I Hadnt Realized I Was Doing It Wrong Until They Told Me

I Hadnt Realized I Was Doing It Wrong Until They Told MeI Hadnt Realized I Was Doing It Wrong Until They Told MeWhen youre networking, ask for a reference, not a job. Heres an easy way to turn dreaded employment networking into deadly effective bondingWhen youre networking, ask for a reference, not a job.Whether youre doing catch-up drinks or grabbing lunch to reconnect, your primary need is to get an ally, not a tally of job listings. Recruiting a helping hand to your search is your goal.So dont ask your college friend if she knows of any jobs for people like you. How would she?And dont ask your boss from two jobs ago if she has the names of any people who are currently looking to hire somebody like you. It puts her on the spot. Uncomfortably.No, instead, ask for a reference. Mention that youre going to be moving on, or youre already looking, or that youre actively out on the street. Let them know the type of positions you are and are not suited for, and what youre hoping to achieve in your next opportunity.And then ask them if it would be OK to use them as a reference when youre at that point of your search.By not putting them on the spot about specific job openings, you reduce the awkwardness inherent in the networking conversation.And by letting them know that you hold them in high enough esteem to potentially use them as a reference, youre actually paying them a compliment.Youre also making it easier for them to say yes, and to feel good about themselves for being a good friend and helping you out with a little favor.All of which means that you have a new buddy in your search - one whos going to be thinking about keeping an eye out for new opportunities for their friend with good taste in references you.Its wins and grins all around.Now, this doesnt work for just any old person you meet on the street. Theres probably a pretty good match between people youd take to lunch and those you could ask to be a reference. So my advice would be to stick to asking th ose you know well enough.The widely offered and deeply wrong advice from the past decade that you should try to extract favors, concessions, names, jobs, and career assistance from people youve only met over the phone is not only useless, it can be counterproductive to your aims by antagonizing your broader network.By making your networking about compliments, youll find it pays dividends.Good luck in the search this weekIm rooting for you.

Reflection can improve your teams performance

Reflection can improve your gruppes wertmiger zuwachsReflection can improve your kollektivs performanceMost of the leaders I work with are masters of multitasking. Their days are filled with meetings, conference calls, client visits and resolving complex problems. In short, they spend their time gulping water from a firehose, with no visible end in sight to the relentless pace.Does this sound familiar?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraInterestingly, there are some leaders who seem to manage this intensity much better than others, particularly those who have made reflection a practice. They seem to mora seamlessly navigate their daily challenges and better leverage knowledge and past experience when doing so.The secret These leaders structure their workweek to include time for introspection, and they promote this practice with their own teams.The process that Lauren has employed si nce becoming the VP of sales in a heavily-regulated healthcare company was developed out of frustration.I was rushing from meeting to meeting on a daily basis, she told me. Most of the time, Id get to the end of the week and realize that Id barely had time to sit down and just think. That concerned me because we were dealing with some particularly challenging accounts and I wasnt sure that wed actually formulated a strategy that would be difference-making. We were clamoring to put out fires, without reflecting on what we were learning.Thats when Lauren instituted a ban on Friday afternoon meetings after 3 p.m. She wanted her team to have space at the end of each week to consider the progress of their projects, review the insights theyd gained from client interactions and plan their objectives for the following week. Team members are encouraged to disconnect from the intense pace for at least 30 minutes and spend that time in a reflective space.We have a lovely campus with walking tr ails, so I actually go outside for a walk during that time, Lauren said. It allows me to become more centered, and somehow I come back feeling less stressed and with more answers.Laurens practice of spending her reflection time outside is supported bystudiesthat indicate that nature improves cognition and mood. Simply put, a walk in the park can improve your mental well-being and allow you to more readily improve your working memory. Its more than just a momentary escape from the office.Researchalso proves that encouraging your team to adopt a reflective process is likely to improve job performance, especially when reflection is coupled with an examination of the strategies employed to solve problems.To capitalize on what science is showing us about the power of reflection, there are four main factors you can use to leverage this process with your teamEstablish the timeCreating space in the week for your team to reflect has a much more meaningful impact when its designed during busi ness hours. Establishing meeting-free zones which are dedicated to reflection time sends a powerful message to your team that you take the practice seriously enough to devote paid hours to it.Simply encouraging your staff to reflect isnt enough, especially in intense, deadline-focused cultures where employees are likely to perceive busyness as the mechanism for achieving success and upward mobility. Defining a time for employees to reflect makes it more socially acceptable to engage in the practice of doing so.Choose the right locationIf youre one of those people who feels better after a walk in the park, its no surprise. Studies show that spending time in nature not only improves mood and reduces anxiety, it also enhances cognition, especially working memory. In Japan, for example, the practice ofshinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is a prevalent practice that is part of the countrys national public health program.Being in the presence of trees has been proven to reduce stress hormone production and blood pressure while boosting the immune system - an antidote to the tension created in hard-driving work settings.Teams that work in an urban environment should take advantage of nearby locations that provide exposure to nature. If these are not readily available, consider creating indoor or outdoor spaces with plants and trees, and seek out meeting rooms with natural light, especially those with windows overlooking green space.Structure the processOnce youre in those meeting rooms, how you structure your team meetings can be difference-making for your business. Rather than a staff meeting that includes the typical status updates on projects, structure your meetings to encourage insight sharing. This can be accomplished by including team insights at the end of every meeting agenda when individual team members are encouraged to share key take-aways from the discussion.When individuals know that theyll be asked to offer their insights at the end of a meeting, it enco urages higher order thinking, listening and processing, which naturally builds reflection into your meeting process. Sharing in a team setting also allows the organization to benefit from the teams collective insights and harness them to achieve better outcomes.Apply proven techniquesTechnology is wonderful, and each of us has a preferred digital device. Yet,scienceindicates that going old school has its value, especially when designing a reflective process.To capture your ideas when reflecting, handwriting your notes is so much more effective than typing those ideas into your mobile device or laptop. Journaling by hand allows you to retain conceptual information over a longer time period, enhancing your capacity to apply that information when confronted with future challenges.The data are compelling. Improving performance may not be best accomplished by pushing employees to work harder or longer. Although seemingly antithetical, the secret to creating a winning team is to give them permission to slow down, so the benefits of reflection can shine through.This article first appeared on Smartbrief.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to Get a Job in 2017

How to Get a Job in 2017How to Get a Job in 2017Experts agree that one of the most popular times for job hunding is the first month of any new year. With 2017 just around the corner, read up on these tips for how to nail the job hunt from start to finish. Happy (job) huntingStage 1 While searching for jobsUse your networkThe age old saying Its not what you know but who you know turns out to have more than a little sense behind it. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70 percent of jobs are found through networking. If youre not in the practice of actively networking, now is a good time to get started. In the digital age, its as easy as researching some networking events in your city that are focused on or attended by people in your industry of choice. To make things go more smoothly, think about inviting along a past coworker to come network with you. Make sure you have business cards before you go. (Resume schneemensch provides these with your own personal brand to matc h your resume and cover letter when you complete your order).Keep a job search notebookDuring the job hunt, its important to stay organized. Try keeping a notebook or a spreadsheet of all the jobs youre applying to. Make note of the company name, website, important contacts at the company, and the status of your application, as well as any other fields you feel are relevant.Be meticulous about how you project yourselfSome of the biggest mistakes people make on their job applications are misspelled words, sloppy formatting, and bad grammar. Have someone proofread and provide general feedback about your resume and cover letters. Another big mistake is having an unprofessional email address. If your email address is anything other than your name or initials, think about creating one specifically for the job hunt. This might also help to keep track of your applications and materials.Follow up on your applicationsFollowing up is key. After sending your application, send an email to the c ontact listed in HR confirming they received your application and asking if they need any additional materials from you. Employers love to hire people who are on top of things. positiv it shows that you are really interested in working for themAnalyze your past job searchesMake a list of your past job hunts. What patterns do you notice? What were your most successful interviews and why do you think they were successful? Where could you have done more or better? This will help you prepare yourself and put your best foot forward in your current job hunt.Stage 2 Got an interview? Great Heres how to preparePrepare yourself for that interview.Thoroughly research the companies that have requested an interview. Read over their website and make notes of things that stick out to you, and questions that you may have about the work they do there (as you know the interviewer almost always asks if you have any questions at the end of your discussion). Review commonly asked interview questions, a nd conduct practice interviews with people who can give you constructive criticism to improve your skills.Dress the part.As shallow as it may sound, what youre wearing and how you present yourself on the day of your interview largely contributes to an employers first impression of you. For women, check out Refinery 29s tips for interview outfits you already have.For men, check out GQs interview style tips.Pay attention to your body language.Body language speaks volumes about your self confidence and influences the way people perceive you. Practice good posture, a firm handshake and eye contact if those things are a struggle for you.Stage 3 deutsche post dhl InterviewFollow up with your interviewer if possible.Send an email saying it was nice to meet them and learn about the company, thank them for their time, and say you look forward to hearing from them. If directly contacting your interviewer is impossible, then send an email to HR saying it was nice to interview with insert inter viewers name, etc.Dont stop applying to jobsAs we say here Resume Yeti, the job hunt is never over. There is always something new on the horizon, a career switch, better job, or promotion. Even if you have a job, keep your options open.