I had an amazing opportunity this last Friday to be part of the International Families in Global Transition Conference here in Houston where +300 people from everywhere came to join a wonderful dialogue and set of presentations and round tables oriented to maximize the learnings each on his/her particular field has gained by either living/working abroad or researching the subject.
I met a lady who has lived in 20 places in the last 20 years and some women who have faced the challenges of raising 'Third Culture Kids' by managing global careers around the world. Challenges are immense but the bridge that is being built for the new generations to cross is a wonderful and solid one full of inclusiveness, dialogue, listening, understanding and growth.
The connection among participants was very high as all of us some way or another had been a nomad or expatriate or inpatriate or foreigner or a returning local ...and we can all share the same boat by moving just forward using the tools available by the wonderful sharing achieved thanks to some pioneers on knowledge management on this field.
In conclusion, there are options, sources, blogs, web sites, people to talk to...but never again think you'll be alone crossing that bridge on your next move abroad.
Opportunities are infinite and it is up to you to grab them wherever they are.
As one of the facilitators shared:
'The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes'
Marcel Proust
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Surprise! I've been cheated on and dumped!!!
'How did it happen?'' How did I not see the signs?'' I am just as surprised as anyone about this' 'It's been unexpected in so many levels' 'I thought it would never happen to me', after all, 'I've been always a top performer...'
Well, as much personal it may look like it is about being fired, terminated, downsized or whatever way you want to call it but as many may feel 'dumped'!
Were there signs you missed or just happened from nowhere? It is very likely there were signs indicating changes were on their way in the organization... or not.
1. Less clients or business profit.
2. More time to navigate on the web, to pause yourself during your day, to take a proper lunch out of the office sitting actually on a chair that is not the one in front of your computer.
3. Busy managers in very busy meetings.
4. A salary reduction, salary freeze, review of benefits...
5. Or none of the above.
Some phrases I've heard are:
'I had just played golf with my Manager three weeks before my termination and as I expressed some concern on the business situation he told me to relax as I was well appreciated in the company'
'My manager and I had a talk few days before and he told me I was a top performer that the company would never let go'
' I got a bonus the month before and then, this happened out of nowhere'
What does this mean? Can you do anything to stop it? Maybe yes or maybe not but there are certainly ways to minimize its impact and the transition between jobs.
Some ethical and very basic rules are:
1. Do the best with what you have as long as you have it=your job. Keep performing, do not allow the gossip get in between what you do and your achievements, do not be the 'bitch' at the office and keep the negativity outside of your vocabulary.
2. Keep networking extensively even more on these particular times. Do you still have a job? Great! now keep it that way. Ensure you can effectively highlight your professional contributions and job outcomes to managers, go and meet people from other departments, interact with other managers, expose yourself for success even outside the company. Have mentoring lunches with senior colleagues from other companies you admire, get their sense of the market and even some coaching on how to enable your success.
3. Use simultaneous resources to keep 'live' on the memory of key stakeholders in the job market. Get a linkedin profile, build an anonymous profile at a career job board (e.g. rigzone), google yourself and build your own brand not just on the virtual world but among your contacts.
4. Do not believe you are 'untouchable' but do not over stress about it, either. Keep the perspective and allow the benefits all of the above can bring to your career no matter what.
Build your future today, the one you have worked so hard to get, no matter what.
When it comes to the future, our task is not to foresee it, but rather to enable it to happen. — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Well, as much personal it may look like it is about being fired, terminated, downsized or whatever way you want to call it but as many may feel 'dumped'!
Were there signs you missed or just happened from nowhere? It is very likely there were signs indicating changes were on their way in the organization... or not.
1. Less clients or business profit.
2. More time to navigate on the web, to pause yourself during your day, to take a proper lunch out of the office sitting actually on a chair that is not the one in front of your computer.
3. Busy managers in very busy meetings.
4. A salary reduction, salary freeze, review of benefits...
5. Or none of the above.
Some phrases I've heard are:
'I had just played golf with my Manager three weeks before my termination and as I expressed some concern on the business situation he told me to relax as I was well appreciated in the company'
'My manager and I had a talk few days before and he told me I was a top performer that the company would never let go'
' I got a bonus the month before and then, this happened out of nowhere'
What does this mean? Can you do anything to stop it? Maybe yes or maybe not but there are certainly ways to minimize its impact and the transition between jobs.
Some ethical and very basic rules are:
1. Do the best with what you have as long as you have it=your job. Keep performing, do not allow the gossip get in between what you do and your achievements, do not be the 'bitch' at the office and keep the negativity outside of your vocabulary.
2. Keep networking extensively even more on these particular times. Do you still have a job? Great! now keep it that way. Ensure you can effectively highlight your professional contributions and job outcomes to managers, go and meet people from other departments, interact with other managers, expose yourself for success even outside the company. Have mentoring lunches with senior colleagues from other companies you admire, get their sense of the market and even some coaching on how to enable your success.
3. Use simultaneous resources to keep 'live' on the memory of key stakeholders in the job market. Get a linkedin profile, build an anonymous profile at a career job board (e.g. rigzone), google yourself and build your own brand not just on the virtual world but among your contacts.
4. Do not believe you are 'untouchable' but do not over stress about it, either. Keep the perspective and allow the benefits all of the above can bring to your career no matter what.
Build your future today, the one you have worked so hard to get, no matter what.
When it comes to the future, our task is not to foresee it, but rather to enable it to happen. — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Stop the blaming! It is YOU!
Some of the people impacted by the crisis get into a cycle of victimizing themselves as being 'under' a situation that simply requires them to be 'on top' of it.
It goes straight into the basics of asking yourself what kind of job seeker you are.
Are you the passive one that gets into Internet and apply to every single job posting matching with his skills waiting to be 'discovered' by the system and brought into the light?
Are you the indecise applicant that applies to lots of different things getting anything that jumps in between wether it is a professional chance to grow a career or just a job to get by?
Or are you willing to start doing what it takes to become a pro-active job seeker that uses a VARIETY of resources to get him into his career GOAL?
And there is when the key element of success gets noticed. Do you know what makes a difference between success and failure? YOU! yes, it is YOU!
So, take a breath and stop for a minute to think what can get you into an action gear mode that provides you with the really wanted results either on your job search or your career exploration (or both!).
Reflect on your strenghts and achievements. Most resumes and even linkedin profiles fail to mention what you have done and contributed in the past that could make you a candidate to be considered out of the pile. Hiring companies are looking to those who can potentially ADD value.
Re-think, then your value proposition to the market based on your results and successes.
Yes, there are lots of circumstances out there that get in the way, but one of the key elements that will get you out of the hole is precisely your inner motivation which together with your competencies and ability to insert successfully into challenging situations learned from previous experiences will land you that job or career you want.
There are many tools and resources for success available for you to move on. Google in Internet what you need, have informative meetings with those role models you may have, network actively with a purpose or hire a career coach to facilitate your journey but design a plan and start going for it!
So, the beginning starts with you!
Best success!
Your coach.
It goes straight into the basics of asking yourself what kind of job seeker you are.
Are you the passive one that gets into Internet and apply to every single job posting matching with his skills waiting to be 'discovered' by the system and brought into the light?
Are you the indecise applicant that applies to lots of different things getting anything that jumps in between wether it is a professional chance to grow a career or just a job to get by?
Or are you willing to start doing what it takes to become a pro-active job seeker that uses a VARIETY of resources to get him into his career GOAL?
And there is when the key element of success gets noticed. Do you know what makes a difference between success and failure? YOU! yes, it is YOU!
So, take a breath and stop for a minute to think what can get you into an action gear mode that provides you with the really wanted results either on your job search or your career exploration (or both!).
Reflect on your strenghts and achievements. Most resumes and even linkedin profiles fail to mention what you have done and contributed in the past that could make you a candidate to be considered out of the pile. Hiring companies are looking to those who can potentially ADD value.
Re-think, then your value proposition to the market based on your results and successes.
Yes, there are lots of circumstances out there that get in the way, but one of the key elements that will get you out of the hole is precisely your inner motivation which together with your competencies and ability to insert successfully into challenging situations learned from previous experiences will land you that job or career you want.
There are many tools and resources for success available for you to move on. Google in Internet what you need, have informative meetings with those role models you may have, network actively with a purpose or hire a career coach to facilitate your journey but design a plan and start going for it!
So, the beginning starts with you!
Best success!
Your coach.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
A strong alliance will always conquer!
Defining your dream and then, the goals and the strategy that will lead you to it is not an easy task if you are just considering the smaller picture. However, once you identify your allies and work with them, it is a whole different story. What starts as a possibility becomes a formula for success!
The premise for this thinking is that there is nothing more powerful than synergism which translates in how the actions of your allies when working together for either your goals or theirs create a bigger effect that if doing it separately. It is like Michael Jordan once said: "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships".
So, how far have you got to go to find your allies? The simpliest way is mainly about identifying in your life the people you have bonded to, those that when together create sparks of innovation. Your allies can be your mentor (s), relatives, friends, colleagues and at the end those that when put in a room with you make you a better strategic thinker.
We find allies in the most unexpected ways. There is the one that push us out of our comfort zone to look at the bigger picture, there is also the risk oriented ally that by sharing her on-going challenges and successes empower us to follow our own leap of faith and there is also the cheerleader type that constructevely provides the needed feedback to reinforce the capabilities we believe we had in place to get started on the first place. There is the business savvy one, the inter-cultural expert, the IT genious...go figure. Alliances can be vertical, horizontal and so on.
However, the ability to plan, create, embrace, re-inforce, promote and sustain an alliance is a key differentiator that could seriously mean the choice between achieving your goals or not.
But what makes an alliance a formula for success?
- It increases the delivery quality. Once you've cross-checked the talents in your alliance the capability of the sum of its parts is certainly bigger.
- It is goals oriented as everyone is focused on the future; therefore, improving performance and adding value is a 'must'.
- When times are tough, it grows stronger! Call it survival mode or just trusting that the collective experience will keep all the involved ones afloat. Whatever way you want to look at it, it works!
- It beats the competition whatever the goals of its members are. From looking for a job to growing a business or just building a friendship the ending result is so superior that chances are everyone is more fullfilled and satisfied at the end.
- It is a rewarding, win-win experience for everyone. Nothing is unconditional. Can you still say your proper please and thank-you?
- Allies tend to reciprocate not because they have to but because they want to. There is the commitment to look for improvement in your partner's business and their desire to do the same for yours.
- It makes the road less travelled a 'not-that-solitary' one.
So, ask yourself who your allies are and start working on a successful alliance (I've got some wonderful allies already to be very thankful to!!!)
Remember:
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved"
William Jennings Bryan
and,
"The path to greatness is along with others"
Baltasar Gracion
The premise for this thinking is that there is nothing more powerful than synergism which translates in how the actions of your allies when working together for either your goals or theirs create a bigger effect that if doing it separately. It is like Michael Jordan once said: "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships".
So, how far have you got to go to find your allies? The simpliest way is mainly about identifying in your life the people you have bonded to, those that when together create sparks of innovation. Your allies can be your mentor (s), relatives, friends, colleagues and at the end those that when put in a room with you make you a better strategic thinker.
We find allies in the most unexpected ways. There is the one that push us out of our comfort zone to look at the bigger picture, there is also the risk oriented ally that by sharing her on-going challenges and successes empower us to follow our own leap of faith and there is also the cheerleader type that constructevely provides the needed feedback to reinforce the capabilities we believe we had in place to get started on the first place. There is the business savvy one, the inter-cultural expert, the IT genious...go figure. Alliances can be vertical, horizontal and so on.
However, the ability to plan, create, embrace, re-inforce, promote and sustain an alliance is a key differentiator that could seriously mean the choice between achieving your goals or not.
But what makes an alliance a formula for success?
- It increases the delivery quality. Once you've cross-checked the talents in your alliance the capability of the sum of its parts is certainly bigger.
- It is goals oriented as everyone is focused on the future; therefore, improving performance and adding value is a 'must'.
- When times are tough, it grows stronger! Call it survival mode or just trusting that the collective experience will keep all the involved ones afloat. Whatever way you want to look at it, it works!
- It beats the competition whatever the goals of its members are. From looking for a job to growing a business or just building a friendship the ending result is so superior that chances are everyone is more fullfilled and satisfied at the end.
- It is a rewarding, win-win experience for everyone. Nothing is unconditional. Can you still say your proper please and thank-you?
- Allies tend to reciprocate not because they have to but because they want to. There is the commitment to look for improvement in your partner's business and their desire to do the same for yours.
- It makes the road less travelled a 'not-that-solitary' one.
So, ask yourself who your allies are and start working on a successful alliance (I've got some wonderful allies already to be very thankful to!!!)
Remember:
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved"
William Jennings Bryan
and,
"The path to greatness is along with others"
Baltasar Gracion
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Seizing the opportunity every single day!
It is beyond overwhelming all the news we are getting about the bad shape of the economy and lay offs. It could potentially be enough to 'downsize' your own job exploration goals not knowing that there are ways to use the resources you have to be successful.
1. Networking is not a job, it is not an add-up task. It is something that you just do and keep doing to keep up to date with your contacts, to be present in their minds and eventually in their consideration for potential employment. It is about opening doors,but how?
3. Count your assets! I do not mean that you go and get all your banking accounts together but actually assess your capabilities and past/current contributions and successes. Understand what you are worth, a clear awareness of your own self net value will do wonders in how you interact and the lasting impression you create in others.
2. P-E-N-A son 4 letras (the word 'shy' is just 4 letters). That is what I was always told as a kid and as a professional whenever looking to contact or to meet someone that I was interested either for personal or professional reasons. That means you can always reach for more. Keep extending your network, go to talks, conferences, networking events. Have a business card ready and a couple of lines that clearly set yourself for success.
5. Build your virtual network. There are many people that have very busy lives between work and personal/family commitments; however, the virtual social networks are wonderful to look at potential opportunities and extend your network. Be bold, participate in groups' discussions, ask questions, dare to respond, give an opinion. You'll be extending your network beyond the people you've known to those that are in your field in a more efficient way.
6. Believe in your product and its attributes which means BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Re-discover your talents, search for examples when you overcame the impossible and remember how you felt when you were able to meet your goals. Was there a commonality? Be proud on your strengths and verbalize them in a tangible way for others to understand, still work on your areas of development, face them, commit to yourself.
All of this will help you have your eyes, mind and heart open to the opportunity when it arises, when you create it and then, seize it! catch it!.
As Martha Stewart shared on her book (The Martha Rules) "If the word risk makes you nervous, call it an investment".
1. Networking is not a job, it is not an add-up task. It is something that you just do and keep doing to keep up to date with your contacts, to be present in their minds and eventually in their consideration for potential employment. It is about opening doors,but how?
3. Count your assets! I do not mean that you go and get all your banking accounts together but actually assess your capabilities and past/current contributions and successes. Understand what you are worth, a clear awareness of your own self net value will do wonders in how you interact and the lasting impression you create in others.
2. P-E-N-A son 4 letras (the word 'shy' is just 4 letters). That is what I was always told as a kid and as a professional whenever looking to contact or to meet someone that I was interested either for personal or professional reasons. That means you can always reach for more. Keep extending your network, go to talks, conferences, networking events. Have a business card ready and a couple of lines that clearly set yourself for success.
5. Build your virtual network. There are many people that have very busy lives between work and personal/family commitments; however, the virtual social networks are wonderful to look at potential opportunities and extend your network. Be bold, participate in groups' discussions, ask questions, dare to respond, give an opinion. You'll be extending your network beyond the people you've known to those that are in your field in a more efficient way.
6. Believe in your product and its attributes which means BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Re-discover your talents, search for examples when you overcame the impossible and remember how you felt when you were able to meet your goals. Was there a commonality? Be proud on your strengths and verbalize them in a tangible way for others to understand, still work on your areas of development, face them, commit to yourself.
All of this will help you have your eyes, mind and heart open to the opportunity when it arises, when you create it and then, seize it! catch it!.
As Martha Stewart shared on her book (The Martha Rules) "If the word risk makes you nervous, call it an investment".
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Brand yourself to fight the bad economy...
One of the big topics involved with my clients is always the subject of 'branding' themselves effectively.
I have found a wonderful article that I hope can call for a reflection, specially, during this global financial crisis. Now, do me a favor, finish the reading and google your name. Then, go and start taking control of it!
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/oct2008/ca20081028_901617.htm
Brand Yourself to Fight the Bad Economy
Author Dan Schawbel lays out his strategy for individuals who want to make a name for themselves—or simply protect their jobs
By Marshall Goldsmith
My friend Dan Schawbel is a leading voice in the area of personal branding, focusing on helping individuals gain self-confidence, discover their passion, and develop a brand by using social media tools.
I invited Dan to discuss how personal branding can be used to fight the economic downturn and protect people from future layoffs. In his new book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, he provides a detailed four-step strategy for success. Edited excerpts of our conversation follow:
Marshall Goldsmith: Dan, what exactly is personal branding, and why is it so important in today's challenging workplace?
Dan Schawbel: Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others. Each and every one of us has a brand because we are constantly being judged based on first impressions. Also, we are forced to sell our ideas and unique abilities to all stakeholders inside a company or as an entrepreneur.
Ten years ago, in a Web 1.0 world, your brand was hidden unless you were an executive at a leading company or a Hollywood celebrity. Now, with the evolution of the Internet into a Web 2.0 environment, every single person has a voice that can build or destroy their reputation and that of their company in an instant. Another major difference is that you needed a lot of mainstream press years ago to make a name for yourself. Today you can start a blog and join social networks for free.
Everyone from hiring managers to admissions officers and even talent agencies is scrubbing the Internet, either in search of their next hire or as a background check. According to Careerbuilder.com, 22% of managers screen their staff using social networks like Facebook, and Kaplan says that 10% of admissions officers verify potential students using social networks. There is a massive opportunity for you to position yourself as an extraordinary brand and be recruited based on your passion.
What led you to get involved with personal branding?
I graduated from Bentley College in 2006, after accumulating eight internships and seven leadership positions. During my interviews, hiring managers had noticed my "personal branding toolkit," which contained a custom portfolio, résumé, cover letter, and Web site. This made me stand out. After several interviews, I landed the marketing job I wanted at EMC Corp (EMC).
One year later, I started experimenting with social media outside of work. I launched my own blog, after reading Tom Peters' famous "Brand Called You" article. I soon realized that my passion was in fact personal branding, as I love marketing, mentoring, and all things social media. What started as a blog became awards, an online TV show, and my own magazine. I was profiled in Fast Company, and the article was read by EMC PR and sent to a vice-president, who then hired me to be the first social media specialist. Long story short, I was hired without even applying for the job.
What is your four-step process for building a powerful brand?
•Discover: In order to really understand who you are and carve out a career path moving forward, investing in self-discovery is critical. In fact, if you don't spend time learning about yourself, your values, personal mission, and unique attributes, you will be at a disadvantage when marketing your brand to others. Start by removing yourself from distractions and ask yourself, "Who am I?" and, "If I could do anything, what would it be?"
•Create: Your personal branding toolkit may consist of a blog, Web site, business card, résumé, reference document, cover letter, portfolio, or even a LinkedIn profile. Each piece has to be consistent with the next and reflect the brand you discovered in Step 1.
•Communicate: Now it's time to use everything you've created to let people know you exist. By attending professional networking events, writing articles for Web sites, and putting on your "personal PR hat," pitch bloggers and traditional journalists to start gaining attention and recognition for the brand you created in Step 2.
•Maintain: As you grow, mature, and accelerate in your career, everything you've created has to be updated and accurately represent the current "brand you." Also, you need to monitor your brand online to ensure all conversations about you are positive and factual. You can do this by using a combination of tools, including a Google Alert for your name.
Can you explain how social media tools can protect workers?
You need to build your brand equity outside of your current job because there is no such thing as job security anymore. To do this, you should become a blogger, reserve your name on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and take ownership of your Google (GOOG) results by constantly monitoring what shows up for your name over time. Each of these social media tools rank high in Google, therefore they can give you the necessary visibility you need to seize opportunities.
Thank you! I love to give my readers new techniques to adapt and succeed, especially in today's turbulent business environment. How can we reach you?
I can be reached at http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/ or dan.schawbel@gmail.com.
Readers, I would love comments from you. Please send your advice for developing a personal brand.
his articles and videos online at MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com.
I have found a wonderful article that I hope can call for a reflection, specially, during this global financial crisis. Now, do me a favor, finish the reading and google your name. Then, go and start taking control of it!
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/oct2008/ca20081028_901617.htm
Brand Yourself to Fight the Bad Economy
Author Dan Schawbel lays out his strategy for individuals who want to make a name for themselves—or simply protect their jobs
By Marshall Goldsmith
My friend Dan Schawbel is a leading voice in the area of personal branding, focusing on helping individuals gain self-confidence, discover their passion, and develop a brand by using social media tools.
I invited Dan to discuss how personal branding can be used to fight the economic downturn and protect people from future layoffs. In his new book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, he provides a detailed four-step strategy for success. Edited excerpts of our conversation follow:
Marshall Goldsmith: Dan, what exactly is personal branding, and why is it so important in today's challenging workplace?
Dan Schawbel: Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others. Each and every one of us has a brand because we are constantly being judged based on first impressions. Also, we are forced to sell our ideas and unique abilities to all stakeholders inside a company or as an entrepreneur.
Ten years ago, in a Web 1.0 world, your brand was hidden unless you were an executive at a leading company or a Hollywood celebrity. Now, with the evolution of the Internet into a Web 2.0 environment, every single person has a voice that can build or destroy their reputation and that of their company in an instant. Another major difference is that you needed a lot of mainstream press years ago to make a name for yourself. Today you can start a blog and join social networks for free.
Everyone from hiring managers to admissions officers and even talent agencies is scrubbing the Internet, either in search of their next hire or as a background check. According to Careerbuilder.com, 22% of managers screen their staff using social networks like Facebook, and Kaplan says that 10% of admissions officers verify potential students using social networks. There is a massive opportunity for you to position yourself as an extraordinary brand and be recruited based on your passion.
What led you to get involved with personal branding?
I graduated from Bentley College in 2006, after accumulating eight internships and seven leadership positions. During my interviews, hiring managers had noticed my "personal branding toolkit," which contained a custom portfolio, résumé, cover letter, and Web site. This made me stand out. After several interviews, I landed the marketing job I wanted at EMC Corp (EMC).
One year later, I started experimenting with social media outside of work. I launched my own blog, after reading Tom Peters' famous "Brand Called You" article. I soon realized that my passion was in fact personal branding, as I love marketing, mentoring, and all things social media. What started as a blog became awards, an online TV show, and my own magazine. I was profiled in Fast Company, and the article was read by EMC PR and sent to a vice-president, who then hired me to be the first social media specialist. Long story short, I was hired without even applying for the job.
What is your four-step process for building a powerful brand?
•Discover: In order to really understand who you are and carve out a career path moving forward, investing in self-discovery is critical. In fact, if you don't spend time learning about yourself, your values, personal mission, and unique attributes, you will be at a disadvantage when marketing your brand to others. Start by removing yourself from distractions and ask yourself, "Who am I?" and, "If I could do anything, what would it be?"
•Create: Your personal branding toolkit may consist of a blog, Web site, business card, résumé, reference document, cover letter, portfolio, or even a LinkedIn profile. Each piece has to be consistent with the next and reflect the brand you discovered in Step 1.
•Communicate: Now it's time to use everything you've created to let people know you exist. By attending professional networking events, writing articles for Web sites, and putting on your "personal PR hat," pitch bloggers and traditional journalists to start gaining attention and recognition for the brand you created in Step 2.
•Maintain: As you grow, mature, and accelerate in your career, everything you've created has to be updated and accurately represent the current "brand you." Also, you need to monitor your brand online to ensure all conversations about you are positive and factual. You can do this by using a combination of tools, including a Google Alert for your name.
Can you explain how social media tools can protect workers?
You need to build your brand equity outside of your current job because there is no such thing as job security anymore. To do this, you should become a blogger, reserve your name on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and take ownership of your Google (GOOG) results by constantly monitoring what shows up for your name over time. Each of these social media tools rank high in Google, therefore they can give you the necessary visibility you need to seize opportunities.
Thank you! I love to give my readers new techniques to adapt and succeed, especially in today's turbulent business environment. How can we reach you?
I can be reached at http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/ or dan.schawbel@gmail.com.
Readers, I would love comments from you. Please send your advice for developing a personal brand.
his articles and videos online at MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Meat for thought: Latinos y Latinas in the Workplace Insights
A fellow member of the Hispanic Human Resources Network at linkedin posted this question ' Latinos y Latinas in the Workplace: How Much Progress Have We Made' and the link to the article related to it as published by Diversity Best Practices (July 2008) http://www.diversitybestpractices.com/member/cdo_insights/CDOI-2008-03.pdf
Take a look whenever you have a chance. It has some similarities to another article featured on the SHRM magazine recently on this matter.
Take a look whenever you have a chance. It has some similarities to another article featured on the SHRM magazine recently on this matter.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
What are dreams without hard work? My many thoughts on what each can achieve no matter what.
Long time ago a dreamer was found to be poetic, now a dreamer has a conglomerate of interpretations. It sounds better to say you are a 'goals oriented' person than to say you are a 'dream catcher', don't you think it is a contradiction that we try to instill creativity and imagination to our kids but then, narrow their career choices to traditionally accepted options?.
Are you under a politically correct career choice that makes you unhappy? do you wonder how wonderful your retirement will be once you get that chance to really do what you want and fulfill that childhood dream?
Here's a brief story. Henry David Thoreau was a man that lived a life dictated by his own beliefs and principles. He lived in the 19th. century and was an anti-slavery advocate that helped escaped slaves on the Underground Railway. He had a very simplistic life , close to nature and himself but with eyes that would make wonderful discoveries. He died at 42 and left quite a legacy.
Don't you wonder what will be left behind you once you are gone? what seeds had you planted? what principles had you defended?
Are you a citizen of your own words that build a better world or a victim of this world?
There are these words by Thoreau that I'd like to share with you "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.Now put the foundations under them".
What do you see when you look at the mirror? a satisfied individual that leads a life of fulfillment or a victimized one that has no choice but to keep surviving day after day?.
The key is simple: DARE!!!! DARE to explore, to discover, to go on the wonderful journey that means giving yourself and your dreams a chance. It takes work, lots of it. A dream without foundation is like a leaf that flies as per the wind desires.
I like to use the word DREAM with my clients, my family, my friends. I still go to sleep and wonder what surprises life will bring if I keep working hard on my journey.
A dreamer is not a Don Quijote fighting fantasies to conquer but a warrior that creates a vision, designs a strategy, goals that match with it and move on working really hard to get there.
Most of the clients that call me are professional foreigners that have worked really hard to be where they are at but have forgotten what their dreams are or have no faith in their abilities as warriors to pursue their task. Some get shocked by what's different around them , forgetting the value of their own distinctiveness and failing to sell themselves. Cultural shock some may say. I like to see it as a lapse of memory of those times when an adventure and a challenge was all what was needed to fight for something really wanted. Can you switch your mind and look at yourself more kindly, at the world more generously, at the opportunities more openly?
The beginning starts with yourself. Can you dare to explore what makes you different? do you believe it? now just use the words to build it. We all speak differently, we have accents, different backgrounds but a common language is spoken more often on this very global job market. Learn the language and go and sell your uniqueness.
If you have a dream, a strategy, set of goals and work hard, then every experience will build upon your portfolio - if you learn from them - to make you stronger and chances are you can be successful and happier.
NOT 'the end'
Are you under a politically correct career choice that makes you unhappy? do you wonder how wonderful your retirement will be once you get that chance to really do what you want and fulfill that childhood dream?
Here's a brief story. Henry David Thoreau was a man that lived a life dictated by his own beliefs and principles. He lived in the 19th. century and was an anti-slavery advocate that helped escaped slaves on the Underground Railway. He had a very simplistic life , close to nature and himself but with eyes that would make wonderful discoveries. He died at 42 and left quite a legacy.
Don't you wonder what will be left behind you once you are gone? what seeds had you planted? what principles had you defended?
Are you a citizen of your own words that build a better world or a victim of this world?
There are these words by Thoreau that I'd like to share with you "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.Now put the foundations under them".
What do you see when you look at the mirror? a satisfied individual that leads a life of fulfillment or a victimized one that has no choice but to keep surviving day after day?.
The key is simple: DARE!!!! DARE to explore, to discover, to go on the wonderful journey that means giving yourself and your dreams a chance. It takes work, lots of it. A dream without foundation is like a leaf that flies as per the wind desires.
I like to use the word DREAM with my clients, my family, my friends. I still go to sleep and wonder what surprises life will bring if I keep working hard on my journey.
A dreamer is not a Don Quijote fighting fantasies to conquer but a warrior that creates a vision, designs a strategy, goals that match with it and move on working really hard to get there.
Most of the clients that call me are professional foreigners that have worked really hard to be where they are at but have forgotten what their dreams are or have no faith in their abilities as warriors to pursue their task. Some get shocked by what's different around them , forgetting the value of their own distinctiveness and failing to sell themselves. Cultural shock some may say. I like to see it as a lapse of memory of those times when an adventure and a challenge was all what was needed to fight for something really wanted. Can you switch your mind and look at yourself more kindly, at the world more generously, at the opportunities more openly?
The beginning starts with yourself. Can you dare to explore what makes you different? do you believe it? now just use the words to build it. We all speak differently, we have accents, different backgrounds but a common language is spoken more often on this very global job market. Learn the language and go and sell your uniqueness.
If you have a dream, a strategy, set of goals and work hard, then every experience will build upon your portfolio - if you learn from them - to make you stronger and chances are you can be successful and happier.
NOT 'the end'
Friday, January 2, 2009
It is a new year, so...what now?
The first few days of the year are promising and full of hope, commitment to our inner wishes and ultimate dreams. Some are very optimistic, others more cautious about what to expect out of a year of a global financial constraint. Whatever way you put it or situation you are at or goal you aim to achieve there are some common principles you can follow that are pretty easy and universal for everyone whether living in a Latin American Country, USA or anywhere else.
1. You know people, don't you? Not hard as we are mostly social animals by nature. right? even if you believe your work and personal life consume most of your days not leaving space for anything else, hey! here's a treat: the people you know and how kind you've been to them, may actually return the favor one day. "What goes around, comes around". Even if they don't - believe that actually some will remember your kindness and pay you back in unexpected and some times unknown ways! - the fact that you plant a seed should be good enough to bring a smile in your face and bring some joy to your life that may actually return to you in a fulfilling way that will eventually reflect both in your performance and potential career development. So, keep networking and building connections that will open doors for you if you...
2. Dare to dream big! If dreaming sounds too wild for you, then set up ambitious goals. Share them with others (unless confidentiality is key for their success!). Once your mind and heart are into something, all your energy and resources move toward your wants until finally your needs are also met on a wonderful and satisfactory career ride.
3. Planning and respecting your own set of priorities are key for your success. There will be always emergencies, urgencies, unpredicted stuff that will make the ride looks like a very hard wall impossible to climb but stick to your plan and set up your boundaries. Do you remember your childhood lessons about saying NO to others when you did not want to do something but were afraid to upset or hurt somebody else? well, what about starting for making yourself happy? Go for it and do not settle for less.
4. Work like a flying ant. Ants are hard and disciplined non-stop workers, but what if you could see from the above what's happening at the bottom and be able to actually look at the big picture. So, work hard with that dream stuck to your heart and get a helicopter ride once in a while to change the perspective. Do not forget the Monkey joke when climbing a tree and make sure those at your feet look at your face and not at your bottom, which ultimately means, be kind to others no matter their hierarchy level or range of importance as per your project needs.
5. Keep a sense of adventure, exploration and fun in your life. I do not think things move smoothly and perfectly synchronized to align to a plan. As I come from a very chaotic region where the unexpected is the rule, I have learned - like most of my fellow pals with either living or working experience in Latin America - to enjoy, embrace and look at the potential opportunities in every unexpected turn that could swift my plan. The result could be amazingly rich in its possibilities and allow you a further sense of growth and a wonderful instinct for opportunities, not counting, your own happiness. The top head of my former employer in Venezuela told me once that the secret of success was having fun at what you did, he must know well as he is currently the head of BP worldwide.
In conclusion, network kindly, dream big, plan and set yourself as a priority, work hard without missing the bigger picture and enjoy the ride!
IT IS YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHOICE, YOUR PRESENT AND ULTIMATELY THE FUTURE YOU DECIDE TO BUILD WITH YOUR MIND, HANDS AND HEART.
So, can you decide to have a happy and full filling 2009? Tomorrow starts now.
1. You know people, don't you? Not hard as we are mostly social animals by nature. right? even if you believe your work and personal life consume most of your days not leaving space for anything else, hey! here's a treat: the people you know and how kind you've been to them, may actually return the favor one day. "What goes around, comes around". Even if they don't - believe that actually some will remember your kindness and pay you back in unexpected and some times unknown ways! - the fact that you plant a seed should be good enough to bring a smile in your face and bring some joy to your life that may actually return to you in a fulfilling way that will eventually reflect both in your performance and potential career development. So, keep networking and building connections that will open doors for you if you...
2. Dare to dream big! If dreaming sounds too wild for you, then set up ambitious goals. Share them with others (unless confidentiality is key for their success!). Once your mind and heart are into something, all your energy and resources move toward your wants until finally your needs are also met on a wonderful and satisfactory career ride.
3. Planning and respecting your own set of priorities are key for your success. There will be always emergencies, urgencies, unpredicted stuff that will make the ride looks like a very hard wall impossible to climb but stick to your plan and set up your boundaries. Do you remember your childhood lessons about saying NO to others when you did not want to do something but were afraid to upset or hurt somebody else? well, what about starting for making yourself happy? Go for it and do not settle for less.
4. Work like a flying ant. Ants are hard and disciplined non-stop workers, but what if you could see from the above what's happening at the bottom and be able to actually look at the big picture. So, work hard with that dream stuck to your heart and get a helicopter ride once in a while to change the perspective. Do not forget the Monkey joke when climbing a tree and make sure those at your feet look at your face and not at your bottom, which ultimately means, be kind to others no matter their hierarchy level or range of importance as per your project needs.
5. Keep a sense of adventure, exploration and fun in your life. I do not think things move smoothly and perfectly synchronized to align to a plan. As I come from a very chaotic region where the unexpected is the rule, I have learned - like most of my fellow pals with either living or working experience in Latin America - to enjoy, embrace and look at the potential opportunities in every unexpected turn that could swift my plan. The result could be amazingly rich in its possibilities and allow you a further sense of growth and a wonderful instinct for opportunities, not counting, your own happiness. The top head of my former employer in Venezuela told me once that the secret of success was having fun at what you did, he must know well as he is currently the head of BP worldwide.
In conclusion, network kindly, dream big, plan and set yourself as a priority, work hard without missing the bigger picture and enjoy the ride!
IT IS YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHOICE, YOUR PRESENT AND ULTIMATELY THE FUTURE YOU DECIDE TO BUILD WITH YOUR MIND, HANDS AND HEART.
So, can you decide to have a happy and full filling 2009? Tomorrow starts now.
Friday, November 7, 2008
What Do Foreign-born Americans Do for Thanksgiving? My reflexion as published on www.americandiversityreport.com
A first answer for newcomers would be: watching TV, eating turkey and finding great bargains at the Mall. At least, that is how I remember my first Thanksgiving which caught me up me in a holiday that I had no clue about, except the fact that it added a couple of days off to my working calendar. So, that is what I did. I had just moved to the US, my husband was out of town and I had no friends. Therefore, I was at a complete loss. What were those days off all about and why should I celebrate them?
It’s been 8 years since that day. I had 3 kids born in Texas and some very strong roots to my adoptive Country. I got to love the wonderful reasons that Thanksgiving gives me to celebrate. Being new to a Country means that you stopped having your familiar faces and places close to you, which translates to the fact that you’ve got to open yourself to new ones.
My roots came as a professional developing my own extended network and especially with my 3 girls. As a parent and designated driver of their daily activities., roots meant finding a favorite playground, an ice-cream parlor with the right kind of ‘pink sparkles’ and an attendant that knows your name and meeting lots of other warrior parents who care greatly about having happy and entertained kids!. The fact that I go grocery shopping and I get to find people I know or that I go to a fund-raising event of my eldest girl’s elementary school and I happen to know quite a number of people may mean nothing to most. But to me it has created the atmosphere that fills my world and makes me call the beautiful suburb where I live with my family: HOME.
And home is this very International community where people from everywhere shop, sit, have coffee and share our daily lives in a very normal and routine way. I believe most of the foreigners that I’ve learned to appreciate and call my friends have come to discover what a wonderful opportunity Thanksgiving is to share with family and friends. We have risen to the occasion to enjoy ourselves and just be happy and relaxed. However, we may not follow the whole script. Some of us may have Turkey but others may have other fancy international dishes or even barbecue. We just do not stress too much about it. Most of us do not have relatives in town or in the Country to share a meal with but we have our bunch of adoptive relatives – friends – who join to have a great day of fun.
I think my kids will grow understanding and loving the American Thanksgiving holidays but as blended kids they are - whose parents come from somewhere else - they may relate those days to some additional international flavoring with those friends coming from other Countries, speaking different languages, sharing very diverse foreign accents. My girls are used to hearing people talk with accents from my friends on my European ladies’ playgroup, or our acquaintances from diverse places in Latin America . I believe it will certainly open not only their hearts, but their minds, and grow to be very inclusive citizens.
On Thanksgiving we may share our Venezuelan food with black beans, rice, black stewed cooked with lots of species, garlic, onions, butter, brown sugar plus a Coca Cola for the secret blackened touch or somebody may play exotic and bring an Indian meal or a European appetizer. But mostly we get to enjoy the fact of being able to call home where precisely our heart is.
And that is what we foreigners have in common with the Pilgrims. We’ve come with all to settle down on this land and you’ve welcomed us, we are now all part of the same Country that we call home and are thankful for.
So, there you go: Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Feliz Dia de Accion de Gracias!
It’s been 8 years since that day. I had 3 kids born in Texas and some very strong roots to my adoptive Country. I got to love the wonderful reasons that Thanksgiving gives me to celebrate. Being new to a Country means that you stopped having your familiar faces and places close to you, which translates to the fact that you’ve got to open yourself to new ones.
My roots came as a professional developing my own extended network and especially with my 3 girls. As a parent and designated driver of their daily activities., roots meant finding a favorite playground, an ice-cream parlor with the right kind of ‘pink sparkles’ and an attendant that knows your name and meeting lots of other warrior parents who care greatly about having happy and entertained kids!. The fact that I go grocery shopping and I get to find people I know or that I go to a fund-raising event of my eldest girl’s elementary school and I happen to know quite a number of people may mean nothing to most. But to me it has created the atmosphere that fills my world and makes me call the beautiful suburb where I live with my family: HOME.
And home is this very International community where people from everywhere shop, sit, have coffee and share our daily lives in a very normal and routine way. I believe most of the foreigners that I’ve learned to appreciate and call my friends have come to discover what a wonderful opportunity Thanksgiving is to share with family and friends. We have risen to the occasion to enjoy ourselves and just be happy and relaxed. However, we may not follow the whole script. Some of us may have Turkey but others may have other fancy international dishes or even barbecue. We just do not stress too much about it. Most of us do not have relatives in town or in the Country to share a meal with but we have our bunch of adoptive relatives – friends – who join to have a great day of fun.
I think my kids will grow understanding and loving the American Thanksgiving holidays but as blended kids they are - whose parents come from somewhere else - they may relate those days to some additional international flavoring with those friends coming from other Countries, speaking different languages, sharing very diverse foreign accents. My girls are used to hearing people talk with accents from my friends on my European ladies’ playgroup, or our acquaintances from diverse places in Latin America . I believe it will certainly open not only their hearts, but their minds, and grow to be very inclusive citizens.
On Thanksgiving we may share our Venezuelan food with black beans, rice, black stewed cooked with lots of species, garlic, onions, butter, brown sugar plus a Coca Cola for the secret blackened touch or somebody may play exotic and bring an Indian meal or a European appetizer. But mostly we get to enjoy the fact of being able to call home where precisely our heart is.
And that is what we foreigners have in common with the Pilgrims. We’ve come with all to settle down on this land and you’ve welcomed us, we are now all part of the same Country that we call home and are thankful for.
So, there you go: Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Feliz Dia de Accion de Gracias!
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