Month: January 2018
Why Negative Feedback Is Good
Some managers spend a lot of time avoiding giving negative feedback. They assume no one wants to hear it. Giving praise is easy, it makes people feel good. Explaining the negatives can be hard. It can stress out the giver and the receiver.
On the receiving end, people love hearing positive feedback. What you may not realize is, they can also really, honestly appreciate negative feedback – sometimes even more than positive words. Depending on when it’s given and how, negative feedback can be just as motivating, if not more motivating than positive feedback. It can result in strengthened relationships.
Having those difficult conversations shows you’re invested in the relationship and are willing to put time and effort into solving problems.
Provide regular feedback
One of the keys to diffusing the negativity of negative feedback is to ensure you’re giving feedback (both positive and negative) on a regular basis. That way the feedback isn’t coming in response to a festering problem or only after a resounding success. It’s part of an ongoing conversation.
Positive feedback like you did a great job with X will motivate someone to keep on doing what they’re doing. Negative feedback like this is the problem with Y should be informative. Explain what went wrong and offer ways to improve the situation. Improving someone’s direction can be just as motivating as encouraging words.
Create a positive atmosphere
The key to getting a positive response with negative feedback has everything to do with the atmosphere created between the giver and the receiver. If the person getting feedback feels like they’ve been listened to, that their point of view has been taken into consideration, then they’re less likely to feel hurt and more likely to appreciate the benefits of the feedback.
Rather than presenting a list of problems, negative feedback should be addressed in a two way conversation, with each side listening to the other, so both sides understand how the behavior impacts everyone involved. Finish by asking what you can do to help the person improve the situation.
Check out these 10 Smart Rules For Giving Negative Feedback from Inc.
Learning to Plan Big
Some people are very content to live their lives within safe parameters. They don’t bother with big plans because those are out of the safe zone. Other people believe if you’re going to dream, then you should dream BIG.
Even for those big dream believers, no one starts a new venture or decides to pursue an idea they’ve been contemplating without giving it some serious consideration. You’ve already written out a pros and cons list. You’ve spoken with your best friend, with your parents, your associates. You’ve done your research, but you’re still not entirely sure. Here are a few pointers to help you in your decisions.
What’s the worst that can happen?
It’s easy to dream about the best possible outcome, but oftentimes we don’t really want to dwell on the worst possible outcome. When making big, difficult decisions, with uncertain outcomes, it’s important to evaluate all possible outcomes, including the worst ones. Remember, if it can go wrong, there’s a good chance it will go wrong. By acknowledging the worst case scenario you take away some of the power it holds over you and you can prepare for how you will deal with it.
Accomplish your goals one at a time
A big goal is not achieved all at once. It’s achieved in smaller steps. The best way to know where you’re going, which step to take next, is to write them all out. Each smaller goal you achieve gets you closer to the big one. It helps you reset your priorities and ensure you’re always moving forward. This article from Forbes explains exactly how writing down your goals will prepare you for your plunge.
Everything takes longer than expected
With your best calculations you might expect everything to start working out the way you plan within six months. If you believe it will take six months then give yourself eighteen. Triple your time calculations because everything always takes way longer than expected. You need to be prepared for that.
Have a Plan B
No matter how well you plan there’s always a chance you’ll end up off course. If you’ve included alternative courses of action in your plan to cover delays or unexpected costs, or outside situations you never even anticipated, you’ll be able to get back on course. Without a backup plan you risk losing everything.
Don’t be afraid of being afraid
No one is unafraid at the prospect of trying something new. Some people will nurse that fear until the fear is so strong it overwhelms them. Others will acknowledge the fear and go forward anyway. Practice doing smaller things you’re afraid of so you become comfortable passing the fear barrier.
Fear of a failure, fear of trying, fear of success can all be as paralyzing as an actual physical threat, but fear is not an actual threat. The more often you confront your fears the less hold they will have on you and the more ready you’ll be to take the plunge!
Before Your Next Job Interview
Do You Feel Professional?
No one is really sure when it happens, but at some point you become a professional. It might happen as soon as you get your first job in high school. It might not happen until you get your first promotion at an office job, but one way or another, you have to become a professional.
What does it even mean? You know how older people keep telling you that you have to grow up? or that you need to be more mature? It’s kind of like that, but within the world of work. At some point you won’t be able to slack off like you used to, and you’ll have to put in more hard work to get anything out of your career.
Presentation
Part of being a professional is how you present yourself to others. Think of your LinkedIn profile picture. Is it serious or are you hanging upside down with a drink in your hand? If you want people to treat you like a professional, you have to present yourself as one. Do you wear t-shirts with corny slogans on them, or do you put effort into dressing well? These are the things that differentiate the professionals from the rest.
Attitude
Similar to presentation, the attitude you bring with you to your job will have a lot to do with how people view you. If you’re constantly worried about yourself, and only looking out for number 1, you’ll find your coworkers start to treat you like a disease. If you throw a tantrum every time something doesn’t go your way, you’ll find yourself being trusted with less and less responsibility.
Divide Your Time
Professionals know when to work and when to play. They know how to separate their personal time from their work time. If you’re on Facebook and Twitter for personal use throughout the day, your work will suffer and your coworkers and managers will not be pleased. You’ll find that you’re not given more work to handle and you might even be taken off important projects.
Do Good Work
The best way to be a professional, is to do good work. Good work is rewarded with more responsibility, and that in turn will elevate your position. When people think of professionals, they think of hard work and dedication.
In the end, being a professional is more about how you approach your work than what anyone else thinks about you. Be a professional in your habits and your attitude and the rest will follow.
Your Cover Letter Should Answer Three Questions
Networking for Introverts
Most industries are more reliant on network connections than you probably realize. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. If there’s an opening somewhere, of course everyone wants to bring in someone they know and like rather than a stranger.
This is great news if you know people, but the issue is getting to know people. If you don’t have some other kind of connection to them, this often comes down to pure and simple schmoozing at events and hoping they remember you later.
Just because we know how important networking is for our careers, it doesn’t mean we are all prepared to enter networking situations with a big smile and a ready handshake. Networking is one of those things that either comes naturally to you and can even be considered pleasant, or feels so unnatural it’s about as pleasant as getting stuck in a snowstorm without a coat. Here’s a system for people for who prefer the word never to networking
A system for introverts
Here’s a system for the introverted among you to try out. Go to every event you are invited to even if you don’t want to. That’s step one. Once you’re there, make a point of talking to three people you wouldn’t normally see.
Just approach them, no matter how painful it may be, say “Hello, I’m so-and-so,” and carry on a conversation for as long as you can stand.
When you want to leave, just say you’re going to get a drink or you see a friend or something. Then onto the next one. Do it three times and you are free.
Don’t get discouraged if it’s hard or scary or nothing comes of it right away. You’re not promising to do anything beyond saying hello and your name and possibly a couple of things about yourself. You might find yourself feeling comfortable with the person you’re talking to, and without realizing it, actually find yourself in a full on conversation.
Each person you speak to, makes speaking to the next one a tiny bit easier. If you’re nice and make a good impression, eventually someone will remember you, or one of your conversations will be enlightening in a way you wouldn’t have come up with on your own. There are many possible outcomes. Short of spilling your drink on yourself, they’re all good.
It’s unfortunate that networking has to be like pulling teeth for some people, but it still has to be done! Hopefully having a system helps!
What is a Mastermind Group?
Getting together with a group of likeminded individuals to share ideas and collaborate to create something together better than any one person could create alone is something humans have been doing since they started hunting and gathering.
In his groundbreaking book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill coined the phrase mastermind group to define such a purposeful meeting. He described it as “a co-ordination of knowledge and effort in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”
Participants in the mastermind group get together regularly, to check in with each other, share what they’ve learned, and work together to address issues anyone in the group may be having. The group offers encouragement, insight, and face-to-face collaboration, in an effort to help all participants get to their respective finish lines faster.
Each group will create their own agenda. Some will give each member a chance to go into detail about what’s going on with their endeavors, to share their successes and challenges. Some will briefly check in with each member to keep them accountable then focus specifically and in depth on a different individual in the group during each meeting.
By creating and participating in a mastermind group or alliance, you are working with others toward a common objective, while benefiting from the experience, knowledge and training of others.
Being part of a mastermind group keeps you accountable. It helps you stay on track with your goals, with the added benefit of feedback and constructive criticism from within the group. It also provides access to resources and ideas you may not have been able to come up with on your own.
Need more convincing about the benefits of mastermind groups? Here are 7 reasons to join a mastermind group from Forbes.
Think You Should Be More Successful?
Sometimes You Can Be Too Nice
If someone asks you to help out with their project, do you automatically say yes? Even if it’s a small thing they should be able to handle on their own and it’s really kind of out of your way, you can’t help but agree? Do you find yourself over worked helping others while still feeling bad if you’re unable to help out?
From an early age we’re taught that we should be nice, considerate and kind to one another. This is true, but there comes a time when being overly kind can actually hinder your career progress. We’ve put together a couple questions you should ask yourself if you’re worried you might be too nice at work.
Can You Say No?
As we mentioned above, your very nice tendencies can lead to you feeling like you have to agree anytime a coworker asks anything of you. Next thing you know, you’re handling your own work, and everyone else’s. Not only does this add extra work to your plate, but it also sets a dangerous precedent that you can be taken advantage of. Being able to say no also shows that you have a good understanding of your role and its responsibilities.
Can You be Honest?
Honesty is the best policy, especially at work. If you can’t tell a coworker or an employee that they need to shape up, your group’s work will suffer. Eventually people will notice you don’t have what it takes to be in a leadership role. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but if someone needs to shape up, then another person is going to have to tell them. Let it be you. Even if it doesn’t feel nice. Tell them gently, and help them work on what they are lacking.
Can you Speak Up?
This is the one where the most excuses are made. Whether you’re a little intimidated by your boss or don’t want to overstep boundaries with your coworker, you can constantly convince yourself that the more polite course of action is to say nothing. The truth is, sometimes you’re gonna have to step up and step on toes. People are going to have differing opinions, and sometimes they’ll be wrong.
Being nice and being able to get along with others are essential to making friends and networking. However if you’re too nice, you risk not being able to stand up to those who might take advantage of you. You can also hurt yourself by using politeness as an excuse for not getting your ideas out there. There is a time and place for niceness, and also a time and place to put your foot down.
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