Andy Robinson’s Career Success! Career Tip of the Day

Being asked to join the board of a community, professional or business organization certainly can be a boost to the ego.  But, to make sure you say "Yes" for the right reasons, ask yourself these five questions, recommended by some seasoned board members:

1.  "What do I bring to the table? How will I add value as a board member?"
Is it knowledge of your field, financial savvy, existing business relationships, or something else?  If your experience and knowledge area(s) closely resembles that of the board's other members, decline and volunteer where you will make a difference.

2.  "What is my expected time commitment?"
Ensure you have a clear understanding of your time commitment.  Consider the frequency of board meetings, typical board meeting duration, travel time, committee involvement, special project involvement, attendance at special events, and other areas of volunteer involvement. 

3.  "When will I know I've completed my job on the board?"
You should generally be able to invest a year or two to reach very specific goals and objectives. If you decide to accept the position, develop a clear vision early on as to your expected tenure, and hold yourself accountable to the timeframe you set for yourself.

4.  "What has the board accomplished in the last year, two years and five years?"
Don't join a board that takes up a lot of members' time in meetings or retreats without accomplishing much.  Look at the board's track record for accomplishments -- is this an organization that you would have been proud to have played a leadership role in?  Also, determine if clear goals and objectives have been set for the near term.

5.  "May I talk to three or four current members before I join?"
Ask, "What difference can I make?".  If a clear picture does not develop, consider turning the invitation down.

In summary, joining the board of a worthwhile organization can be an excellent experience and is certainly important for purposes of personal, professional and leadership development.  Choose wisely and ensure those that you join are ones where you will give a "110%" effort.
_______________
Andy Robinson
Executive Coach, Strategic Thinking Partner
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

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How well are you "branded" amongst your network of connections - friends, family members, individuals with whom you share outside interests, vendors, clients, colleagues, former colleagues?

• What comes to mind when people think of YOU? 

• Do your contacts fully understand what you do for a living and exactly HOW you add value to other people's lives?

• Who's "radar screen" are YOU on when someone asks a contact if they know someone who specializes in your areas of expertise?

Try the following idea every once in a while to "research" and confirm your brand awareness:

1. Choose a network connection and give them a call, asking for a quick few minutes of their time
2. Tell them that you've been working on improving your personal branding campaign and that you're doing some research with some of your friends and clients to see how effectively you've been in communicating your brand to your network
3. Then, ask this question: "What is your understanding of exactly what I do for a living -- the product, service or skillset that I deliver?"
4. Listen carefully to their response and probe their response using the "blinking word" technique -- (a) Identify a couple of words that "blink" or really stand in in their response, (b) ask about one of those words, (c) notice the blinking words in his or her answer, (d) ask about one of those words, (e) repeat this process until you've reached a point where you can summarize a quick brand statement.  See the example below:
   1. You: "What is your understanding of exactly what I do for a living?"
   2. Your contact: "You're an executive coach." (blinking word bolded)
   3. You: "What is your understanding of what a coach does?"
   4. Your contact: "Helps someone be more effective in their job." (blinking word bolded)
   5. You: "What are some things you think I do to help my clients be more effective?"
   6. Your contact: "Maybe you help them manage their time better." (clinking word bolded)
   7. You. "I definitely do a good bit of work with helping people get control over their time and focus on the important. One of the other areas of effectiveness I focus on is helping my clients is helping manager communicate more effectively with their teams."
   8. You. "Thanks I appreciate your time. If you run across anyone who might need my help, please let me know.  Is there anything I could do to help you right now?"

OK, so what exactly have you accomplished with the above.  Consider this:

• You've reached out and communicated in person with someone in your network y
• You've strengthened your relationship by a notch or two
• You've asked for and received their help, and you've THANKED them for their help
• You've gotten "market" feedback on the brand that you wish to be known for
• You've educated a contact about what you do for a living
• You've enhanced your brand awareness
• You've empowered a network contact with the information necessary to possibly refer a client to you in the future
• You've made a referral request

Use your personal branding program to stay on the radar screen of your contact network base -- by keeping them current on what you do for a living and how you add value to your clients. Your branding program should include newsletters, frequent communication through social media, blogging and "in person" networking at clubs and professional organizations .  "Test" your branding program on an ONGOING basis using the above research program and make adjustments as necessary.

All the best to your career success!
_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

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There is ALWAYS someone willing to help you or "hear you out."  Highly effective people understand this and draw upon their contact network -- their friends, family members, colleagues, business advisors, mentors, coaches, etc. -- in time of need.  Asking for help is honoring the strength and value of your relationships and is a means for tapping the brain power and emotional support of others. 

Involving others in helping you wade through a key decision or resolve a current business or career issue is a form of complimenting them.  The idea that you value their opinion and their insights demonstrates your appreciation of those individuals.  Knowing that they have helped you in some way makes them feel good -- you both feel better, AND your relationship is STRENGTHENED.

Actively seek out the advice and counsel of others.  Listen to what they have to say.  The decision is always YOURS to make, but receiving others' perspective can be extremely helpful in making better, more informed decisions.

Surround yourself with a circle of advisors, people whom you call upon for advice.  Offer to do the same for them. Everyone benefits.

_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

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The "Rule of Three"

Whether you're giving a presentation, telling a story, submitting a proposal or selling your services -- keep in mind the "Rule of Three."  Have you ever noticed the pattern of "3" in many of our traditional childhood stories -- three blind mice, the three stooges, the three little pigs, Goldilocks' three bears, three wishes .... the list goes on and on.

Research has shown that there is a rational behind the use of "three" in our societal story-telling -- our brains tend to naturally think in threes.  Add one more element and the memory pattern tends to slip.  Why not take advantage of this human tendency when interacting with others?

Knowing the "Rule of Three" and using it in your presentations, your "elevator pitch," your cover letter, your letter to that important client and other key communication pieces can be incredibly impactful.  Use the "Rule of Three," and people will tend to remember what you said and will likely remember that YOU said it.

As you wrestle with formulating your very next presentation, pick three stories, three key points or three ideas that best illustrate the message you are attempting to convey.  Repeat those three elements throughout your presentation.  End your presentation by going back to those three elements.  The "Rule of Three" works and is a powerful tool for facilitating retention.

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Setting yourself apart from the crowd demands that you go above and beyond the expectations of others -- on an ongoing basis.

Make it a point TODAY and every day to exceed expectations and "over deliver" to others.  Consider these ideas:

• If you observe a colleague struggling with a problem, offer a helping hand.  Sometimes just a few words of encouragement make a huge difference.

• Make sure you return all phone call messages by the end of the day.  If you don't have time for a discussion with the person, at least call back to set up a time to talk in the near future.

• Follow the "One-Thing More" rule -- Whenever someone asks you to something and you agree to do it, deliver on time and add one-thing more than was asked for.  It may be something simple, but the accumulation of those little "one-thing more" bonuses will get noticed and will set you apart.

• Always arrive early.  Whether it's a meeting, a lunch appointment, a conference call or a sales call -- get there early by at least five minutes.  Arriving a bit early shows respect for others and demonstrates that you care.

• Consistently beat your budget. Manage your time wisely, look for cost-saving opportunities, manage against a well-thought-out plan.  Be "that guy" (or gal) who consistently gets things done ahead of time and under budget.

• Anticipate the needs of your manager/leader.  Step up and volunteer to help out whenever necessary.

• Be proactive -- get it done before you're asked to do it.

_______________
Andy Robinson
Executive Coach, Strategic Thinking Partner
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

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Consider these questions:

• What are you "known" for? 
• What are you the "go to" person for? 
• When work associates think of you, what is "key expertise" that comes to their mind? 
• If you had a "byline" underneath your name on your office door, what would it say?
• When your clients or customers think of you, what is the key value element that comes to their mind?

To survive and thrive in the "new world" job market, it is absolutely essential that you develop and brand yourself as an expert in an area of high value. 

Take an inventory of your key strengths and key skills and identify those that you and others would rate you as a "10" in.  Are those highest-ranked strengths and skills considered extremely valuable to your current employer and to your clients/customers?  THEY MUST BE.  It is in the best interest of both your employer AND your own professional achievement that they must be.  If not, you've either GOT TO focus on developing strengths and skills that do add the greatest value OR you've GOT TO find a position or opportunity where your existing highest-ranked skills and strengths DO add tremendous value.

STOP and take a close look TODAY at your areas of expertise.  GO DEEPER into those that add the greatest value in your current situation.  Take personal responsibility for the learning you may need to hone those strengths, and aggressively seek out projects, assignments and opportunities to apply those deep areas of expertise.

_______________
Andy Robinson
CEO and Executive Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com

Let's Connect: www.AndyOnFacebook.com or www.AndyOnTwitter.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living."

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I read an interesting article in the New York Times this week discussing a situation faced by all too many laid-off employees -- having been in an specific job area or industry area for a number of years developing a set of skills that end up being limited in terms of transferability or "usability" in a new job or new career.  Many of these individuals find themselves unable to land a new job, sometimes being unemployed for extended periods of time.  This situation CAN be prevented or at least significantly mitigated with proper planning and foresight.  ARE YOUR SKILLS TRANSFERABLE?  Are you significantly limiting the options that might be available to you should you lose your job or decide to change jobs?

Consider the following 10 IDEAS to help you develop and implement a plan for maximizing the transferability of the skills you develop while employed:

• Plan ahead; anticipate -- Recognize the possibility that you may be developing and deploying a set of skills that are limited in terms of their transferability.  KNOW that employment changes -- layoffs, downsizings, acquisition-related reorganizations, etc.-- are common.  Be prepared.
• Inventory your strengths now and identify the ones that WOULD BE transferable.  Focus on developing and strengthening those that are more likely to be transferable.
• Broaden the scope of what you do on a day-to-day basis.  Look for ways to expand your work duties.  Volunteer for assignments and projects that expose you to new skill areas.  Make this idea an ongoing part of your career development.
• Become an expert in an area that transcends industry sector and is highly likely to be in high demand in the market place.  Write about the latest thinking in this area; blog about it; talk about it; brand yourself as a "go to" resource in this area.
• Nurture and expand your network reach -- strengthen the breadth and depth of your business and professional network. Use your network as an "R&D" source for identifying trends and areas of development that you should strengthen.
• Obtain transferable skills outside of your job -- get involved in outside organizations and seek opportunities to develop new skills or strengthen those you have that are transferable.
• Incorporate emerging "tangential" skills INTO your day-to-day job.  Become a resident expert in a process, methodology or tool that you see as an emerging skill that might become in high demand.  Could be a software application, a social media application, some area of new technology that you believe may become "hot" or in sustainable demand.
• Take advantage of all training and learning opportunities available. Enroll or volunteer for training courses in areas you believe will be in demand.  Be proactive about "managing" your professional development.
• Focus on obtaining certifications, licenses or other credentials for which their might be broad-based demand.
• Go back to school NOW -- Attend evening courses, weekend courses or enroll in "executive MBA" type programs.

You don't want to wake up one morning and discover that although you are GREAT AT SOMETHING -- that "something" has limited use and does not position you adequately for future career options.

Plan, prepare, be proactive .... stay ahead of the curve and be ready for the unexpected.

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The "Groups" feature of LinkedIn has continued to grow in popularity and utility.  Groups are a powerful tool for expanding the depth and breadth of your LinkedIn network.  Many Groups treat members similar to FIRST DEGREE connections -- allowing you to make direct contact with a Group member without a referral or "Inmail".

I am currently an active member in over 30 Groups (LinkedIn allows you to join up to a maximum of 50 Groups).  I highly recommend finding AT LEAST 10 Groups to join -- AND becoming ACTIVE in.  Activity is key; simply joining gives you some benefits but being active in Group news and discussions is where the real value and leverage is.

Some of the things you can do as a Group member, all of which help you to GIVE VALUE TO YOUR NETWORK and expand your network reach and network quality include:

• Share great content and information as "News Items" in Group forums -- blog articles that you find online that would be of interest to Group members and other useful content online - news, events, book referrals, etc.

• Cross-post YOUR own blog articles -- ones that YOU write -- to as many relevant Groups as possible. I will very often cross-post my blog articles to five to ten relevant Groups -- significantly increasing exposure of the article and maximizing the number of people who could benefit in some way from the advice and information contained in the article.

• Participate -- in a meaningful way -- in Group forum discussions.  Make insightful positive-minded comments; add value to conversations; give advice when asked; answer questions.

• Utilize the "Jobs" feature of Groups.  Search for jobs or post job openings.  Groups are an excellent source of "niche" jobs and should be used by anyone actively engaged in a job search.

• Connect directly with other Group members.  Search for people to connect with -- someone who shares a common interest, a common employer experience, a common educational experience.  Groups are an excellent source for expanding your network of direct connections in LinkedIn.

• Start your own Group! Create your own "community" and serve as the moderator of Group activity.  Moderating and Group "ownership" gives you great exposure and strengthens your "brand" or area(s) of expertise.

Give consideration to the following ideas when searching for Groups to join:

• Industry-specific Groups - Examples include Retail Industry Group, Health Care-oriented Groups, Travel Industry Groups, etc.
• Trade and Professional Organization Groups -- There are Groups for scores of trade and professional organizations.  Join those relevant to you.
• Employer Alumni Groups.  Many of the Fortune 100+ companies have alumni Groups for their former employers.  This is a great way to reconnect with former colleagues.
• College/University Groups.  Most major colleges and universities of Alumni Organization Groups on LinkedIn.  Another excellent means for reconnecting with "long lost" contacts and friends.
• Job/Career-Related Groups.  There are hundreds of Groups in the job, career development, career management areas.  If you're in a job search, you'll definitely want to check these out.
• Social Media Groups.  There are Groups for Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn where you'll find forums for discussion of tips, techniques and very useful advice relevant to most major social media tools.
• Peer-level Executive Groups.  Check the various CEO, COO, CIO, CFO, etc. specific groups.  A great way to connect with peer-level professionals and sharing useful information.
• Functional/Technical Specialty Groups.  There are scores and scores of these.  Find a Group or Groups relevant to your ares of functional or technical specialty (sales, marketing, accounting, IT, supply chain, etc., etc.)
• Personal Interest Groups.  An avid cyclist? ...there are Groups.  A devoted football team fan? ...there are Groups.  A great way to share with people of like-minded interests.
• New Business.  Find Groups to join where there are members who are highly likely to be a source of business for you -- potential customers, clients, buyers and "influencers."  Look for ways to add value to these Groups through discussion and sharing of information.

_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

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As we enter a new week, I am reminded of the philosophy and guidance provided by Stephen Covey in his book "First Things First," and how important it is for all of us to schedule our BIG ROCKS on our calendar BEFORE we start the week and before we allow anything else to clutter up our schedule and weekly plan.

Your BIG ROCKS are those things that you KNOW are IMPORTANT and are key activities associated with accomplishment of your personal goals and work-related goals.  Because these big rocks tend NOT to be URGENT, it is easy for us to set them aside or replace them WITH the urgent.  The urgent MAY be important, but not necessarily so.

The simple message is if we do a better job of being proactive and consistent with scheduling our big rocks, a lot of the things that emerge as being urgent will disappear because we have done a much better job of advanced planning -- preempting many or most of those urgent matters and eliminating many or most of the daily "fire drills."

So what are some example of these Big Rocks?

• Scheduling time to plan your week -- an hour to 90 minutes to review your goals, your calendar, your to do lists, your inboxes, etc. and consciously map out your weekly game plan.
• Scheduling exercise time -- which tends to be the first thing we "let go" when things get busy.  Put it on your calendar and schedule AROUND this time.  Make it a priority.
• One-on-one time with team members -- spending quality time with key team members -- discussing their challenges, recognizing their efforts, supporting the work they do, providing coaching and mentoring.
• Quality time with family members -- getting involved in activities with family members -- immersing yourself in their lives.
• Reading and learning -- another activity that very easily falls by the wayside when things are hot and heavy.  Schedule time for personal and professional development -- chunks of thirty minutes -- first thing in the morning, between meetings, etc.
• Networking and relationship development -- communicating with your business, professional and personal network -- giving, listening, sharing.

Make it a point this week to schedule time for YOUR big rocks.  Communicate your intention to perform these "big rock" activities to others involved -- plant the flag by creating a commitment to someone else

Quick Exercise -- Identify at least THREE of your BIG ROCK activities and drop them on your calendar RIGHT NOW.  Let the other person(s) know via email RIGHT NOW of your intention with respect to this activity.  Create the commitment and STICK TO IT. 

All the best for a productive week to you!

Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
Andy@CRGLeaders.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com
239-285-5575

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Is there anything that YOU are 100% committed to?  I'm talking about anything that you absolutely commit to do with NO EXCEPTIONS.

Eliminate "Internal Debate." 
You'd be surprised at how many people wake up everyday and "fight themselves" over whether or not to keep their commitments, to stick to their disciplines, or to carry out their action plans. Applying the no exceptions rule to your 100% commitments would completely eliminate this ongoing and unproductive internal debate -- forever.

The "No Exceptions Rule." 
If I make a 100% commitment to something -- whether it be a desired outcome or daily discipline, then I never have to spend time thinking about whether or not I'm going to do it.  The decision has been made. There are no exceptions.  It closes the door on other possibilities. The die has been cast.  It makes life simpler and easier and helps keep me focused.  Making a 100% commitment frees up energy that would otherwise be spent internally debating the topic over and over.  Freed up energy makes room for creativity and highly productive thinking.

What are YOU 100% Committed To?
Whether your discipline is to read for an hour every day, to never bring work home with you during the week, to spend one hour with the kids every night, to run three miles every day, to always tell the truth, or whatever else is important to you -- commit 100% to those disciplines and you will realize and achieve the goals you've set for yourself. You'll also eliminate tons of unproductive thinking, increase your energy level, and allow for higher value, creative thinking time.

Make a 100% commitment today to set aside 20 minutes and identify your 100% commitments.  Write them down.  Now, go to work on applying the no exceptions rule to those commitments.  Your personal power will flourish, your self esteem will strengthen, and you'll stay firmly on the path of accomplishing your goals and objectives.
_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

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