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You are here: Home / Archives for topics / Your career
YOUR CAREER

How job hunting changed: You have leverage you never had before

June 29, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry Question: I left a senior position in a large practice when the pandemic and four children at home forced me out of the workforce. At first, my now ex-husband and I thought I’d take a month off, get the kids settled and return to on-site work. But COVID-19 dragged on, and I couldn’t see leaving the kids at home to fend for themselves while I returned to 10-hour workdays. Then, my personal life turned upside down. Now, I need to return to work. I dread it. I want a job, but no longer want to be a superwoman who can handle a high-profile, high-stress career and still parent. I need “normal.” Forty, maybe 45 hours a week is all I’m willing to give, maybe more if an… . . . read more.

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MANAGING STAFF

Recession: Get ready for new employer-employee reality

June 24, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry The talent war seemed like it would last forever. Employers desperate to fill vacancies but unable to find solid job candidates; applicants receiving multiple job offers; employees expecting more from their employers and using their newfound leverage. Both employees and employers gained as a result. Employers developed compelling value propositions to attract new employees and gained clarity concerning their mission and what they needed and expected from employees. Employers took a fresh look at their pay, benefits packages, and training options. After they recovered from sticker shock, they reaped benefits in the form of engaged, high-performing employees. Employees landed jobs with employers that provided them tangible and intangible benefits in the form of competitive wages, enhanced benefits packages, work/life balancing flexibility and career-enhancing professional development. But things didn’t work… . . . read more.

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YOUR CAREER

Use all four stages of effective communication

June 17, 2022 by

By Doug Thorpe Managers face a constant struggle to improve communication within their work teams. Besides being able to accurately articulate any technical aspects about the work (every industry has its key phrases, terms, and buzz words), business leaders have to be ever-mindful of some very basic principles of effective communication. We usually think about communication as a two part/two person transaction. You speak, I speak, we hear and we act. This is the way most adults perceive the process of communication. When we need to talk to our teams, we usually just think about crafting a message as though it is being addressed to one person. I submit to you that there are really four stages of communication. Being an effective communicator requires a laser focus to ensure the parts… . . . read more.

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YOUR CAREER

How to stay afloat when the office pessimist tries to drag you under

May 29, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry Pessimists come at you with negative words such as “you’re wasting your time” or “that will never work.”  If you’re not careful, this onslaught can snuff out your enthusiasm, leading you to give up on ideas, adventures or opportunities that might power your career or work life forward. Here’s how to avoid letting a pessimist’s negativity drain your optimism. Plug the drain Negativity can be contagious. If you work with a pessimist, remember that they don’t see the whole picture, but instead focus on what’s wrong and anticipate the worst. As Oscar Wilde once said, a pessimist complains about the noise when opportunities knock. If you work alongside a relentless pessimist, don’t tie yourself in knots trying to persuade him things are better than he thinks, just… . . . read more.

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STAFF MEETINGS

Zoom hiders: Camera shy or disengaged?

May 19, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry Question: For our mandatory manager meetings, I show up on time so my attendance is noted, and then get through the meetings by multi-tasking. It’s easy enough to hear what’s said as I get other work done. I cover this up by always making a positive comment on at least one of the manager’s proposals. I leave my video off, though, and when the manager chastised me, I compromised by turning it on at the beginning, saying “hi” to everyone, and turning it on anything important is happening, and when I’m speaking. I thought this was a reasonable compromise, so imagine my shock when my manager said my leaving the camera off was a key reason I wasn’t one of the three managers being sent to a… . . . read more.

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YOUR CAREER

Changed jobs: What have I done?

May 12, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry You expect to feel angry when fired from a job you enjoy. You expect to feel scared when laid off from a job at which you felt secure. You don’t expect to feel rotten one week after you intentionally make a career move from a job you’ve outgrown to one that promises to be challenging and rewarding. So why are you so rattled during your first week on this new job? Sudden job change takes you from a job and practice in which you know who’s who and what’s what and throws you into situations you need to navigate without a clear road map. Before you have the chance to learn your new employer’s unwritten rules, including whom to trust and who might take things the wrong… . . . read more.

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MANAGING STAFF

Negative staff: Is the problem you?

May 11, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry The manager called me, completely frustrated with his team. He told me his employees were negative, blamed each other for problems, didn’t communicate with him or take accountability and didn’t buy in to important initiatives. He asked me to talk with his key employees and tell me how to fix them. When I met with him afterwards, I asked, “How honest do you want me to be?” His eyes widened in alarm and he said, “Honest, I guess.” “The main problem on your team isn’t your employees. It’s you.” Here’s what I told him. If you’re the team’s leader, it’s on you As the leader, you set the tone. If as a leader, you focus on “who was responsible for what went wrong?” with pointed “why did… . . . read more.

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YOUR CAREER

Healthcare job boom seen by 2030

May 6, 2022 by

The most lucrative job of 2030 will be registered nursing, with a projected job growth of 15 percent in the next decade. Writing for Allwork, Daniel Lehewych says success in the future of work will be determined by how much workers are willing to expand their skill set. Software development will be the most lucrative STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) job by 2030. He reported 62% of Americans are considering changing their job in 2022. And at least 36% are making such considerations for the sake of earning more money. The healthcare industry will see the biggest boom in lucrative jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be devastating to healthcare systems. As a result, healthcare providers are tired, and many are even quitting jobs they’ve had for decades to escape the overwhelming… . . . read more.

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HARASSMENT

Stopping a bully senior manager without losing your job

April 13, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry Question: I face a situation that has no easy answer and no good solution. As the newly hired human resources director, I supposedly enforce our organization’s code of conduct and oversee the human resource issues. I report to the report to the chief operating officer, a bully who runs roughshod over any employee unlucky enough to cross his path. If I keep my mouth shut, I turn a blind eye to what he’s doing, but he’s my boss and according to the five senior partners above him a “leader who gets results.” I read your book on bullies and you seemed to think bullies can change their ways. Can they, even when they’re on top of the organization pyramid? Answer: Bullies can change—though often they won’t. Bullies… . . . read more.

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PRODUCTIVITY

5 ways to say goodbye to the procrastination blues

April 13, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry The report’s good, but not good enough. You should have worked on it a week ago, but you put it off. Friday afternoon, you panicked. You killed a perfectly good weekend to get everything finished by the Monday morning due date. If you want to break the “put it off until nearly too late” habit, try these five strategies. 1. Decide you’ll start projects when you need to start them — even if you don’t “feel ready” Procrastinators hesitate to begin projects until they “feel ready.” Unfortunately, you may not feel ready until long after you should have started. The antidote? When you commit to a project, assign a “D” (no more delay) date. When that date arrives, start the project, even if your only action is… . . . read more.

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