Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom How 21st Century Leaders Develop Their Teams

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom How 21st Century Leaders Develop Their Teams Business owners who wish to increase their growth trajectory should be mindful of succession issues and make solid plans to ensure that the next generation of leaders is ready to take over. Manager training is a critical part of the mix, but should your business engage in formal or informal training, and what type of mentorship should you encourage? I spoke with three business owners about their strategies for getting their organizations leaders up to speed: Josh Harcus, co-founder and chairman at sales agency Hüifyin Wilmington, South Carolina; Joey Kercher, founder and CEO of Air Fresh Marketingin Denver; and Nina Ojeda, founder and CEO of beauty aggregator PRÊTEin Los Angeles. Whats your definition of a leader in your organization? Is leader synonymous with manager? Josh Harcus: A leader is an individual who has a lasting impact on those around them. A good leader will have a positive impact, and a bad leader will have a negative one. Being a manager does not necessarily imply the qualities of leadership. The title of manager gives one the opportunity to lead, but a good manager must make the choice to sacrifice for those underneath them. Joey Kercher: A leader in my organization is someone who takes initiative to make our company better and doesnt rely on others for motivation. For me, the definition of leader is not synonymous with manager, though they are intertwined in many ways. Managers focus primarily on tasks, time and keeping projects on track. Although a leader has to have managerial abilities, leaders also need to focus on interpersonal relationships. Leaders often have to act as the face of the company as well. Nina Ojeda: Leadership doesnt come with a title, its a choice. A leader is someone who always puts their team first, company second and themselves last. Leaders can be managers, but not all managers are leaders. How do you develop leaders or engage in manager training? Is your approach more formal or informal, classroom-based or experiential? Kercher: We develop rising leaders by first hiring the best people. We look for those who have expertise and intelligence as well as the capacity for growth. My company is small, so we do not have a formal method for manager training. Currently, we operate as a flat organization, in which each team member has the flexibility to make their own decisions. Failing is okay as long as we can track our mistakes and learn from them. Harcus: My colleague David is a terrific example of my companys approach to leadership development. Since Davids team focuses primarily on sales development, David wanted each of his team members to grow in their abilities to build rapport and think on their feet. So he had everybody do open mic, stand-up comedy at an improvisation club in San Francisco. It was awesome to see each team member thrive under the pressure of trying something terrifying, and conquering it. Along with stand-up, David has conducted many formal manager training sessions that are essential to his teams development. For the rest of the interview, head over to the AMEX Open Forum.

Professional Resume Writing Services In Zapata County

Professional Resume Writing Services In Zapata CountyAre you thinking about submitting your resume to Zapata County, Texas job fairs and other professional resume writing services? A professional resume will go a long way in boosting your employment chances in this low-wage job market. But if you've already submitted your resume and then learned you've been rejected, you may have trouble finding work in Zapata County. Here are some tips for keeping your resume from being thrown away:o A well-written resume is far more convincing than one without any information about the position you're applying for. That's why it's important to thoroughly research the employer's objectives, mission, and vision before even beginning to write your resume. You should also make sure that the employer offers an extensive range of opportunities and can make that information a part of your resume.o Keep in mind that the professional resume writing services you choose are helping you to write your cover let ter, not writing the application. It's not their job to construct the entire job application, nor is it their role to actually apply for the job. So don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed by all the detailed information they provide. Make sure you fully understand how to present your best qualifications.o Always ask questions in advance of submitting your resume. You should never expect a service to 'read' your resume before sending it to the employer. They will know if you don't fit what they're looking for and probably won't be very interested in giving you a job.o Before beginning to write your resume, write a detailed job description of the opening you are applying for. When you submit your resume, it will be the only copy of the job description you will ever receive. It is essential that you make the employer understand precisely what the job involves and that you can do the job competently.o Always have plenty of copies of your resume. If you send the same resume to each emplo yer, you will lose out on a great opportunity to meet and interview with employers that are interested in hiring you. It's also crucial that you consider what your other assets might be that would help your case.o If you've done your homework and made sure the company offering professional resume writing services in Zapata County is offering a range of opportunities, ensure you list it on your resume as well. The company knows your strengths and weaknesses and can tailor your resume to fit your job openings.If you follow these tips, you should be able to get through your resume writing with flying colors. If you need a professional resume writing service to help you, be sure to put in the time to do your research and make sure you get a quality company to help you with your resume.

Events in March your chance to meet people and find out more University of Manchester Careers Blog

Events in March your chance to meet people and find out more University of Manchester Careers Blog The sun shining through the office window has made me think about Spring and some of the great events we have coming up before Easter. I know its only a few weeks until the Easter vacation starts, but there are lots of opportunities for you to find out more about different sectors and job roles at some of the events lined up. The events are a great way to speak to people and ask them questions which you might not find the answers to in brochures and on websites.   Representatives from different organisations will be coming to events and will be able to talk to you about the type of work they do, how they got into their role and much more.   As most of the events are information events rather than recruitment fairs, they are a great way to find out what it is really like to work in a specific job. The people there wont necessarily be recruiters so they might not be able to answer questions about how many people theyre recruiting, but they will give you an honest insight into their work and their route into the sector they work in. The events we have coming up are all listed in CareersLink so you can login at www.manchester.ac.uk/careerslink and youll be able to find out more about them and register to attend. Make sure to register in advance if you can, so that we can email a reminder and update you if there are changes to the event.   In the next few weeks, make sure not to miss: Getting into International Development, Wednesday 6 March 1.30-5pm: This is an annual event we run with great speakers from organisations working in the international development sector including Mines Advisory Group and British Red Cross. Theres a keynote address from someone working at the Department for International Development (DfID) and a chance to network with professionals to hear about their experiences. Register now to secure your place. Careers in the Environmental Sector, Wednesday 13 March 1-5pm: This is your chance to meet representatives from a number of organisations working in the environmental sector from public, private and voluntary organisations who are working in a wide range of roles including energy management, law, compliance and community work to name a few! Youll have the chance to network and ask questions to them about routes into the sector, what work experience is important, what you can do while at university to help you stand out and much more.   Full details and registration is on CareersLink. Media Club: Writing for Film and TV, Monday 11 March 5.15-6.30pm: A great chance to hear from a Manchester graduate about their career writing for film and TV and also to discuss ways to get into this type of work. You need to register as the room has limited space. Insight into Broadcasting and Journalism, Monday 25 March 9am-5pm: This one day course is a chance to gain some hands on experience in broadcasting or journalism. Youll work on a full day case study as part of a group in either TV, radio or print/online specialisms alongside guest tutors who are media professionals. Theres a charge for taking part but its just to cover the cost of fees, materials, lunch and refreshments. You need to complete an application form and bring it to Careers along with your payment. Full details and the applciation form are on the Media Club webpage. As well as these more information or practical advice sessions, weve got a number of employer events in the next few weeks which may be of interest. These are either presentations or skills sessions where you can find out more about a specific employer and the recruitment process at their organisation.   Youll need to register in CareersLink to attend these too: Sopra Group Graduate Info Session, Thursday 28 February 6-7pm: Sopra are a leading European consulting and IT services organisation. The event at University Place is a chance to find out about the range of work they carry out and how to apply to work for them. Its tonight so not technically March and it may be a little short-notice apologies for that! Teach First Ignite! STEM Workshop, Monday 4 March 12-2pm: Your chance to find out more about Teach First and their Leadership Development Programme. Its specifically for students with Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths (STEM) degree or A-levels. You need to sign up via Teach First and the contact details are on the event advert in CareersLink. Sales Careers Skills Sessions led by Clear Path Company, Wednesday 6 March 12-2pm: A chance to find out what a career in sales involves and to dispel some of the myths. Students from any discipline or year are encouraged to attend to find out if sales is for you.  Mock Assessment Centre skills session led by CIMA, Thursday 14 March 12-2pm : This session will be run by representatives from CIMA and will give you an understanding of what to expect at an assessment centre. It will include some activities used at assessment centres so you can have some practice before the real thing. Theres loads more events on CareersLink so you can login to view the calendar or search by keyword/name if youre looking for something specific. Hope youll find the events useful as they can be a great way to find out more from people in the role or sector youre interested rather than just having to read information on a website! 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Personal Brand and Word of Mouth, Part 5 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Brand and Word of Mouth, Part 5 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career This is part five of a five part series of the importance of personal branding in garnering positive word of mouth. In our hyper-connected society, word of mouth has become “world of mouth” and recommendations truly craft your online and offline persona and value.   It makes all the difference between positive or negative word of mouth about you, your service, or your business. We’ve been going through a process to extract, express and exude your personal brand.   We’ve been doing this all with the focus on engaging that brand with others in a way that moves, touches and inspires others to action and speak positively on your behalf.   If you’ve missed any part, be sure to go back over each respective part so that you’ll be sure to have a strong personal brand foundation to engage others with. Personal Brand and Word of Mouth, Part 1; Part 2; Part 3 and Part 4. Remember, it’s your responsibility to do the heavy lifting of extracting, expressing and exuding your brand for positive word of mouth engagement. The Looking Zone Whether you’re connecting for work or for your own business, there are people who are beneficial for you to connect with.   I always recommend that you deepen your connection with those who already know you â€" those who you already have some degree of “know, like and trust”.   Further, spend some time really understanding who you would like to connect with that would be an asset in your goals. For example, identify who would be a great connection for you.   Who would make a decision or be involved in a major project, position or department you’re interested in. Or, who would take you further connecting with leaders in your industry? Most important is finding people prior to the time that they’re in the “looking zone”.   This applies to employees and entrepreneurs alike.   For entrepreneurs, what does your ideal customer “look like” before they’re in the looking zone?   If you’re a realtor, before someone has an interest in selling their home, what do they look like?   Maybe they just found out they were pregnant and are now thinking their current place is too small; maybe their child just graduated and are off to college and now their home is too big; or maybe they just were divorced and realizing they want to start fresh or find a new place.     It’s important to connect with people prior to them looking.   When people are connected with when they are in need of something, they are leery of the intention for the connection.   They wonder, is it genuine?   That’s why the connection, the relationship, must develop prior to the need thus you are seeking to develop your connections prior to the lo oking zone. To maximize this connection, when your connections are in the “looking zone” â€" where is it they spend time with others just like them?   For example, in keeping with our realtor situation and targeting someone who is going to have a baby and wants to sell their current home, let’s say before they’re in the “looking zone” they might look like parents with younger kids already, or they might have been married a couple of years and are thinking of starting a family.   So, where do they hang out with a great number of others like them?   It could be at a doctor’s office, Lamaze class, elementary school or day care or even a Kindermusick class.   Now, it’s time to think who serves them that doesn’t compete with you?   That might be a SMART connection. Who do you need to know The best contacts for you fall into one of three categories:   Your INFORMATION network, your REFERRAL/RECOMMENDATION network and your personal brand ADVOCATE network. And, there’s a definite strategic plan that needs to be created to fill each network. Your information network consists of people who can keep you up to date in the latest of you industry or community.   This can include association leaders, auditors, authors, policy makers and speakers. Your referral/recommendation network consists of people who can connect you with your best clients or best contacts.   Again, you’re looking for those people who can connect you with large numbers and those who connect with large numbers of your potential client or contacts.   Who have you referred? Who has recommended you? Lastly, your personal brand ADVOCATE network are those people who have already spoken positively on your behalf.   Do you know who they are and have their up-to-date contact information? Connection strategy It’s important to know this so you can make the most of your connection time. For example,   if you’re attending an industry conference then instead of just connecting with people you attended a workshop with over drinks.   If you identify, you need to know an author in your industry who can keep you on the cutting edge of the newest industry information, then you’ll have a focused plan on how to connect with authors at the industry event.   Better to connect over dinner?   Best to meet them immediately after the meeting?   If you’re at a networking event, and someone is there who has recommended you and it’s been forever since you’ve spoken with them, then your strategy for the event needs to include   making contact with this person and to keep nurturing the relationship. Now, anytime you have functions or conferences you’ll have a definitive plan. There are 18 total people that you need in your Social Capital I.R.A. Do the work on uncovering and developing your personal brand.   Identify who you know and who you need to know.   Make and carry out a strategic plan and you will garner positive word of mouth. Author: Maria Elena Duron is chief buzz officer, coach and speaker with buzz2bucks.com. Buzz2Bucks | a word of mouth firm serves as the community manager around your personal or business brand online and offline, and coaches community managers on how to be buzz-worthy. Buzz2Bucks is known for the talk that yields profits. She is author of the book “Mouth to Mouth Marketing” and the ebook “Social I.R.A.” She’s been quoted as a marketing and word of mouth expert by Entrepreneur Magazine and contributes to several publications and is the creator of #brandchat, a weekly twitter conversation about all aspects of branding. She broadcasts weekly as the business coach with CBS7. Duron will speak at the 2009 Massachusetts Conference for Women. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 This is part five of a five part series of the importance of personal branding in garnering positive word of mouth. In our hyper-connected society, word of mouth has become “world of mouth” and recommendations truly craft your online and offline persona and value.   It makes all the difference between positive or negative word of mouth about you, your service, or your business. We’ve been going through a process to extract, express and exude your personal brand.   We’ve been doing this all with the focus on engaging that brand with others in a way that moves, touches and inspires others to action and speak positively on your behalf.   If you’ve missed any part, be sure to go back over each respective part so that you’ll be sure to have a strong personal brand foundation to engage others with. Personal Brand and Word of Mouth, Part 1; Part 2; Part 3 and Part 4. Remember, it’s your responsibility to do the heavy lifting of extracting, expressing and exuding your brand for positive word of mouth engagement. The Looking Zone Whether you’re connecting for work or for your own business, there are people who are beneficial for you to connect with.   I always recommend that you deepen your connection with those who already know you â€" those who you already have some degree of “know, like and trust”.   Further, spend some time really understanding who you would like to connect with that would be an asset in your goals.   For example, identify who would be a great connection for you.   Who would make a decision or be involved in a major project, position or department you’re interested in. Or, who would take you further connecting with leaders in your industry? Most important is finding people prior to the time that they’re in the “looking zone”.   This applies to employees and entrepreneurs alike.   For entrepreneurs, what does your ideal customer “look like” before they’re in the looking zone?   If you’re a realtor, before someone has an interest in selling their home, what do they look like?   Maybe they just found out they were pregnant and are now thinking their current place is too small; maybe their child just graduated and are off to college and now their home is too small; or maybe they just were divorced and realizing they want to start fresh or find a new place.    It’s important to connect with people prior to them looking.   When people are connected with when they are in need of something, they are leery of the intention for the connection.   They wonder, is it genuine?   That’s why the connection, the relationship, must develop prior to the need thus you are seeking to develop your connections prior to the looking zone. To maximize this connection, when your connections are in the “looking zone” â€" where is it they spend time with others just like them?   For example, in keeping with our realtor situation and targeting someone who is going to have a baby and wants to sell their current home, let’s say before they’re in the “looking zone” they might look like parents with younger kids already, or they might have been married a couple of years and are thinking of starting a family.   So, where do they hang out with a great number of others like them?   It could be at a doctor’s office, Lamaze class, elementary school or day care or even a kindermusick class.   Now, it’s time to think who serves them that doesn’t compete with you?   That might be a SMART connection. Who do you need to know The best contacts for you fall into one of three categories:  Your INFORMATION network, your REFERRAL/RECOMMENDATION network and your personal brand ADVOCATE network.   And, there’s a definite strategic plan that needs to be created to fill each network. Your information network consists of people who can keep you up to date in the latest of you industry or community.   This can include association leaders, auditors, authors, policy makers and speakers. Your referral/recommendation network consists of people who can connect you with your best clients or best contacts.   Again, you’re looking for those people who can connect you with large numbers and those who connect with large numbers of your potential client or contacts.   Who have you referred? Who has recommended you. Lastly, your personal brand ADVOCATE network are those people who have already spoken positively on your behalf.   Do you know who they are and have their up-to-date contact information. Connection strategy It’s important to know this so you can make the most of your connection time. For example,   if you’re attending an industry conference then instead of just connecting with people you attended a workshop with over drinks.   If you identify, you need to know an author in your industry who can keep you on the cutting edge of the newest industry information, then you’ll have a focused plan on how to connect with authors at the industry event.   Better to connect over dinner?   Best to meet them immediately after the meeting?   If you’re at a networking event, and someone is there who has recommended you and it’s been forever since you’ve spoken with them, then your strategy for the event needs to include  making contact with this person and to keep nurturing the relationship. Now, anytime you have functions or conferences you’ll have a definitive plan. There are 18 total people that you need in your Social Capital I.R.A. Do the work on uncovering and developing your personal brand.   Identify who you know and who you need to know.   Make and carry out a strategic plan and you will garner positive word of mouth. Author: Maria Elena Duron is chief buzz officer, coach and speaker with buzz2bucks.com. Buzz2Bucks | a word of mouth firm serves as the community manager around your personal or business brand online and offline, and coaches community managers on how to be buzz-worthy. Buzz2Bucks is known for the talk that yields profits. She is author of the book “Mouth to Mouth Marketing” and the ebook “Social I.R.A.” She’s been quoted as a marketing and word of mouth expert by Entrepreneur Magazine and contributes to several publications and is the creator of #brandchat, a weekly twitter conversation about all aspects of branding. She broadcasts weekly as the business coach with CBS7. Duron will speak at the 2009 Massachusetts Conference for Women.

How a Professional Resume Writing Service Can Help

How a Professional Resume Writing Service Can HelpThe advantage of hiring a resume writing service is that they can come up with a strong resume that looks professional and professionally written. It is important to have a good resume because the professional with resume writing service will do all the hard work for you.Professional resume writers know how to construct a resume so that it stands out from the crowd and receives more attention. They know what keywords should be included in the resume, what experience, educational qualifications, and credentials will help to boost your chances of getting the job. You should also write your resume in a way that shows you have a genuine interest in the company and your chances of getting the job are improved.A strong resume gives the employer the impression that you are a professional who is in high demand. That is the essence of a professional resume writing service. All the information should be very well organized and nicely laid out. You should look at a sample resume to make sure you can use the template and make it look professional.The resume needs to show your career objective clearly. Your goal should be clear and should give the employer an idea about what you will be doing after the completion of your job. If your objective is very general then this will make your resume look amateurish. The best way to go about making a strong resume is to be as specific as possible in your career objective.When you use a professional resume writing service, they take your resume and put it through a professional writer who will style it and make it look professional. The services will use words and phrases that are professional in appearance. A resume that is presented to the employer without any professional finishing touches will not win the job. It will also not get you the job.The job of a professional resume writing service is to provide you with a professional resume that will impress your prospective employer and also land you the job. A resume that looks professional and is professionally written will land you the job over a less professional one. The resume will be noticed by anyone who sees it will get you noticed on the job. An efficient and professional resume will make your resume stand out from the rest and get you the job.Your resume should also reflect your interests. You need to show the employer that you are interested in the job and know your job description and what you will be doing once you get the job. Your personality will be shown when you tell the employer what you want to do and why you want to do it. This will show your enthusiasm and willingness to work hard and be part of the organization. A confident and enthusiastic person can get you hired quicker.To get the job of your dreams you need to use a professional resume writing service. Find out how you can benefit from their services. You may even want to consider hiring one to help you with other aspects of your job se arch.

Why A Great UX Is A Must For Product Startups

Why A Great UX Is A Must For Product Startups There is no underestimating how important the design of your company’s ‘product’ is â€" i.e. your website, mobile application, or software. This does not only relate to what it looks like, but also how long it takes to load and whether navigation is easy and effective. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula when it comes to getting the design right. However, there is a path that most designers seem to be going down, and that is user experience design â€" commonly abbreviated to UX design. Keeping that in mind, read on to discover why all product startups must invest in a great UX design… What is UX design? Before revealing the significance of UX design, it is first imperative to reveal what it actually is. It is a discipline that is centred on designing the end-to-end experience of a certain product. In essence, this design centres on addressing the needs of your users at every stage of your product life cycle. Business owners are too commonly telling their users what they want them to know, instead of considering what the user needs. When it comes to UX design, everything from receiving an email invoice to the usability of the home page is considered with the user in mind. Several years ago this style of design was considered a niche, but now it is a well and truly a necessity. Compete with big industry players There are many reasons why UX design is so important. When it comes to start-ups, it gives you the chance to compete with the bigger players in the industry. Good design and user experience is not something that can be duplicated easily. Therefore, if you manage to achieve this, you can really set yourself apart from the competition â€" including the mature products in your industry. Using the ASK method is a good way to go about this. This is all about finding out what your audience, i.e. potential customers, really want. By getting to the bottom of this and delivering a user experience that caters to this, you have the winning formula. Break down the trust barrier Moreover, one area where startups also face obstacles is in relation to trust. After all, why should a consumer trust you when they don’t know anything about you and you have no track record? Design and UX helps to create the atmosphere of confidence you require. Quality website builders can help you to achieve this. You won’t be able to keep a loyal consumer base without it. Whilst a consumer may purchase a product based on its features, this will not keep them interested in the long-run. They will only keep coming back if the experience is a good one. Further benefits associated with effective UX design It is evident that users are at the heart of UX design, and therefore to gain the advantages that have just been mentioned, it becomes imperative for you to get to know your clients if you are going to integrate this approach effectively. You need to be able to spot the problem of your future users. You need to define it and determine the issues it causes, and most importantly, you must eliminate it. This is the recipe for successful UX design. Yet, it means that you need to take a different approach to the one you are likely to have now. You need to actually talk to your clients and get to know them. If you fail to do this, you are merely guessing what your customers’ feel, and thus you fall back into the trap of providing them with what you think they need, rather than what they actually need. To conclude, the boom in UX design is no coincidence. If you want your product to stand tall against mature products in the industry, you need to embrace this approach. It will build trust and confidence in your brand, and ensure that you create a consumer base that keeps coming back for more. However, developing a design with good user experience is a lot easier said than done. It takes a lot of research and testing so you can determine your consumers’ pain points and address them in the most effective manner.

Executive Compensation Are You Being Paid Competitively

Executive Compensation Are You Being Paid Competitively The Association of Executive Search Consultants and  Blue Steps recently conducted a compensation survey of 778 of their executive members worldwide, including 53 percent from  the Americas, 35 percent from EMEA and 12 percent from Asia Pacific. Some of the interesting findings include:26.5 percent of director-level and above executives report earning an annual base salary between $151K and $200K USD.2.4 percent reported earning an annual base salary above $500K USD.44 percent reported an increase in total compensation over the last fiscal year, while 40.1 percent saw no change in their total compensation.16 percent reported a decrease in total compensation in the last fiscal year.41.8 percent of those who received an increase reported an increase of 1 to 5 percent.26.6 percent of those who received an increase reported an increase of 6 to 10 percent.9.9 percent of those who received an increase reported an increase above 20 percent.While almost half of executives did experience an i ncrease in total compensation in the last fiscal year, many  executives reported concerns about salaries not fairly reflecting strong performance. One executive  reported, “Markets have changed since 2008 and compensation is being deliberately managed downwards.  Companies are moving towards leaner staffing, increasing the work load on executives without compensating  for it.”Check out the infographic below for some other interesting data from the survey.