Accelerate Your Search™ Now

Commit.  Plan.  Execute.  Those are three powerful words shared with me by  Hank Sullivan.  Even more powerful is the question he asked me, “What are you willing to do different?”

It was close to a decade ago that Hank asked me that question for the first time.  I had heard the question before, yet on that day, instead of offering a quick reply, I paused.  Why?  Maybe it was because I knew he was genuinely interested in my response.  Or, maybe I had grown wiser.  Perhaps it was the tone of his voice.  I don’t really know what it was.  What I did know was that I did not know the answer.

What was I willing to do different?

Maybe nothing!  Maybe I was not willing to do ANYTHING different.

Life was okay.  While not what I hoped for, business wasn’t bad.  I had a ready excuse when something was not completed or didn’t go as expected.  My most common excuse?  Lack of time.

The first answer that popped into my head was, “What if I’m not willing to do anything different?”  I respected Hank far too much to give that answer.  In all honestly, I don’t recall what I actually replied — or if I replied at all.

What I do know is that question remains a powerful one, even today.  This one question made me realize that if I was not willing to step outside my comfort zone very little would change.

So, in great times, good times and not-so-good times, I continue to ask myself, “What are you willing to do different?”

When my results are “fine” and I’m okay with that (a rarity!), I don’t feel the burden to change.  It always come down to what I am willing to do.  If I am not willing to do anything new, the results will not change.  When I create and execute a plan, the results are predictable.  If the results do not measure up, I can easily see what to adjust to bring me closer to my desired results.

Are you fine with your currently results?  Yes?  Fabulous!  Continue to commit, plan and execute.  Your year will be predictable and your results will remain steady.

Or, do you want to improve your results?  Then the answer is simple.  Dare to do something different.

2014 is almost 1/12 complete.  What are you willing to do different?

If you want to take different action, yet are unsure what to do or if you need assistance landing the job you want, contact me.

Everyday you have opportunities to connect, build relationships and get your brand in front of decision-makers.  Businesses understand the value of this type of connection.  Think about it.  Everyday you receive coupons and offers via snail mail or company newsletters via email.  Why do they invest time and resources in staying in touch?  Simple.  They want you to think of them when you need their product or service.

For example:  If I need a plumber and the plumber I met at the Chamber of Commerce meeting last March mailed me a note, then a coupon, then another note and enclosed a refrigerator magnet with his logo, website and phone number, odds are good that the magnet is on my refrigerator or at least I will recall his name when I (or a friend) need a plumber.

Starting this year, find or create a system for staying in touch with your network and getting those people to be your brand ambassadors.

How do you get started?  Follow the steps below:

1. Create your list.

Who needs to know you?  Start small and focus on key influencers.  You are not building a mass marketing list.  Think of the people you really want to connect with during the first quarter of the year and those you will stay in touch with throughout the year.

2. Make your regular connection all about them.

Whether you craft a note, letter or email (I recommend giving snail mail a try), don’t go on and on about you.  Focus on what the person means to you, acknowledge them as a person and thank them for previous projects — you can even share an experience or fun memory you’ve had with them in the past.  If appropriate, you can mention what you are doing or ask to connect in person.  Don’t send your card, but do add your phone number under your signature or in other appropriate places.

3. Think about your system and how you plan to continue to connect.

A personalized plan is best.  Decide how often you will stay in touch.  Once per quarter is ideal — more often and you are less likely to actually follow-up (or your contacts may begin to wonder why you have so much time on your hands!).  Add holidays, business events and personal events like birthdays or work anniversaries to your systemized plan.

4. Have an impact and make a statement.

This method of connection also helps your network connect with the things that are important to you.  Do you run in charity events?  You could send a card that also supports that cause.  If you are a golfer, send a postcard from your favorite course.  Or design a card yourself using your own personal color of ink.  My plumber does not send coupons for his services, but rather for purchasing trees to help with reforestation and he sends recipes for his favorite cookies around the year-end holidays.  What have I now learned about my plumber?

5. Mix it up.

Don’t always do the same thing — be creative.  There are many tools to help you find creative ways to “reach out and touch” your network.

Connecting, nurturing and staying in touch with your network is a necessity.  Being known and trusted requires being present.  If you wish to leverage your network, you must invest in your network.  Personal marketing, building relationships and connecting helps others know you, which in turn, helps your career and your brand.  When others know who you are they are able to speak to your uniqueness and value.

Connecting with your network is not just a job search task, it is a career management must.  What is your plan for this year?  How will you really connect with your network?

In late January, I am hosting a 3-part workshop:  Identify, Leverage & Own Your Uniqueness.  The workshop is designed to help you quickly identify your strengths and see how others view those strengths, so that you can stand out in the eyes of hiring managers.

If this opportunity speaks to you, drop me an email.  I will send you the details and information on how to sign up for the workshop.

Have an amazing week!

“What simple things do you do every day that impact your life and income?”

“Please share the ones that absolutely help you enjoy life and work and improve your personal income.”

I recently asked the above questions to my clients and colleagues earning 6+ figures.  While not a scientific survey, I’ve compiled the top and most common tips to share with you.

Why do so?  To help you make 2014 a year of improved performance, higher earnings and, simply, more fun!  Perhaps you too can adopt a few of the things that these highly productive, and happy, people find helpful.

Here are the results:

1.  Maintain your health and care for yourself.  Eat right, rest and exercise.  Self-care, staying fit and maintaining your health adds to your wealth and well-being.    This is a top tip on almost every list!

2.  Know yourself and leverage your strengths.  Performance and earnings increase when you do what you do best.

   “Once I learned to stop focusing on and trying to fix weaknesses, my income jumped 26.5 %.  What an impact that had on me and my family.”  – DDA

3.  Look ahead and set goals.  Know where you want to be in a year, 5 years and 10 years from now.

4.  Maintain personal discipline and be organized.  The tips on this vary.  While there is no one way to do this, each person queried stated that having a set of rules or guidelines for achieving tasks and goals is important.  Whether lists, calendars or assistants, find your system and use it daily.

5.  Read and continue to learn.  Read books, newspapers and blogs.  Read to your kids or family.  Learn and stay current.  Many shared they re-read books that impacted them.  Odds are when you re-read a book, you will learn something new.

6.  Market yourself and stay connected.  One of my mentor says, “Not marketing yourself is selfish.”  Share your talents and passions with everyone who needs to know — you never know when you can be of service.

7.  Invest your time wisely.  Time is the great equalizer.  We all have the same amount of time each day.  Think about, plan and invest your time wisely.  Invest in yourself each day.  If you don’t invest in yourself and think you are worth investing in — why would others take a risk on you?

8.  Don’t fly by the seat of your pants.  It is fine to take risks and to be spontaneous, but know the impact of what you are doing and then decide what you want to do.  Don’t just allow things to happen.  Make a decision.

9.  Be personally responsible.  Whether the outcome is good or not so good, own what you do.  When you’ve made a mistake, own it, and figure out how to correct the action.

10.  Be who you are.  Be comfortable in your own skin.  Know who you are and show and share it with the world!

Enjoy these tips.  Adapt them to help you.  Unleash your uniqueness, your energy and earn what you deserve this year.

Do you have a great tip?  Post it below.

In late January, I am hosting a 3-part workshop:  Identify, Leverage & Own Your Uniqueness.  The workshop is designed to help you quickly identify your strengths and see how others view those strengths, so that you can stand out in the eyes of hiring managers.

If this opportunity speaks to you, drop me an email.  I will send you the details and information on how to sign up for the workshop.

Have an amazing week!

My wish for you is amazing abundance and success in the new year.  You possess everything you need to launch a fun, exciting and prosperous 2014!

Now, you might have a doubt or two.  We all do sometimes.  Turn all that doubt, fear and stress into belief, hope and absolute optimism.  Before you stop and say, “Forget it!” — remember your thoughts drive your beliefs, your beliefs drive your attitudes, your attitude drives your behaviors and your behaviors drive your results.  All results are impacted by your thoughts — your happiness, abundance, prosperity, who you are and how the world sees you.

If you don’t like your results, look at your thoughts first.  Your thoughts and your focus are the drivers of who you are and who you become.  Below is a four-step process to help you move forward with optimism:

1. Select one of your distressing thoughts.  For example, you made a call and the call was not returned.
2. Change the distressing thought into a successful thought, i.e., I placed a call and it was returned within 2 days.  Notice that finding successful thoughts is as simple as looking for the opposite.
3. For the next 24 hours repeat the success thought 7-9 times during the day.  You are on your way to changing your thoughts.
4. Repeat this practice for 21 days.  Yes, the average time to change a thought or a habit.  Warning:  it may take more than a few days before you repeat only the success thought.  The old distressing thought is a habit and you may repeat it before you check it and return to the success thought.  That is O.K. — just stay the course.

Change your thoughts, change your life.  May you have all the change and success you desire in the coming new year!

Have an amazing year!

Unlocking and unleashing your uniqueness isn’t hard.  Yet, it certainly can feel that way.  Why is that?  I believe that our talents come so naturally to us that we fail to recognize them as unique, and, as such, we don’t focus on that uniqueness.

The systems in our schools and workplaces are not designed to encourage us to look for and leverage those things that make us unique.  Instead, the focus falls on our weaknesses or other areas of improvement.  When encouraged to only seek out and improve your weaknesses, you shift your focus and it is easy to overlook your strengths.

Life is very busy and our brains assist us by filtering all that information.  Research shows we create the filters in our brain through what we focus on.

You know the adage, “Seek and you will find,” right?  If you focus solely on your weaknesses, that is what you will see — all other information is filtered out.  It is hard to see what you are not looking for and you may very well overlook the “special sauce” that makes you unique and successful.

Here are three steps to help you unleash your uniqueness and accelerate your success:

1.  Identify your strengths, gifts and talents.  Begin by compiling a list.  Think about what you do well, what you like to do and what you are good at doing.  Next ask friends, co-workers, even your manager (or look back on old performance reviews) to define your strengths. Then take assessments like StrengthsFinder 2.0, MyNextMove, and 360Reach Personal Branding Survey.

2. Review your strengths list and for each item, ask yourself these questions:

• Does this make me compelling to the decision-makers in my life?
• Does this set me apart from others who do the work I do?
• Does this inspire me and why?
• How does this help me achieve my goals?

3.  Next, put a star by your top three strengths.  Create focus around those strengths.  Observe how these help you achieve your daily duties and bigger professional goals.  Select actions every day that highlight your strengths.  Keep a list of how your strengths help you achieve your goals, inspire you and enhance your performance.

In 30 days you will have unleashed your uniqueness!  I look forward to your sharing YOU with the world — post a comment below and share your unique strengths.

In January, I am hosting a 3-part workshop:  Identify, Leverage & Own Your Uniqueness.  The workshop is designed to help you quickly identify your strengths and see how others view those strengths, so that you can stand out in the eyes of hiring managers.

If this opportunity speaks to you, drop me an email.  I will send you the details and information on how to sign up for the workshop.

Have an amazing week!

Are you searching for a new holiday tradition?  Here is one worth serious consideration:

Join the movement #GivingTuesday . . . start a tradition . . . make a connection and share.

The holiday season has arrived.  Thanksgiving is already in our rear-view mirror and the retail frenzy has begun!  Searching for your next position during this busy season can certainly elevate your stress levels.  Even as you enjoyed a moment of quiet thankfulness last Thursday, you could feel your stress level increasing.  You began thinking about what came next — shopping, decking the halls, holiday networking events.  Or, you began to sense the New Year is almost here and you still don’t have the offer you want!

However, you can lower your stress level based on the decisions you make.

Choose to drop your stress level by helping others.  Yes, that’s right; lower your stress by sharing.

Today is the second #GivingTuesday.  What is it all about?  It is simple.

#GivingTuesday is about giving.  It’s about people making a choice to share what they have to help others.

You can learn more about this movement and follow updates @GivingTues on Twitter.  Also, here is a great post where you can read more about the movement.

You can make #GivingTuesday whatever you wish.  I am adding this tradition to my calendar and I invite you to join me.

Here are my Tuesday plans:

• 24 simple acts of kindness, shared within my community, to help others.  Simple choices that are easy to execute.
• Sharing a smile with everyone I see. Sharing a smile takes focus and all it will cost me is a few extra muscle movements during the day.
• At the end of the day, I will be sharing a brief presentation with Habitat for Humanity.  Why Habitat for Humanity?  Simple.  I believe having safe, affordable housing helps make a difference in the lives of others.

Will you join me on #GivingTuesday?  

No preparation is needed.  Just set the intention, focus and share.  You can simply share a smile, a tweet or a bit of your time.

I’d love to hear what you think about #GivingTuesday and, if you elect to join the movement, what you shared.

The holiday season is upon us.  It is a great time of year to connect with your network.

One powerful search tool that is often overlooked is the “gratitude letter.”  This is the perfect time of year to send it to your current network of friends, family and past colleagues.

Most people know between 200 – 250 people.  Many, if not all, of your contacts have helped you in the past and, if they were aware of your current situation, would be willing to help again.  Gratitude Letters create powerful, positive energy and, almost instantly, add 200 people to your search team.

So, what exactly is a “gratitude letter?”  It is an opportunity to reach out, say why you appreciate the person and to share your current activities.  It is NOT a letter begging for a job.  Its purpose is to connect, update and appreciate.

Here is how to get started:

• Make a list of your contacts or print one out from Outlook or your CRM system.
• Next to each name write down one thing you appreciate about that person.
• Then verify you have a current mailing address for each contact.

Now you are ready to draft a simple one page letter.  Include your gratitude, a specific business accomplishment from the last year and what you are doing now.  You might say something like, “I am currently looking for my next opportunity as the Director of Marketing in the metro area specifically with ABC, Inc. or ZXX, Inc.  If you know anyone I should speak with at either organization, please let me know.”

If the contact is someone you would like to meet face-to-face, include a P.S. with a suggestion to meet for coffee or lunch.  For example, “If you want to grab lunch, my treat, either November 30 or December 3 at the Brown Deli, I’d love to catch up and find out what is new with you.”  You can also share in a P.S. that you have a bit of extra time and if there is a business project you could help with to let you know.  Make sure to add your mobile number below the P.S.

Print the letters on your personalized letterhead.  Stuff the envelopes, add a stamp and drop them in the mail.    Remember, the purpose is to show your appreciation and to update your network.

Don’t forget to include family and friends on your list.  The people closest to you may know all about your job search and be your biggest supporters.  As career transitions can be stressful, they are often the people who most need to know you appreciate their support.

Be bold.  If you are coming from a place of honest appreciation your network will be delighted that you took time to contact them in a personal manner.  Few people take time to be appreciative and less take to write a letter.  Connecting regularly with your network is very powerful.

Post a comment and share your favorite tip for sharing appreciation.

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 9

It is week 9 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

The final assignment!

Action #9:  Keep Growing

People need to grow in order to be relevant, current and fulfilled.  Make it your lifelong goal to continue to learn complex skills, teach yourself new things, meet new people and visit new places.

You don’t need to be a master at every endeavor.  Mastery of a skill requires about 10,000 hours, while learning a new skill only requires about 20 hours of learning and practicing.

By committing to one hour a day, you can become proficient in a month!  If you love it, go on to the mastery level or choose to become proficient at another new skill.  In a year, you could learn and be proficient at 12 or more new skills.

An amazing life is created through new experiences and daily effort.  Keep growing.

Take action. Post a note, share your thoughts and how you implemented the action of the week and your results.

What of the nine actions you took on this fall helped you the most?

What was your favorite?   Share your best results.

Congratulations for completing the challenge!

What is a challenge without a prize?  After you post your best results, go enter the challenge raffle.

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 8

It is week 8 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

Only two weeks remaining in the challenge!  Remember you can revisit Actions 1-7 by scrolling through the previous posts on the Accelerate Your Search blog.  For now, we are on to action #8.

Action #8:  Stop Kicking Dead Horses

Following up and being persistent is critical in business and life, but you also need to know when to stop and change paths.  Life is a cycle — birth, growth, death.  All things (including jobs and interests) begin, continue and end.  Whether it is your interest or the interest of another that has ended, release it.

In a job search, and in life, there are things without answers.  Phone calls or emails may go unanswered.  You may never know why you were released from a job or why an offer was not extended.  I know you want to know.  Ask yourself this, “What value do I gain by knowing?”  Will knowing change the outcome?  There is a point in time where you are best served by abandoning the desire to know.

It is a fact that things changes, times change, people change and evolve.  Passions die and that is OK.  Instead of getting caught up in the past, ask yourself what you want to pursue NOW.  As one thing dies, another is born.  Move on and walk a new path.

Take action. Post a note, share your thoughts and how you implemented the action of the week and your results.