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Dealing with Career Setbacks
I was about to be fired from my job waiting tables at a Mexican restaurant when I quit. I refused to serve more than one jumbo margarita to a pregnant woman and later in the week a burrito platter was knocked from my hands onto another diner’s new coat. In one case I made an unpopular point, in another, it wasn’t my fault. However, I needed a night job so I could finish my graduate degree and I was finally getting Friday night shifts (big tips!) after a year at the restaurant. Financial setback. And a hit to my morale (“it isn’t fair”).
Previously, during my undergraduate degree, I was a salesperson in the Juniors department at a big department store. I had a full-time job with a full-time school schedule and was living away from home for the first time. I was tired. When traffic slowed down one night, I laid down on the sale table, covered myself with $9.00 dollar t-shirts, and fell asleep. Until the screams of an unwitting customer looking for a t-shirt woke me up. My manager lectured me, but gave me a second chance. But it impacted the trust I had with my manager and my colleagues. I was no longer on the “high potential” list to become a manager. I was watched closely, which was embarrassing.
We’ve all had setbacks, whether we made a mistake, or we made a stand, or something happened we had absolutely no control over. The point is: what do you do next? Does the situation begin to stand for who you are, what you can contribute, your outlook on life? Or do you learn something, make amends as best you can, and move on. Resilience is a key character trait for a great career.
Author: Jennifer Colosimo, Chief Learning Officer at FranklinCovey
Follow Jennifer on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jencolosimo
Saying “No” Effectively
Sometimes a request may come your way, but it doesn’t align with highest priorities. At work, it is a cubicle drive-by, an IM, or an e-mail:
“Lisa, could your team . . .”
And you think, “We could, but it doesn’t align with what is important to the organization right now or my team’s critical path.” Don’t say that, not unless you think you can get results without relationships (you can’t, not long-term anyway) OR as a last result.
At home, it is a phone call at 7:00 p.m.: “Hi Teresa, the Girl Scout cookie mom can’t do it again this year. Can I put you down for it?”
And your mind races: “But I already volunteered to chaperone the camping trip, and help with the school carnival, not to mention my work on the Food Bank fundraiser . . .but wouldn’t a good mother, a mother who didn’t work, wouldn’t she say yes?”
Let me be clear, Executive Mamas don’t say “yes” to everything. They sometimes say “no”—EFFECTIVELY, in a way that builds relationships and reputation, not in a way that destroys them.
Here’s some suggestions:
To a boss:
“I’d be happy to. I am currently working on x, y, and z. Could we re-visit the timing on those so I could complete this project?”
“Of course. This looks like about 3 days worth of work. Should I table x, y, and z and work on this for the next three days? Or is b an acceptable completion date?”
“Could you tell me a little bit more so I could see how this fits in with my other commitments?”
To a colleague:
“I’m not sure. Let’s talk about deadlines, scope, final product so I can tell you if I could help.”
“I can’t do it by x. Is y soon enough?”
“I have to tell you—I don’t know that I can. Maybe I can offer up some thoughts as to how you might accomplish that without me?”
To a child who wants to add another after school activity to their already packed schedule:
“No, no, a thousand times no! Don’t you see that this overlaps with basketball practice? How can you expect to add another drop off/pick up to your already Presidential schedule?” (OK, that one was a bit autobiographical and not very effective. But I strongly believe you should tell them the truth. I know a woman who refuses to accept that little Sally might miss one activity, one party, one experience. Sally is a horrible child because she believes the entire world revolves around her desires. )
Executive Mamas say no. With grace.
Author: Jennifer Colosimo, Chief Learning Officer at FranklinCovey
Follow Jennifer on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jencolosimo
FranklinCovey and The Center for Advancement of Jewish Education-Miami Announce Partnership
FranklinCovey and The Center for Advancement of Jewish Education-Miami today announced they are embarking upon a ten-year partnership to bring The Leader in Me, FranklinCovey’s education process for teaching leadership at the elementary school level, to South Florida Jewish day schools and throughout the United States and Canada.
Together, FranklinCovey and CAJE-Miami will design, develop and disseminate a customized solution for Jewish day schools that integrates existing school curricula and Jewish principles with the world-renowned The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The partnership links Jewish texts and teachings with FranklinCovey’s leadership training to create a Jewish day school culture imbued with Jewish values, character development and leadership skills. › Continue reading
Stephen R. Covey joins the School of Business at Utah State University
The Jon M. Huntsman School of Business announced this week that Stephen R. Covey, has agreed to join its faculty as a tenured, full professor at Utah State University and the first incumbent of the Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair in Leadership.
Dr. Covey is best known for his book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” His books have sold more than 20 million copies in 38 languages and “Forbes” named the 7 Habits book one of the top 10 most influential management books ever written.
“Dr. Covey’s life’s work has been to teach principle-centered leadership and that is a key part of what we do here at the Huntsman School of Business,” Anderson said. “We know the work we will do with him will leave a legacy in the lives of our students.” › Continue reading
Time Management Techniques Giveaway
Managing our time and trying to accomplish our most important endeavors is a constant focus for each of us. How we each do this varies immensely. We would love to hear what works for you.
Will you take a moment and share what techniques you have found to be the most effective for you when it comes to managing your time?
Posting your comments will enter you to win a complimentary seat to a Time Management LiveClicks webinar workshop.
To enter to win, just answer the question above in the comments section of this post. Contest closes 1:00 pm ET, Tuesday 16. Winners will be selected at random.
Thanks for sharing and good luck.
Update 2/18: Thanks for all of the great comments and congratulations to Alka Adatia who is our winner. Please feel free to continue to share. Thanks again!
How Does She Do It?
Several years ago Allison Pearson wrote a very funny book called I Don’t Know How She Does It, based on the fact that the primary question other women ask working mothers is “How do you do it?” The character, Kate, is the mother of two children and the manager of a hedge fund. One of my favorite quotes:
The women in the offices of EMF [Kate's firm] don’t tend to display pictures of their kids. The higher they go up the ladder, the fewer the photographs. If a man has pictures of kids on his desk, it enhances his humanity; if a woman has them it decreases hers. Why? Because he’s not supposed to be home with the children; she is.
I find that when people ask me, “How do you do it?” some are registering their disapproval, per the quote above. Most—80%– are women who are truly looking for hints, tricks, anything to help them with their busy lives › Continue reading
How Good Are You at Getting Along with Others?
USA Weekend just published my article “7 Highly Effective Ways to Help Americans Get Along” on January 17. This article is very timely. We seem to be at an all-time low for civility and discourse. Time and time again we hear of people having outbursts and dialogue is missing, even at the highest levels of government. What can we do to change that? How can we find ways to get along and build respect and understanding? How good are you at getting along?
To read my article, please go to www.stephencovey.com. By becoming a member of my free online social community, you will be able to access my article and the self-quiz “How Good Are You at Getting Along?” › Continue reading
Tips For Writing Great Cover Letters
I’ve been asked, “Isn’t it a waste of time to write a cover letter for every resume I send out?” My answer is: Only if you want to get a job.
The purpose of a resume is to obtain an interview, to start a conversation with the employer. Your cover letter is your opportunity to begin that conversation. To say, “Hi, here’s why you should talk with me.”
The worst thing you can do is write a “one size fits all” cover letter. Just like your resume, you need to target your cover letter to the specific needs and values of the prospective employer. Ideally, your cover letter is a one-page proposal to fill an important business need at your target employer. This will require you to research your target employer—on the web, by asking if anyone knows anyone who works there, by reading blogs that mention the employer. Your cover letter should include four things:
- Start by summing up the problem or opportunity your target employer faces and describe how you plan to help solve it. Use numbers that are meaningful to the organization.
- Give evidence that you can solve the problem and, if applicable, that you have solved one like it in the past. That evidence could include work and educational accomplishments—facts that would lead your prospect to conclude you’re right for the challenge.
- Provide contact information.
- Request a meeting.
What tips have you used when writing cover letters? I would love to hear from you.
Author: Jennifer Colosimo, Chief Learning Officer at FranklinCovey
You can also follow Jennifer on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jencolosimo
Webcast: Achieve Your Highest Priorities in 2010
Kick off the New Year by joining us for a free 1-hour webcast on FranklinCovey’s renowned time management principles.
When: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Time: 3:00 pm ET/2:00 pm CT/1:00 pm MT/Noon PT
Presenter: Dave Green, FranklinCovey Senior Consultant
In this webcast you will learn:
- How to set goals for the New Year
- How to use Outlook, Lotus Notes, and even the Blackberry the “FranklinCovey way” to spend more time on proactive priorities and less on reactive distractions
- How to plan for and achieve work-life balance
- How to help others (even your children) be better at planning and prioritizing
Join Dave Green for this enlightening session. Dave developed FranklinCovey’s Time Management for Microsoft Outlook webinar course and is one of FranklinCovey’s most popular webinar presenters.
Please click this link to register for this 1-hour webcast: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/523008432
Your source code is: CB01
New Book: Great Work, Great Career Part 2
Over the holidays I was able to reflect more on what I learned from Great Work, Great Career, which I read before the holiday.
I wanted to share with you a bit more about what I learned…
After writing my contribution statement I moved on to the next section about cause.
I reflected on my cause for a while which is something I try to do at the start of each new year. I know my cause and it is deeply personal. My personal mission statement and my professional cause are aligned and feed each other. Do you know your cause? Have you written a mission statement? › Continue reading