The Executive Coach

Have you ever conducted a SWOT Analysis to help you set your corporate strategy?

The good news is a SWOT Analysis on yourself and your potential future employers/divisions/functions can be the key to career success and satisfaction.

Here is how it works. Reflect on your relevant and sustainable transferable skills or Strengths (S). This is your internal analysis; don’t worry about your Weaknesses. Next identify the five most likely employers/divisions/functions that you might work for in the future. Once this is done, conduct an external analysis of their Opportunities (O) and Threats (T). Finally, do a complete mapping of how your Strengths match up to their Opportunities and Threats. You might notice that I have left out your Weaknesses (W). Identify what they are, but do NOT work on them, find others who can perform what you are not good at with ease.

You can then determine whether you have sufficient strengths to make a difference in any of those first five options. If you see career potential, you will have insight into writing resumes or cover letters or having conversations and interviewing for some of your options.

Putting It Into Action:
By the end of the week, identify five different options for your career. Conduct primary and secondary research on each of the career options, focusing on their market opportunities and possible external threats. By the end of next month, have your strengths matched to each opportunity and threat. Determine which options you will pursue. Put together an Action Plan with milestones and target dates. These suggestions are applicable for both positions within and outside of your organization.

With you along the path towards success,
Joseph

The developed world’s wealth has tripled in the last five years, yet we are not happier. Why is this?

Daniel Pink’s latest book, A Whole New World, states that we are in a Significance Economy, where emotion, design, and ability to customize rule over function. Our standards of living have increased on all measures, yet we are not happier. We are not more fulfilled. We are liberated by our prosperity but not satisfied by it.

The implications for you and your career are huge. In the consumer marketplace, we are all in constant search for meaning and satisfaction and our demand for this is quite inelastic – we will invest our additional time and money for fulfillment, to make a difference. Products such as the Ipod, Mac Computer and Toyota Prius come to mind. In the career marketplace, we are all looking for more meaning, more significance, and more opportunities to leave a legacy and make an impact through our work.

Putting It Into Action:
Look at your products and services. How can you give your customers the ability to customize the look and application of your products and services so that they can add significance to their lives?

Looking at your workplace, ask yourself and your staff which charities, projects and events would add meaning to their lives and make them more productive and satisfied at work. As a leader, look for ways for your team to obtain greater work life balance, greater congruence between personal and corporate values, and greater recognition for their contributions to society.

With you along the path towards success,
Joseph

Do you want to bullet-proof your career?

Think of the left "analytical" side of your brain as the hardware of your computer.

It is no surprise that IBM and other large companies equally focus on the margin-rich software applications and solutions side. This latter part resides in the right side of your brain.

The new required right side brain skills are:
1) Designer – literate in design or artwork and ability to inspire this in the organization
2) Storyteller – paints vivid pictures delivered with emotional impact
3) Symphony Leader – sees the big picture and knows how to combine the required elements for maximum performance
4) Empathetic Leader – feels, sees and encourages emotions and understands their importance in the workplace
5) Humanist – returns the workplace to playfulness, laughter and social time
6) Meaning Architect – builds meaning into what is done at work not just accumulation of wealth and bringing what you care about at home into the workplace so that goals can be congruent.

These six skills will bullet-proof your career because they cannot be outsourced. They add great value to the organization by helping them attract, retain and get the most from their human capital.

Putting It Into Action:
You will likely not be able to exceed in all six areas right now. Chose two or three that you are strongest in and put together a date-specific action plan to play this role in your organization. Encourage your entire team to follow. Tell other teams what you are doing to encourage them to add their own right side brain skill sets.

With you on the path to success,
Joseph

Have you heard the latest ‘killer’ interview question?

Have you ever been totally at a loss of words when someone asks you a difficult question during an interview or business meeting? C’mon admit it, it has happened to the best of us.

There are countless books and internet sources providing tips for interviews, tips for negotiations and tips for answering tough questions. This barrage of information has caused interviewers to be more creative with their questioning.

The latest one that I heard is, “Are you lucky?” Answer negatively and you will come across as the blaming type, not able to take responsibility for your actions. Answer positively and you signal that you are empathetic, have perspective, have high emotional intelligence and would work well in a team.

Putting It Into Action:
Practice your answer to “Are you lucky?” and record your answer on video. Research additional tough questions on websites like Vault.com and practice your answers. Strive to be positive, creative, empathetic and focused in your answers.

With you along the path towards success,
Joseph