on TV, fictional people in books, movies, etc. that you find exciting, and rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 by the amount of hwyl you would feel if you were doing them. Take the top dozen and screen them for gut-feel backability. How promising are the market conditions, and how well placed would you be in such a job? If none look promising, move on to the next dozen, always moving in descending order of hwyl.

Do a reality check. Take the two or three most promising jobs that emerge from your screen and subject them to the same rigor of analysis that you did on your current job earlier on (market demand, competition, your position). Of course, you won’t know as much about these target jobs as you do your current job, so you will have to do some research. Talk to practitioners, talk to their customers. How could you slot in? What entry strategy should you deploy?

Take Raquel, a Los Angeles bus driver. She was in a job where demand outstripped supply, with vacancies cropping up regularly. She was an excellent driver and had 18 years of experience. Raquel should have been highly backable—well placed in a buoyant job market. There was only one problem: Her heart wasn’t in the job. On the contrary, she was becoming ever more stressed by both the LA traffic and the rude drivers—and passengers. Raquel found she was becoming irritable and oversensitive. She was in danger of becoming unbackable.

So she went through the process as set out above. It revealed that gardening was her passion, even though she had never considered it as a possible source of income. Raquel went to evening classes for two years before quitting her driving job and setting up her own garden design and maintenance business. She hasn’t looked back since.

That could be you, too! One of the problems with feeling discontent in a job is we don’t know what to do or where to start. Raquel’s example shows that these basic steps will get you moving on the right track to finding the right job, or feeling good about your chances of success in your current job.

Vaughan Evans is a renowned economist, business strategist, sought-after speaker, and the author of Backing U! A Business-Oriented Guide to Backing Your Passion and Achieving Career Success (Business and Careers Press, 2009, www.backingu.com).

A pre-pave is a statement or command that you think, say, or write that describes what you want. Your command becomes your intention. The moment you pre-pave a command, the Universe begins to “line up the energy” to make it happen for you. Here are a few pre-paves that will make you a great worker:

I arrive early for work and mentally prepare for the day.

Just by arriving a little early to mentally prepare, your whole day changes, because the energy and thought you put into your vibration is different. It makes you feel good inside, and it creates an environment that helps you to enjoy your job. When you enjoy what you do, you will want to arrive in time to prepare to have an awesome day.

I am valued for what I do.

If you want to be valued in your job, give value to your boss and the company. It’s that simple. When you focus on giving value rather than talking about how you are under-paid or under-appreciated, you attract the acknowledgement, the position and the raise.

I work with enthusiasm today.

Enthusiasm generates willpower. If you want to increase your sales and work more efficiently with fewer errors, choose to work with enthusiasm. It truly generates willpower to accomplish more, better, faster.

I am passionate about what I do.

People often come to me for coaching on how to find a job they are passionate about. I say to them, “Be passionate about what you do now!” This is the surest way to find a job you are passionate about. You must resonate passion. Whether you are a top-paid executive or a valet, be passionate about it. When you are passionate about what you do, people notice, and so does the Universe.

I focus on solutions today.

Focus on solutions and the Universe will focus on getting you the resources you need. Your work environment will be far more pleasurable and you can anticipate miraculous results with this positive frame of mind.

I focus on serving others.

Success in life is truly about service to others and the workplace is the perfect place to practice it. Focus today on serving others. Not for what you get in return, but just for the joy of making others happy. Who knows, maybe you’ll start a new trend in the office!

These are just a few pre-paves that will make you a great worker. Use them, putting your focus on the “now” and consciously choosing how you want to live, not just with your work, but with everything that’s important in your life — health, finances, family, food, etc. When you pre-pave, your thoughts become your intentions and your intentions create your reality. And the great thing is — you can choose your thoughts! Remember, when you make yourself a great worker, your greatness will be contagious, making others around you great as well.

Elisabeth Fayt is an international speaker, owner of RnR Wellness, and bestselling author of the new book Paving it Forward. One of the featured speakers in the movie The Opus, Elisabeth is both a prominent abundance expert and a successful businesswoman. Find out more about Elisabeth at www.ElisabethFayt.com or email her at info@ElisabethFayt.com.

Top company management usually comes from the ranks of those who sell the core business product-service, not from those on the firing line who deliver it.   That’s why in media, programming and news people rarely become management.  Since advertising sales is the primary product of media, the sales people become the managers.  In education, good teachers stay in the classroom.  In the energy industry, engineers dominate. Engineers steadfastly believe that they’re in the energy exploration and production business.  The companies themselves are in the energy marketing business.    Restaurants are in the business of marketing atmosphere and service.  Yet, they put food preparers (representing 20% of the pie) in charge.  Decisions are always food driven, explaining in part the high failure rate of restaurants.  Other reasons include poor planning, substandard customer service, low capitalization and inappropriate marketing.

A major problem with companies stems from the fact that management and company leadership come from one small piece of the organizational pie.  Filling all management slots with financial people, for example, serves to limit the organizational strategy and focus.  They all hire like-minded people and frame every business decision from their micro perspective.

The ideal executive has strong leadership skills first.  He or she develops organizational vision and sets strategies.  Leaders should reflect a diversity of focus, guaranteeing that a balance is achieved. The best management team looks at the macro, rather than just the niche micro.

None of us was born with sophisticated, finely tuned senses and highly enlightened viewpoints for life.  We muddle through, try our best and get hit in the gut several times.  Thus, we learn, amass knowledge and turn most experiences into strategies.  Such a perspective is what makes seasoned executives valuable in the business marketplace.

Life has a way of forcing the human condition to change.  Events which may inspire this to happen could include a recognition that the old methods are not working, financial failures or the monetary incentive to rapidly create or change plans of action.  At most crossroads, there is no choice but to change the modus operandi.  This may include the loss of substantial numbers of opportunities, customers, employees and market share or a “wake up call” of any type.

The most effective leaders accept that change is 90% positive and find reasons and rationale to embrace change.  Leadership skills are learned and synthesized daily.  Knowledge is usually amassed through unexpected sources.

The business leader as community leader
In eras following downturns and scandals, it is incumbent upon good companies to go the extra distance to be ethical and set good examples.  Demonstrating visible caring for communities by company executives is the ultimate form of Customer Focused Management.

No matter the size of the organization, goodwill must be banked.  Every company must make deposits for those inevitable times in which withdrawals will be made.

To say that business and its communities do not affect each other, is short-sighted…and will make business the loser every time.  Business marries the community that it settles with.  The community has to be given a reason to care for the business.  Business owes its well-being and livelihood to its communities.

Business leaders have an obligation to serve on community boards and be very visible in the communities in which they do business.  If done right, community stewardship builds executives into better leaders, as well as receiving deserved credit for the company.  Civic service is the ultimate way to steer heir apparents toward the leadership track.

Communities are clusters of individuals, each with its own agenda.  In order to be minimally successful, each company must know the components of its home community intimately.  Each company has a business stake for doing its part.  Community relations in reality is a function of self-interest, rather than just being a good citizen.

Companies should support off-duty involvement of employees in pro bono capacities but not take unfair credit.  Volunteers are essential to community relations.  Companies must show tangible evidence of supporting the community by assigning key executives to high-profile community assignments.  Create a formal volunteer guild, and allow employees the latitude and creativity to contribute to the common good.  Celebrate and reward their efforts.

Publicity and promotions should support effective community relations and not be the substitute or smokescreen for the process.  Recognition is as desirable for the community as for the business.  Good news shows progress and encourages others to participate.

The well-rounded community relations program embodies all elements: accessibility of company officials to citizens, participation by the company in business and civic activities, public service promotions, special events, plant communications materials and open houses, grassroots constituency building and good citizenry.

No entity can operate without affecting or being affected by its communities.  Business must behave like a guest in its communities, never failing to give potlatch or return courtesies.  Community acceptance for one project does not mean than the job of community relations has been completed. It is not “insurance” that can be bought overnight.  It is tied to the bottom line and must be treated accordingly, with the resources and expertise to do it effectively.  It is a bond of trust that, if violated, will haunt the business.  If steadily built, the trust can be exponentially parlayed into successful long-term business relationships.

Hank Moore has advised 5,000+ client organizations worldwide, two U.S. Presidents and spoken at five Economic Summits.  The Business Tree™ is his trademarked approach to growing, strengthening and evolving business, while mastering change.

One blinding flash of the obvious that is often missed, and that could be extremely pertinent in the age of employee engagement, is “Engagement requires thinking.”  In my experience, many employee engagement approaches are still one-way communication efforts on steroids that fail to tap into the ability of employees to think and act differently.  At a time when study after study confirms that only about 20% of employees are engaged in their current work, it’s hard not to conclude that something’s not working!  Maybe “having a best friend at work” isn’t the determining factor.  Why are so many employees simply checked out at the place where they spend 40% of their waking lives…at work?

Let’s start with a key premise that’s often missed in engagement efforts – that we want to solve problems ourselves.  From Sudoku to mystery novels to crosswords, we all love the challenge of solving a puzzle.  Obviously, we could just turn to the back of the book and get the answer or read the final page.  But what’s engaging about that?  We want the intellectual and emotional experience of finding a sense of achievement in our own thinking.  When people get a chance to solve their own puzzles, they own the result.  And owners think, act, and engage differently from non-owners.  They’re vested, they’re passionate, they won’t take no for an answer, and they’re willing to put in more effort than is required.I once talked to an employee at a large Canadian bank just after she was given her first opportunity in 15 years to actively think about her business.  In an “official” group discussion, she was asked to compare and contrast major marketplace trends and consider competitive threats, industry consolidation, and consumer expectations.  The experience was a real eye-opener for her – and for her leaders.

She told me, “You know, learning and engagement require thinking.  In the past, people have tried to persuade me to do things differently in order to improve the business.  But they never asked me to think about the business.  This is the first time I’ve ever learned anything here – the first time I have really been engaged in solving our problems.  Now that I’ve had a chance to actually think about our business, I’m beginning to change my ideas about how it works and my role in it.”

And it’s not just intellectual – engagement is emotional.  You can’t possibly be engaged if someone else is trying to draw your conclusions for you.  You need the “emotional aha.”  You need to feel like you’re totally in the game by really feeling what the business needs, figuring out how you can help, and realizing why you make a difference.  The woman at the bank felt valued because her company offered her a challenge instead of spoon-feeding her a solution.  That showed her that her leaders believed that she had the ability to think.  And this energized her and created a sense of belonging, pride, ownership, and desire to go the extra mile.

Most organizations attempt to execute their strategies by doing all the thinking for their people – and then trying to persuade them to dedicate their heads, hearts, and hands to bring the strategies to life.  Our 20% engagement statistic should loudly tell us that this doesn’t work!

So to be engaged means that you know what you need to do as well as why you’re doing it.  But if you’re a leader at any level in your organization, how do you get people there?  Abraham Maslow said, “The great tragedy of the human race is the history of people selling themselves short.”

To apply this to business engagement, I’d say, “The great tragedy of the engagement movement is the history of leaders selling their people short.”  By telling employees what the answers are – solving the business puzzles – we are giving them only the answer key and depriving people of the chance to think about truly engaging in the business differently.

Jim Haudan is the CEO and founder of Root Learning.  His new book, The Art of Engagement (McGraw Hill, August 2008), explains how organizations can close the gap between their aspirations and actual, tangible results.