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FranklinCovey Blog | Few Minutes
Landing a New Job in a Tough Economy
In these unpredictable times it is likely that you or someone you know is looking for a job. I have had several people approach me for advice and insight on matters concerning professional development, whether looking for a new position or looking to advance in their current role. I have seen the tremendous need for direction and guidance on this topic. As a result, this August I will be hosting a professional development webinar series. The topics I will cover are Employability, Resilience, and Contribution. But until then I would like to share a couple thoughts to help you or someone else find new work.
Times have changed. One of the things I often tell people is that you can’t do a job-search the way you used to. Most people have relied heavily on a job application form and a resume. Typically, that just doesn’t work anymore, although those are useful things and most times necessary. In today’s world you have to adopt a new mindset for finding and securing a job-and not just a job but work that you would find meaningful. › Continue reading
Transform Your Goals: Become a leader who delivers exceptional results (part 1)
In a recent client meeting I received this comment
“I’m not sure why my company hired you, I’m really good at setting goals and I really don’t think I need any help.”
My client, Jeff was partially correct. He regularly set goals for himself and for his team. Unfortunately, he seldom achieved them – a characteristic that had led his company to suspect he was not be the leader they needed. Hiring me was a final attempt to help him.
As we continued our first planning session, I asked Jeff to share the goals he had set for the coming year. He withdrew a binder from his briefcase and opened it on the table in front of us.
“This binder contains all of our goals as a team, broken down into four major categories,” Jeff said proudly.
Over the next few minutes, Jeff reviewed the four categories, each of which contained at least five goals. Together, he had set over twenty separate goals for his team, all of which were classified as “high priority.”
When he finished, Jeff leaned back in his chair and said, “Now, do you still think I need help?” With real compassion, I said yes.
Yes, because I know there are 3 actions I knew that Jeff needed to do to reach his goals. › Continue reading
Tip #5: Find Time for Yourself Each Day
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, it’s referred to as “Sharpening the Saw” (If you don’t know what that phrase means, perhaps you should attend the workshop). Essentially it means taking time to renew yourself, refill your engine, or regenerate your mind, body and spirit.
For me, this has been really hard. When I get to work I tend to be heads-down and not resurface for a long time. I would eat at my desk, or not eat at all. But what I’ve found, over time, is that the harder I work, the greater my stress becomes. It’s a vicious circle that you can’t escape.
But when I take five or ten minutes to read an interesting news story completely unrelated to work, run an errand at lunch, or call a family member or friend for a few minutes, my mind clears and I find that I have even more energy to get my projects done. Once I even went to a nearby Costco, grabbed a hot dog for lunch and walked the aisles for 20 minutes. It opened my mind and kept me fresh for the remainder of the day.
Regardless of what you do, find some time every day just for you. Whether alone or with others, find something other than work, to experience for a few moments.
Hopefully these five tips will keep your stress levels low, increase your productivity, and improve your life-no matter how crazy it becomes.
Author: Matt Murdoch, FranklinCovey