Be Different or be dead

September 26, 2020

How genuine personal branding can be used to market yourself to success

Source: Pexels

How genuine personal branding can be used to market yourself to success.

In today’s workplace, personal branding is essential to stay ahead of your competition. But what is personal branding, and how can you use it?

Below, I detail the best ways to market yourself with personal branding as well as tips from the most successful examples of personal branding.

Personal branding is the combination of your skills, image, experiences, and personality that makes up how people view you. Because of this, personal branding is a fantastic way to make your mark at work.

Whether you’re a salesperson looking to become the best or a graphic designer wanting to showcase your work, personal branding is a strong place to start off from to succeed.

There are numerous benefits to building a personal brand. From being able to convey your value to recruiters in a way that your resume can’t build trust with your audience, creating a stellar personal brand is a sure-fire way to stand out amongst the rest.

It’s clear that your personal brand can help supercharge your job search. To learn everything you need to know to make your mark with personal branding, check out this infographic by Resume Now.

— Michaela Wong  is a content creator and graduate of San Diego State University who covers career development, personal advancement, human resources, and more. 

• Posted 9.26.20 at 08:09 am by Roy Osing
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September 21, 2020

Why leaders who actually ‘serve around’ are the best ones

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Why leaders who actually ‘serve around’ are the best ones.

Popularity breeds, in some circles, believability. What is a popular notion soon becomes the belief of the day.

It’s the age of movements

There are many popular concerns in the world today that define the conversation around what’s important — topics such as COVID-19, women’s rights, ‘black lives matter’, drug decriminalization, sexual misconduct, sexual orientation, climate change, the environment, indigenous rights, pipelines, and the charter of rights & freedoms tend to define some of the popular narrative in society in these times, and the priorities people turn their attention to.

In a relative sense, not much attention is given to the people who define the economic agenda of society — the leaders of our organizations whose quality of leadership defines how people live their lives in the other pluralistic society that engulfs them. Their daily environment is shaped by how they are treated; how they are motivated and how they are engaged in fulfilling the strategic agenda of their organization.

And when attention is paid to the topic of leadership it is typically dealt from an academic and theoretical perspective.

Studies discovering relationships between leadership behaviours and employee performance are discussed and conclusions reached on the skills people should possess if they want to aspire to be an amazing leader.

Rarely are emotions targeted as the means to hook people to engage in a leadership conversation; certainly the same cannot be said about debates on the environment, oil pipelines and allegations of sexual misconduct.

These topics are dripping with emotion — how people feel about something often dominates the position you take rather than the facts presented.

Leadership isn’t a ‘sexy’ topic

Certainly other social narratives get more emotional conversations going than leadership.

This is unfortunate. The practice of leadership is every bit as important as any other social narrative. People spend most of their life in a working context with a boss they coexist with.
And it is the boss’s skills, capabilities and attitudes that can impact the lives of individuals much more than any movement could.

But I’m not talking about the same-old traditional leadership practices borne out of a more theoretical view of the art; rather I’m referring to a new style of leadership that has grown up in the trenches where real people work and profound performance is achieved.

It’s a practical leadership approach grown from knowing what it takes to ignite the passion and emotion in people to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives.

The next generation of leader

Leadership by Serving Around — LBSA — is next generation. It’s the imperative if people are to have meaningful and rewarding careers and if organizations are to stand apart from their competitors and achieve remarkable levels of performance.

Organizations exist to serve. Period. Leaders live to serve. Period. — Tom Peters, author of excellence

It’s a fashionable notion because it relates to the fundamental human needs of people to feel they have a compelling purpose and that they are needed and cared for.

And it’s different from its predecessor, MBWA — Management by Wandering Around — where managers wander through the workplace without a whole lot of focus, trying to ‘find out what’s going on’. MBWA is relatively undisciplined with the intent of discovering clues on team performance, observing the efficiency of business processes and trying to spot dysfunction that impedes productivity.

There’s nothing wrong with MBWA, but it doesn’t go far enough to create teams of passionate, turned-on people necessary to ensure organizations thrive and survive in today’s highly unpredictable and volatile world.

Here’s how LBSA works: Leaders purposefully go through the workplace with a strategic purpose, looking for serving moments or opportunities to help someone.

Managers ask: “What’s going on?”

Serving Leaders ask: “What can I do to help you?”

The leader’s agenda is to offer personal help, recognizing that if someone’s individual problems are solved, performance enhancement follows. If you take care of the person, performance takes care of itself.

Serving leaders are the icons of tomorrow. They earn followers through an undying display of caring for people and their wellbeing

This is what LBSA looks like:

1. Question

Leaders ask; they don’t tell. They are not present to give a presentation on anything.
Their serving job is to listen to what people have to say about what’s going on in their world as opposed to directing them on what they have to do.

They know they don’t know; that the people in the organization are the experts, so they ask them. These leaders have conversations that have a minimal transmission element. Their communications style invites commentary, opinion and the truth on what needs to be changed.

2. Help

The key questions they ask are: ‘How can I help?’; ‘What key changes should be made to enable you to do your job easier?’; ‘What do you think about…?’
They see themselves as instruments to make life easier and more productive for others. If this leader can remove roadblocks and barriers that prevent people from doing their job, they know results will skyrocket.

Apart from a one-on-one engagement — and appropriate physical distancing of course — with an employee, LBSA can be extremely effective with groups of people.

I tagged the process ‘Bear Pit Session’. I assembled a group of people in my organization and went through the ‘How can I help?’ process. I structured each audience to give me a good cross section of the functions in the organization that were pivotal to the success of its strategy and where execution was critical.

Each session guided me to where I could affect change and improve performance (and get to know the up-and-comers who had the potential to assume leadership positions in the future).

3. Notes

They take notes, lots of notes. This shows the leader believes what employees say is important — because it is — and that their words are taken seriously and they will be supported.

Standout leaders get a ton of writer’s cramp every time they go out of their office.

They pay particular attention to people’s names and something interesting or special about them, which is often useful in follow up. Note taking shows that a leader cares about what people have to say and is one of the simplest and powerful ways to evoke emotion from the questionee.

4. Homework

They are prepared. They determine what and where the issues are and serve around according to what they learn. For example, they would visit the customer service operations if customer feedback suggests improvements are needed in that area; if sales needs a boost, they serve there.

Serving around isn’t a fluffy thing to do; it’s not about showing up spontaneously and chatting up employees to showcase the leader’s charisma and people skills. On the contrary, serving is a ‘hard act’ with a defined strategic purpose and specific expected outcomes. And to fulfil its prime purpose it requires meticulous planning. No homework = no results.

5. Solo

They fly solo when they serve around; they lose their entourage and groupies.
They explicitly don’t want any filters between what people say and what message they take away. The manager groupy crowd always has an agenda to protect themselves from their leaders and they try to do this by managing — controlling — the flow of information between the employees they have reporting to them and the boss.

To be effective, serving cannot have any filters. It must be a personal leadership act.

If you’re uncomfortable with flying solo and you feel you need backup, you shouldn’t lead.

6. Repetition

They routinely allocate time on their calendars every week to serve around. They know that a serving moment cannot be seen from an office bubble. Serving is hardwired into their list of priorities.
The routinization of the task actually makes it more effective as time goes on.

The word gets out that Roy serves regularly by either one-on-one conversations or by bear pit sessions and people proactively prepare for the event when they get their opportunity to participate. Their input is clear and more focused and is easier to respond to to make any changes required.

7. Listen

Because their primary role is to question, they shy away from giving stump speeches, monologues or presentations. They share information when asked but would rather assume the role of absorbing information.

For most leaders, this is extremely difficult because of their ego. They find it difficult to resist the temptation to share their words of wisdom or pronounce something that they think is thoughtful and wise.

Serving leaders know to zip their mouths and open their other senses.

They give people time to tell their story; they interrupt only to clarify the points made to ensure that any action they take will have the right outcome.

8. Humility

They are humble. They don’t create a splash wherever they go. They are the antithesis of what most people view these days as a stereotypical leader.
They don’t need charisma to be effective; that veneer isn’t consistent with who they are. They leave their ego at the door.

People like the serving leader because they are like a ‘normal’ person rather than the stereotypical leader who for some reason is portrayed to be ‘above’ the common employee.

I’ve always considered humility to be a strategic attribute of an effective leader because it invokes trust, believability, engagement, and commitment from the people the leader touches.

Simplicity inspires humility. The serving leader understands that complexity often gets in the way of achieving superlative results. They wrote the book on dumbing stuff down for people.

9. Practicality

They are practical in orientation. They’re unimpressed with theoretical concepts that can’t be implemented.
They are more receptive to ideas they believe are both consistent with the strategic intent of their organization and are likely to have strong support by people who would be asked to implement them.

Their ‘would they be emotionally all-in?’ filters dominate their decision-making on potential innovation and they test new ideas with the frontline and in their bear pit sessions.

10. Defective solutions

They are not only ok with defects and flaws, they insist that people focus on making as many tries as possible rather than seeking the ‘perfect’ solution before taking action.

They encourage people to try as many imperfect solutions as they can, and preach that the more tries made the more likely that success will eventually be achieved.

Serving leadership addresses a compelling societal need — to create organizations with a human face where people can grow, prosper and be valued.

It’s not a cause or fad that will fade with limited media life. In fact it won’t attract the traditional and social media attention that other current narratives garner.

It is a sustaining force because of its universal — rather than special interest group — appeal.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead book series

• Posted 9.21.20 at 04:23 am by Roy Osing
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August 22, 2020

How your Zoom interview can be incredibly powerful so you get the job

How your Zoom interview can be incredibly powerful so you get the job.

In the age of COVID-19, transitioning to virtual work can be a challenge. For those who are currently job hunting, it’s important to put your best foot forward for virtual interviews.

Although some think virtual interviews are very similar to phone interviews, there are some distinct video interview tips you should know to make sure you stand out above the rest.

1. Technology — When preparing for virtual interviews, it’s important to conduct a technology check so you can prevent any technical difficulties from occurring. To really stand out, be sure to set up professional-looking lighting and have a backup device ready to go just in case.

2. ’The eyes’ — Another often overlooked tip is to maintain virtual eye contact. Many people make the mistake of looking at themselves during an interview which, to the interviewer, seems like you are averting eye contact. By looking at the camera instead of your screen, you can impress the interviewer and give off an air of confidence and tech-savviness.

3. Wait — Lastly, be sure to account for the video and audio lag delay in an interview by waiting for a second after your interviewer finishes speaking to begin responding. This helps you avoid the awkwardness of cutting off your interviewer mid-thought (and can give you some extra time to organize your thoughts).

Virtual interviews can be tough. By following these tips, you can ensure you stand out from the others competing for your position. For a complete guide to nailing virtual interviews, check out the infographic by Resume Now below.

— Michaela Wong is a junior content marketing specialist and graduate of San Diego State University. She writes for a variety of clients ranging from career development to interior design.

• Posted 8.22.20 at 06:35 am by Roy Osing
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August 10, 2020

5 simple ways you can win with a boomer boss

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5 simple ways you can win with a boomer boss.

Ok, I’m a boomer and for those out there who are reporting to a boomer and are frustrated with trying to figure out who this dude is and how to achieve satisfaction in your job with them in control, this post is for you.

All I can give you is what I expected in my 33+ year corporate career as an executive leader; what I expected from the young professionals that suddenly found themselves reporting through to a mature leader.

My expectations may not be typical of all boomer bosses — I may be tougher than most — but they represent a good benchmark to have in mind.

If young professionals reporting to a boomer boss practise these 5 things, they will not only find their life easier, they will also suddenly find themselves in a favourable position for future advancement.

1. Get to know the boomer

You may not enjoy the prospect of reporting to a boomer, but in order to maintain a positive and rewarding experience while you’re putting in the time, it’s important that you gain an understanding of who they are and where they’re coming from. Knowing the boomer will at least explain why they act the way they do.

And if you understand what drives the boomer’s behaviour, you will be in a better position to respond in a manner that builds your currency with them as opposed to reacting negatively and diminishing your position with them.

Trust me: if the boomer sees that you’re interested in understanding them, the act itself will give an advantage over your peers who can’t be bothered.

If you know the boomer, you gain more control over your life and your destiny.

2. Honour the past

You will most certainly have new ideas that you feel will change the world, but don’t forget your boomer boss has a record of past achievements that they are proud of.

They worked hard to help move the yardsticks forward in the organization and won’t be thrilled if you want to take a demolition ball to the innovation taken in years gone by and morph to your new revolutionary ideas of the ways things should be done.

I’m not suggesting that you should keep your mouth shut and not advance your change agenda — in fact you must act on your personal vision — but do it in a way that recognizes the wisdom of the past and the benefits derived from decisions made yesterday.

It’s all about how you go about changing things. I respected the young professional that understood the historical context of why things were done a certain way, and gently suggested that the current context was different and therefore required a fresh approach.

Boomers have their frame of reference in the past, but are quite prepared to move forward when options are suggested in a thoughtful respectful way.

But boomers won’t likely be jerked around by someone who has not taken the time to at least acknowledge there are valid reasons the present times look the way they do.

3. Express a sentiment of loyalty

Your boomer boss has an investment in the organization; they have likely put in a substantial number of years to arrive at their current position. They probably have had only a few employers in their career — in my case only one! — and therefore they believe that loyalty is an important characteristic that an employee should possess.

Young professionals with boomer bosses should put a loyalty face forward even if they don’t really expect to stay with one organization forever. No, it’s not hypocrisy in action; it’s trying to maximize your benefits in the limited time you work for the boomer.

Boomers get that young people will likely move on fairly quickly, but they appreciate the demonstration of loyalty during the time they report to them.

I appreciated these 5 acts performed by highly mobile people that reported to me:

▪️Active participation in the culture of the organization; identify with its values that paint a picture of how people work together;
▪️Knowing the strategic game plan of the company and how each individual can contribute to long term strategic goals;
▪️Engaging in team projects that involve various other functions;
▪️Showing interest in career development activities.

Young professionals need to demonstrate ‘loyalty in the moment’ to gain the trust and respect of the boomer boss.

4. Zip it! when it comes to your personal stress levels

I know there is a huge conversation going on these days about managing stress in the workplace; mental health problems caused by excessive stress are serious and need to be solved.
And I also know that there are organizations investing in solutions to help employees deal with their stress levels.

But be careful — regardless of what you think your employee rights are — of how you present your needs and expectations regarding personal stress management rights to your boomer boss.

Remember they come from a place where stress was a fact of life and it had to be personally dealt with. They didn’t have mental health days and special rooms available to help alleviate their personal stress, so they are not likely to have the level of empathy for your circumstance that you expect.

It doesn’t mean they don’t care, just that they won’t feel they should help you solve your stress problem. They were on their own so they are likely to believe that you need to take personal ownership of your own issues.

And don’t get loose lipped around what your boomer boss should do for you. It’ll get you nowhere but reduce your currency, increase your daily ‘pain’ and potentially impair your future career prospects.

Your boomer boss assumes responsibility for their own issues; they don’t expect third party support.

5. Ask how you can help

Like it or not, boomers have a perception of young professionals that they feel entitled — to a six figure job in a few years, to time off for personal reasons, to stay away from work when feeling slightly under the weather and a myriad of other benefits the boomer didn’t receive.

So when you ask how you can help, it shows your boomer boss that you want to work hard and help solve the problems they are facing. The question is actually an entitlement neutralizer to the boomer; it helps dispel the notion that millennials are a crowd who feel they should get everything for nothing.

Teach your boomer boss that you’re prepared to give not receive, and watch how you will flourish.

The question young professionals have to ask themselves when confronted by circumstances that have them working for a boomer is ‘Do I want to stick to my ideals, fight every day and get nowhere or do I want to flex to my boomer boss, possibly learn a thing or two and keep my career moving forward?’

And, in the process, make the kind of change and contribution you really want.

Make the right choice if you have a boomer boss.

Cheers
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead book series

• Posted 8.10.20 at 05:41 am by Roy Osing
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