Tag: Career

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God wants to refresh you

Are you facing challenges in your relationships? Finances? Career? Does your soul need refreshing today? You can come to the Father to find what you need. God wants to refresh you. He wants to give you rest and peace. Think about that for a moment. What would cause you to rest? If you knew everything was going to be okay and would work out for your good, you would stop worrying and rest! Even if things don’t work out the way you planned, or on your timetable, you can trust that God will turn things around in your favour. Hallelujah!

Today, come to the Father with gratitude and thanksgiving. Thank God right now for taking your burdens and giving you peace through faith. Thank Him for loving you today and giving you a new start despite a difficult past. Thank Him for His faithfulness and hope of an awesome future! Please go out today with an attitude of expectancy and confidence. Remember, God always has a plan, you’re not alone, you can always can come to Him!

“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]” (Matthew 11:28, AMP).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, I come to You now giving You my cares, heartaches and burdens. Father, I thank You for working on my behalf and keeping me sane through some tough times. God, I thank You for loving me and setting me free in my mind. Thank You for giving me rest for my soul and peace in my heart today, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
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You Can Come To The Father

What Would Jesus Do? Do You Really Want to Know?

Are you facing challenges in your relationships? Finances? Career? Does your soul need refreshing today? You can come to the Father to find what you need. God wants to refresh you. He wants to give you rest and peace. Think about that for a moment. What would cause you to rest? If you knew everything was going to be okay and would work out for your good, you would stop worrying and rest! Even if things don’t work out the way you planned, or on your timetable, you can trust that God will turn things around in your favour. Hallelujah! 

Today, come to the Father with gratitude and thanksgiving. Thank God right now for taking your burdens and giving you peace through faith. Thank Him for loving you today and giving you a new start despite a difficult past. Thank Him for His faithfulness and hope of an awesome future! Please go out today with an attitude of expectancy and confidence. Remember, God always has a plan, you’re not alone, you can always can come to Him! 

“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]” (Matthew 11:28, AMP) 

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, I come to You now giving You my cares, heartaches and burdens. Father, I thank You for working on my behalf and keeping me sane through some tough times. God, I thank You for loving me and setting me free in my mind. Thank You for giving me rest for my soul and peace in my heart today, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

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Life Changing Moments

Before the foundations of the world, God laid out an exact plan for your life. In this plan, He has placed life-changing moments in your life. These moments are not ordinary, they can even be moments of pain, they are destiny-altering moments. They are designed to thrust you years ahead into your God-given success. 

In the book of Ecclesiastes, it says, that “time and chance come together for every person.” That means you’ll have opportunities to meet the right people, opportunities to advance in your career, and opportunities to fulfil your dreams.  

Today and in your future, God has already arranged times of increase, blessing, and success. You may not see a lot of good breaks right now, but be encouraged because there are seasons of favor and increase marked for your life! 

“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV) 

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, thank You for ordering my life. I look forward to increase and a brighter future. Father, thank You for making a way when there seems to be no way. God, I will step out today in faith and expectancy, knowing that You have placed special life-changing moments in my future for my good, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

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Accelerated Blessings

One thing we must never forget, our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond all we could ever imagine! In this new year God wants to take you far and beyond what you’ve ever dreamed. He wants to accelerate you this year, which means He can bring you into opportunities that will make you say wow!  

Scripture tells us God wants to bless you abundantly. He can make your career take off like a rocket. He can cause you to meet the right person who will be the person of your dreams. He can launch you forward more quickly than you could have imagined! He can bring you out of debt and cause you to pay that house off even though it looks impossible. He can make you well even though the medical report says there’s no way. Hallelujah! 

Today, things may be dark and gloomy around you, but keep your head up. Remember you are a child of the Most High God. His face is shining on you, it’s not going to be an average year. It’s not going to be a barely-get-by year. No, you need to get ready because it’s going to be a year of more than enough, a year of increase, a year of acceleration! 

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.” (Ephesians 3:20—21, NASB) 

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, I anticipate my abundance today and throughout this year. Father, thank You for the promise that You will accelerate my blessings so this won’t be an average year. God, I choose to put my trust in You, knowing that You are directing my steps. Thanks for the more than enough, above average plans You have in store for me in 2021, in Jesus’ Name! Amen. 

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God Make Me A Sower

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?" (Matthew 5:13)

In the book of Genesis, God set up a system of seedtime and harvest. Everything God does starts with a seed. The Bible also tells us that He gives seed to the sower. In other words, if you are a person who has a desire to bless others and sow seed, God will make sure you have plenty to give.  

Notice in today’s verse what happens when we generously sow seed, we increase more! Just like planting a seed in the natural brings a natural abundant harvest, planting a spiritual seed brings a spiritual abundance. You can’t outgive God! The Scripture says that He will pour out blessings on you that you can barely contain. God’s blessing goes way beyond the financial realm. He wants you to have blessed relationships, good health and a happy career.  

Today, why don’t you take a step of faith and look for ways to start sowing? What do you have in your hand? Can you start by giving a smile and sowing joy? Do you have five pounds to help someone who is homeless buy some food? Choose to be a blessing and watch how God brings increase in every area of your life. 

“There are those who [generously] scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it results only in want.” (Proverbs 11:24, AMP) 

Let’s Pray Yahweh, today I want to be a sower. Father, help me to see the people around me the way You see them, so that I can bless them the way You want to bless them. God, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life as I do my best to be obedient to Your Word, in Christ’s Name! Amen. 

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It’s Ok To Be A Christian And Go Through Tough Times

Keeping Faith in God During Hard Times

It is often in the very toughest of times and trials that God brings us to a crisis of faith, and it’s through that experience that we begin to pray. I’ve heard it said that, “when you’re swept off your feet, get on your knees.” Whatever broken conditions you are facing today – in your marriage, your home, your family, through a child that’s wandered away, or the collapse of a career?

]How many times through our pain do we discover our purpose? How many times through our pain do we discover power?

“It is so often pain that drives us to dependence upon God.”

Corinthians 12:9 reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient and that His power is made perfect through our weaknesses. With God all of your cares will be cared for. All that is His will be yours. Through prayer you can experience the delightful nearness of God and lean into His warm embrace.

Today, kneel before God in prayer until He communicates with your spirit. Surrender your weaknesses to Him and exchange them for supernatural strength. Pray this day for the power of Jesus Christ in your life to deliver you and the ones you love from temptation.

Trust in Him at all times, pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalms 62:8 NKJV 

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
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The No. 1 Career Mistake Capable People Make

Republished with permission from  Greg McKeown, New York Times Bestselling Author.

I recently reviewed a resume for a colleague who was trying to define a clearer career strategy. She has terrific experience. And yet, as I looked through it I could see the problem she was concerned about: she had done so many good things in so many different fields it was hard to know what was distinctive about her.

As we talked it became clear the resume was only the symptom of a deeper issue. In an attempt to be useful and adaptable she has said yes to too many good projects and opportunities. She has ended up feeling overworked  and  underutilized. It is easy to see how people end up in her situation:

Step 1:  Capable people are driven to achieve.

Step 2:  Other people see they are capable and give them assignments.

Step 3:  Capable people gain a reputation as “go to” people. They become “good old [insert name] who is always there when you need him.” There is  lots  right with this, unless or until…

Step 4:  Capable people  end up doing lots of projects well but are distracted from what would otherwise be their  highest point of contribution  which I define as the intersection of talent, passion and market  (see more on this in the  Harvard Business Review  article  The Disciplined Pursuit of Less). Then, both the company and the employee lose out.

When this happens, some of the responsibility lies with out-of-touch managers who are too busy or distracted to notice the very best use of their people. But some of the responsibility lies with us. Perhaps we need to be more deliberate and discerning in navigating our own careers.

In the conversation above, we spent some time to identify my colleague’s  Highest Point of Contribution  and develop a plan of action for a more focused career strategy.

We followed a simple process similar to one I write about here:  If You Don’t Design Your Career, Someone Else Will. My friend is not alone. Indeed, in coaching and teaching managers and executives around the world it strikes me that failure to be conscientious about this represents the #1 mistake, in frequency, I see capable people make in their careers.

Using a camping metaphor, capable people often add additional poles of the same height to their career tent. We end up with 10, 20 or 30 poles of the same height, somehow hoping the tent will go higher. I don’t just mean higher on the career ladder either. I mean higher in terms of our ability to contribute.

The slightly painful truth is, at any one time there is only one piece of real estate we can “own” in another person’s mind. People can’t think of us as a project manager, professor, attorney, insurance agent, editor and entrepreneur all at exactly the same time. They may all be true about us but people can only think of us as one thing  first. At any one time there is only one phrase that can follow our name. Might we be better served by asking, at least occasionally, whether the various projects we have add up to a longer pole?

I saw this illustrated some time ago in one of the more distinctive resumes I have seen. It belonged to a Stanford Law School Professor [there it is: the single phrase that follows his name, the longest pole in his career tent]. His resume was clean and concise. For each entry there was one impressive title/role/school and a succinct description of what he had achieved. Each sentence seemed to say more than ten typical bullet points in many resumes I have seen. When he was at university he had been the student body president, under “teaching” he was teacher of the year and so on.

Being able to do many things is important in  many  jobs today. Broad understanding also is a  must. But developing greater discernment about what is distinctive about us can be a great advantage. Instead of simply doing more things we need to find, at every phase in our careers, our  highest point of contribution.

I look forward to your thoughts below and  @gregorymckeown.

Greg McKeown is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.” He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review.

He is an accomplished public speaker. He regularly speaks to business communities, giving dozens of speeches per year. He has spoken at companies including Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Pixar, Salesforce.com, and Twitter and organizations including SXSW, Stanford University and the World Economic Forum. He speaks about innovation, focus, leadership, discipline, simplicity, execution and of course the power living and leading as an Essentialist.

Greg has recently taken the best insights from his book “Essentialism” and combined the best exercises from his popular course, “Designing Life, Essentially” at Stanford University into a life-changing, one-day workshop.

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6 Toxic Behaviors That Push People Away: How To Recognize Them In Yourself and Change Them

Sin - exceedingly sinful

In my line of work, I hear from hundreds of people a month, and connect with professionals in a more public, open way than ever before. Through this experience, I’ve seen scores of toxic behaviors that push people away (including me). And I’ve witnessed the damage these behaviors cause – to relationships, professional success, and to the well-being of both the individual behaving negatively, and to everyone around him or her.

Let’s be real – we’ve all acted in toxic, damaging ways at one time or another (none of us are immune to it), but many people are more evolved, balanced, and aware, and it happens only rarely in their lives.

Whether your toxic behavior is a common occurrence, or once in a blue moon, it’s critical for your happiness and success that you are able to recognize when you’re behaving badly, and shift it when it emerges.

The 6 most toxic behaviors I see every day are:

Taking everything personally

In the powerful little book  The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz talks about the importance of taking nothing personally. I teach this in my  coaching programs  and my book  Breakdown, Breakthrough  as well, and there is so much pushback. “Really, Kathy – don’t take  anything  personally?”

People are toxic to be around when they believe that everything that happens in life is a direct assault on them or is in some way all about them. The reality is that what people say and do to you is much more about them, than you. People’s reactions to you are about their filters, and their perspectives, wounds and experiences. Whether people think you’re amazing, or believe you’re the worst, again, it’s more about them. I’m not saying we should be narcissists and ignore all feedback. I am saying that so much hurt, disappointment and sadness in our lives comes from our taking things personally when it’s far more productive and healthy to let go of others’ good or bad opinion of you, and to operate with your own heart, intuition and wisdom as your guide. So yes – don’t take anything personally.

Obsessing about negative thoughts

It’s very hard to be around people who can’t or won’t let go of negativity – when they dwell on and speak incessantly about the terrible things that could happen and have happened, the slights they’ve suffered, and the unfairness of life. These people stubbornly refuse to see the positive side of life and the positive lessons from what’s transpiring. Pessimism is one thing – but remaining perpetually locked in negative thoughts is another. Only seeing the negative, and operating from a view that everything is negative and against you, is a skewed way of thinking and living, and  you can change that.

Treating yourself like a victim

Another toxic behavior is non-stop complaining that fuels your sense of victimization. Believing you’re a victim, that you have no power to exert and no influence on the direction of your life, is a toxic stance that keeps you stuck and small. Working as a therapist with people who’ve suffered terrible trauma in their lives but found the courage to turn it all around, I know that we have access to far more power, authority, and influence over our lives than we initially believe. When you stop whining, and refuse to see yourself as a hapless victim of fate, chance or discrimination, then you’ll find that you are more powerful than you realized, but only if you choose to accept that reality.

Cruelty – lacking in empathy or putting yourself in others shoes

One of the most toxic and damaging behaviors – cruelty – stems from a total lack of empathy, concern or compassion for others. We see it every day online and in the media – people being devastatingly cruel and destructive to others just because they can. They tear people down online but in a cowardly way, using their anonymity as a weapon. Cruelty, backstabbing, and ripping someone to shreds is toxic, and it hurts you as well as your target. I had a powerful learning experience about this a few years ago. I came into the house one day in a nasty mood, and shared a mean, sniping comment to my husband about the way a neighbor was parenting her child through one of his problem phases. In less than 24 hours, that very same issue the parent was dealing with came home to roost in my house, with my child. It was as if the Universe sent me the message that, “Ah, if you want to be cruel and demeaning about someone, we’ll give you the same experience you’ve judged so negatively, so you can learn some compassion.” And I did.

If you find yourself backstabbing and tearing someone else down, stop in your tracks. Dig deep and find compassion in your heart, and realize that we’re all the same.

Excessive reactivity

An inability to manage your emotions is toxic to everyone around you. We all know these people – men and women who explode over the smallest hiccup or problem. Yelling at the bank teller for the long line, screaming at your assistant for the power point error he made, or losing it with your child for spilling milk on the floor. If you find that you’re overly reactive, losing it at every turn, you need some outside assistance to help you gain control over your emotions and understand what’s at the root of your emotionality. There’s more to it that appears on the surface. An outside perspective – and a new kind of support – is critical.

Needing constant validation

Finally, people who constantly strive for validation and self-esteem by obsessing about achieving outward measures of success, are exhausting to be around. Those men and women who get caught up in the need to prove their worth over and over, and constantly want to “win” over their colleagues or peers, are toxic and draining.

Overly-attaching to how things have to look and be, and to achieving certain milestones and accomplishments rather than going with life in a more flexible, easy manner, can wear you out and bring everyone else around you down . There is a bigger picture to your life, and it’s not about what you achieve or fail at today. It’s about the journey, the process, the path – what you’re learning and applying, how you’re helping others, and the growing process you allow yourself to engage in.

Stop stressing over the particular outcomes like, “I need that promotion now!” or “My house has to be bigger and more beautiful than my neighbor’s.” Your desperate need to prove your success and build your self-esteem through outer measures of success is (sadly) apparent to everyone but you, and it’s pushing away the very happiness outcomes you’re longing for.

To build a happier, more rewarding career,  work with me, join my  The Amazing Career Project  video training, and watch my TEDx Talk “Time to Brave Up.”  

Original Post Link  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140620200646-17850276-6-toxic-behaviors-that-push-people-away-how-to-recognize-them-in-yourself-and-change-them/

Republished with permission from Kathy Caprino,

Kathy Caprino, M.A. is a women’s career and personal growth coach, writer, speaker and leadership developer dedicated to the advancement of women worldwide. A former corporate VP and trained family therapist, Kathy offers career and leadership consulting and personal development training programs, keynotes, her Amazing Career Project online course, the Amazing Career Coach Certification program, and workshops that help women “brave up” to dig deep, discover their true self, and illuminate the world with it.  

Founder/President of Ellia Communications — a premier women’s coaching firm — and the co-Founder of the Best Work/Best Life weekly podcast, Kathy is a seasoned coach and sought-after speaker as well as Forbes Leadership, Huffington Post and LinkedIn contributor and a top media source on career and leadership issues. She’s appeared in hundreds of leading publications (including Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Business Week, Forbes, More Magazine, SELF, etc.) and on national TV and radio.  

Ellia Communications offers a wide range of programs, workshops, classes and resources designed to help women break through to the highest level of success, happiness, and reward. Visit http://kathycaprino.com and http://www.amazingcareerproject.com for more.  

Kathy’s book Breakdown Breakthrough, based on her national research study, explores the top 12 crises working women face today, and offers inspiring stories of women’s career transformation, and a 3-step holistic model for overcoming these challenges.

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3 Tips for Dealing with a Manipulative Project Co-Worker

Are you stuck working with a project manager who is manipulative and dishonest? If you are, you’re not alone!

Today’s workplace is a cut-throat environment with everyone trying to get ahead in some way, shape, or form. It’s no surprise that there are malicious, sneaky project managers who will do anything to get a leg up to succeed or survive, even if it means throwing you under the bus. Like a clever politician, these project managers keep their desires hidden, but underneath a friendly and charming exterior is a highly destructive individual whose goals are power and control. Pretending to pursue the greater good, he or she adopts the mantra of “company first” with a fervency that inspires admiration and respect, and most people accept his or hers claims of a selfless pursuit of noble causes.

Regardless of your industry, profession, experience level or company, these manipulative people exist and, if given the right opportunity, they can ruin your reputation and career prospects. They’ll tell you that the entire team hates you, thinks you’re arrogant, stupid, or incompetent, and attempt to manipulate you into believing that their opinions are objective facts. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology called it “social undermining” and “bottom line mentality.”

“According to a recent survey,  roughly 90% of folks who read this post are presently working with at least one person who, mentally, would be described as a manipulator”.

Proving yourself in a new organization is hard enough. When someone manipulates and lies about you, it can hurt your relationships, your reputation, and your career. Luckily, Project Journal has 3 tips for effectively dealing with this workplace danger.

1. Don’t Ignore Your Gut
I should’ve seen it coming. Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear-cut answer to the question “Friend or foe.” If you find yourself putting up your guard around a co-worker, you might wonder if you’re imagining things and being paranoid? Well, maybe you are, but under no circumstances should you ignore your feeling. From experience, this is often the very first sign of trouble. Weak leaders sometimes resort to emotional deceit as a weapon for getting things done. Try to consider facts objectively. Manipulation is normally felt, rather than heard or seen, so you must listen to your gut.

What makes you mistrust this person?  Do they constantly gossip? If so, be careful as those who gossip to you, will probably be doing the same about you too and like Mom always said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Plus, you don’t want to get caught up in the drama when people find out about this control freak’s gossiping.

Trust that you will be thrown under the bus when “stuff” hits the fan. If you’re still unsure, you should run their behaviour by objective people you trust. As trust is built on the foundations of a good relationship, instead of basing trust on someone’s words, observe their deeds.

2. Dealing with a Bad Apple
There’s a lot to be said for the old saying, “One bad apple can spoil the whole barrel.” Not only is that true for fruit, but it holds a lot of merit in the work environment. Rude behavior is contagious. Toxic manipulative employees have an unhealthy ripple effect that harms co-workers, managers, and subordinates alike. They lack positive personality traits, such as genuine concern for others, a generous and understanding nature, a desire to teach and encourage, a desire to have straightforward dealings with others. They dwell in a very dark place lit only by their own ambition.

“It takes just one malicious employee among the ranks to wreak havoc on your team’s culture.”

Healthy human interactions are not dominated by manipulation. If you feel you can’t trust them, don’t. Manipulators do not communicate openly. Instead, they resort to flattery or play the victim to gain your trust and sympathy. Through artful, indirect and devious methods, they influence and control others and have a fair amount of social support, most likely because no one wants to be on their bad side. But that doesn’t mean their behavior isn’t harmful.

Your priority in this situation must be to protect your professional standing. Begin documenting every instance of destructive behavior and take it to a higher authority. When a co-worker starts manipulating you and ignoring the behavior doesn’t work, distance yourself, if possible and keep all correspondences. When colleagues try to sabotage you, they might tell you lies to cause you to make mistakes. The more you cover yourself, the less you have to worry about. Change your passwords, shut down your computer when you leave your desk, and keep sensitive documents under lock and key. Remember to “choose your words carefully when sending emails so that things you write can’t come back to bite you. Unfortunately, if you lose your cool, you will be in danger of looking undignified.”

“When you know what a man wants you know who he is, and how to move him.”
’- George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords

It can be tempting to excuse the antagonistic worker who seems zealous about his job, but clearly, those employees may be undermining the entire workforce. Being direct lets the other person know you’re aware of their manipulative behavior, and in some cases, that may be enough to nip it in the bud.  If you stay out of their world of negativity, you will be a much more difficult target for their manipulation.

3. Counteracting Sabotage
Manipulators are blind to the serious defects in their character, but keenly aware of the slightest weakness or imperfection in others. They are judgmental, suspicious, demanding and calculating, all negative personality characteristics. Even their outward charm is cold and calculated. Before you can deal with the situation, you need to understand the impact.

Is it a small lie with little effect? Is it a big lie that requires damage control or even legal action? Consider how others might view the situation. Although it may be difficult, the best choice might be simply to move on as the people who make it in the long-term are the ones who are honest, hardworking and able to maintain their professionalism.

“According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, workplace sabotage is on the rise in this difficult economy.”

If you choose to directly address the situation. It is critical to use neutral language and tone of voice. Do not stoop to their level, it is important to keep your integrity. Consider having witnesses to your conversation so it’s not your word against theirs.

Your final action can be accepting an apology and moving on, or it can be reporting the lie to a higher authority. In extreme cases, it can be making a formal complaint or hiring an attorney. It’s smart to search for job postings, even when you have no intention to quit. Obviously, you don’t want to let one bad apple lead to your resignation but, if nothing else, knowing you have options can help you feel more empowered and in control of the situation.

Other signs sabotage may be in the works: You don’t receive a promotion or responsibilities you logically should have gotten; cold or averse behavior from management that is (seemingly) out of nowhere; sudden and unexplained alienation by individual co-workers or even entire cliques; or unwarranted and continuous kind behavior from someone that was formerly aloof, ambivalent or even aggressive.

Manipulative behavior is widespread, but fortunately, it doesn’t exist everywhere. Do you have manipulative co-workers? How do you dodge their requests and still manage to pave a successful career path?  Tell us what you think?

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Politics and Project Management, a Lesson in Leadership

We all know that the more power you have, the better you are able to get the job completed. The problem is most project managers have lots of responsibility, but hardly any authority and since most projects exist outside core business structures, they are forced to develop other methods of influence.

One unspoken evil that is often ignored on project management training courses is the politics of project management. While most of us view politics with disgust; there is no refuting that effective project managers are often seen as those who are equipped and able to employ fitting political strategies to further their project goals. 

“In a Perfect World the Best Workers Would Be Promoted on Merit Alone and the Best Ideas Would Be Adopted Regardless of Personal Interest – but We Do Not Live in Utopia”

Have you ever included ‘office politics’ as a risk on your risk register? Probably not. Though, consider the potential implications of ignoring the ugly stepchild of project management?

“The Objective of Office Politics Is to Manipulate a Situation in Order to Achieve an Outcome That Will Benefit One Individual or Group at the Expense of Other Individuals or Groups.”

While it is unlikely that ‘office politics’ would be listed directly as a risk on your risk register, it is quite likely that one or more of the outcomes of it would. As a result, if you want to survive and prosper in the real world you need to combine good work with smart politics to ensure your own success and that of your projects. The biggest mistake a project manager can make is to assume that politics in project management doesn’t exist. After all, politics is human nature and has played an integral part in history since the dawn of civilization.

In a group where working interactions are fraught with tension and individuals have their own personal agendas or want to be “top dog” personal conflicts will often get in the way of the project aims. Issues between members of the team become the over-riding concern both for the individuals afraid and sometimes even the project manager. Meetings can consist of jostling for power or simply trying to justify your position and when that happens progress on the project will undoubtedly suffer.

For most project managers, playing politics is a form of slow, soul-destroying torture where logic, self-control, transparency and trustworthiness are replaced by deception, concealment, and sabotage. However, ignoring the external and internal politics surrounding your project or organization is dangerous. Successful project managers need to understand organizational politics and how to make them work for project success.

In the case of project politics you can use these key techniques in a constructive manner:

Carefully Manage Your Own Conduct

  1. The first rule is to at all times act in a way that commands respect and beyond that, respect others. That means not gossiping, spreading rumors or getting sucked into interpersonal conflicts and arguments. Maintain your honesty!
  2. Be positive as a positive outlook is a choice that you can always make and remain professional. 
  3. Be confident and firm but not hostile and make sure you take organizational perspectives, not a personal one when voicing objections or giving criticism.
  4. Always assume things will be disclosed, so don’t rely on confidentiality.
  5. Over time you will learn what works in your organization’s culture and what doesn’t. Try to watch other people and identify successful behaviors that you can model to navigate the political minefield.

Review the Organization Chart

  1. Sit back and watch for a while. Identify the real influencers, those who are respected, champions, those who have authority but don’t use it, the mentors and last but not least the true brains behind the organization. Then re-map the organization chart in terms of political influence as politics will often bypass the formal organization chart.

Understand the Social Network

  1. Once you know who’s who in the organization, you have to understand the social networks. This involves identifying who gets along with whom, groups or cliques that have formed and ongoing interpersonal conflicts. Over time you will learn who has the most trouble getting along with others and the basis for the interrelationship whether it be friendship, respect or manipulation, including how the influence flows between all parties.

Build Good Relationships

  1. Now you need to build multiple networks but avoid aligning yourself with one group or another this way you can keep your finger on the pulse of the organization.
  2. Don’t be afraid of politically powerful people and instead, develop relationships that cross the formal hierarchy in all directions.
  3. Build your relationships on trust and respect and avoid empty flattery.

Use Your Social Network

  1. You will need to learn to use your social network to stay clear of negative politics. You can do this through positive political action.
  2. Use your network to gain access to information, build visibility of your achievements and improve difficult relationships.
  3. Attract opportunities where you can shine and seek out ways to make yourself, your team and your boss look good.

Counteract Negative Play

“The Expression, Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer” Couldn’t Be Any Truer When It Comes to Office Politics.”

  1. Your mapping of the organization will help you to identify those people who use others for their own political purposes, and not for the common good. Know that these people typically have low self-worth (that’s why they rely on destructive politicking to get ahead). Always be very careful what you say to them.  Understand what motivates them, their goals, and how to avoid or counter the impact of their politics
  2. Remember loyalty is not a reliable factor in the workplace!

“It is easy to become a target if you’re ambitious or if you strive for change. One of the biggest mistakes we make in our career is to assume that everyone likes progress. This is not true’Å —’Å many are content with the status quo and will defend it with their life.”

Projects are rarely easy and office politics can compound other sorts of problems that arise so they need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly. 

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7 Secret Things You Didn’t Know About Successful Procurement Teams

Some senior members of staff see procurement expenses as a necessary evil and overlook any efficiency improvement methods for this sector. This is not an uncommon way of thinking, as procurement and the supply chain is a massive part of any company’s costs and can total up to 70% of an organisation’s total spend.

These managers are missing out on effective changes that can shift procurement to a significant supplier of growth and profit for any business.

Follow these 7 steps to improve your procurement team.

1.         Embrace Change

It’s so important for procurement managers to embrace and invest in technology changes currently taking place in the industry.

Managers should hold a full assessment of deficiencies in their processors and search for technology that meets the needs of the business, rather than fitting the business around new technology. For example, if you are having trouble with historic and retrospective analysis, invest in predictive analytics.

2.         Consider Outsourcing

Outsourcing may not be an avenue you have ever considered in regards to procurement, even though it happens all the time with HR and IT departments. Even so, many procurement managers are still apprehensive to apply it to their supply chain.

Outsourcing certain aspects of procurement can be a way of improving existing systems and processors rather than a cost reduction measure. It can also allow your business to access highly skilled procurement experts when it would be counter-productive to hire someone internally. These individuals are often very focused on delivering results, and if you plan outsourcing correctly, the increase in productivity will outweigh the costs of outsourcing.

If a procurement manager feels like there are areas in the business where costs can be cut, it might be worth bringing in a consultant. There are also outsourcing services that offer expert domain knowledge and vendor contact opportunities.

3.     Ensure Your Supply Chain Is Properly Staffed

The efficiency of a supply chain is very much dependent on the quality of its staff. As a procurement manager, it’s important to ensure that the supply chain is staffed with highly skilled individuals, and that these staff have regular access to education and training.

Procurement professionals will be tasked with a wide variety of roles, including:

  • Planning delivery timetables
  • Ensuring stores have enough stock
  • Overseeing the arrival of shipments

When hiring employees, it’s important to ensure they have skills such as communication, attention to detail and teamwork. They must also be willing to learn and improve throughout their career.

4.     Create Risk Management Policies

One of the key ways of making a procurement team more efficient is to prepare for the unexpected. Procurement managers should establish proper levels of control to manage risk and ensure that all these policies are periodically reviewed. These risk management fail safes should include:

  • The financial impact a risk might have
  • The likelihood to the risk occurring
  • A priority list for managing risks

All staff members should be aware of these risks, and the processes in place if the risks occur.   For example, if a major supplier goes out of business, your staff should be aware that there is a process for contacting secondary suppliers so you are never left without stock.

5.     Establish Relationships with Key Suppliers

Staff who deal with suppliers on a daily basis need to have brilliant relationship building skills. Procurement employees need to work closely with suppliers to try and keep communication consistent and amicable, even if issues arise at either end.

Suppliers can help procurement teams reach their performance goals, and they are often very knowledgeable, with expertise to share about their products. Procurement teams can learn a lot from them, like the audience, seasonality and key selling points of products; it’s worth working on these relationships.

6.     Stick to Ambitious but Manageable Targets

If a team has a tough but not unattainable goal to work towards they can prioritise, measure and focus on their tasks with a clear end in mind. This helps staff members feel more motivated and gives meaning to their work.

There will also be a sense of achievement when the targets are met, bringing your team closer together and improving teamwork.

7. Efficiency Is Attainable

The creation of a brilliant supply chain depends on your company’s understanding of procurement, along with the procurement team’s estimation of the total costs associated with each supplier and their contacts.

With help from technology, outsourcing, a great team and strong relationship building skills, your procurement team should improve its efficiency and business impact.

 

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How to Cope with a Mis-Sold Job

How to cope with a mis-sold job

Everyone knows a story about a smart and talented professional  who has lost his or her passion for a role, who no longer looks forward to going to the office yet remains stuck without a visible way out.  Getting on the career ladder is a great thing, you start off at the bottom and work your way up, but sometimes you can get stuck and do not even realize it.

“One in Five Employees Claim They Were Mis-sold Opportunities When They Joined Their Organisation – Kelly Global Workforce Index (Kgwi).”

Commenting on the findings,  Debbie Pettingill, Director, Kelly Services UK and Ireland said

“Employee retention will become an increasing challenge for employers as we move out of the recession. As we move into a more candidate driven market, this trend is likely to accelerate. Our findings indicate that this problem is being exacerbated by the misrepresentation of job role or company culture at the interview stage, leading to the dissatisfaction of new hires.”

Most of us know what we are trying to escape a “mis-sold” job  resulting in a  narrowly defined career, inauthentic or unstimulating work, numbing corporate politics, and  perhaps  blackmail including direct  threats of being used as a scapegoat. A job where you are both overlooked and underappreciated.  One may ring true for some of you.

“Fewer than Half of Uk Employees Are Happy with the Way Their Careers Are Progressing According to New British Research.”

Why Would A  Company or Person Block Your Move?

Well, this could be because of his or her personal insecurity  i.e. as the team works well, why rock the boat? Comfort zone: sometimes the team gets too comfortable? Golden child syndrome: you’re working your butt off and your sponsor or other senior  is reaping the recognition from your amazing deliverables?

Working a job you don’t like can leave you feeling stuck, forgotten by God, and asking yourself questions like:

Why hasn’t God opened another door for me yet?  

Why is God not moving?  

Why would God leave me here in this job I hate?

But the truth is God has not left you. He’s not holding back on you. When you feel God is silent, that’s exactly when He’s moving!  Your situation does not change God. He still loves you and is with you no matter what.

Instead of looking at our situation from a perspective of fear and worry, we need to look at it through faith and hope.

What Can You Do About it?

Don’t fret, you can handover your work or completely leave the organisation and still stay sane. You might worry that announcing your intentions will cause your company grief, but ultimately you have to do what’s best for you no matter what!

Think and pray long and hard about how you’re going to drop this bombshell  as you  will need  to give notice. A  sound method is required to overcome the assault and possible backlash – including of course more prayer and fasting.

So how are you going to approach it? What’s your reasoning going to be?  How are you going to get them to understand exactly why you’re doing this?  What do you need to do in order to prepare for the big day?

Easy, you’re going to read this guide.

Strategy 1 – Remote Working Arrangement

This could  be a great approach if 80% of your  work can be  undertaken  remotely. However, while there is a very logical argument to be made in favor of working from home, many people equate remote work to a lack of productivity and laziness. These people do not realize that the switch from an office to working from home can actually lead to significant increases in productivity.

Strategy 2 – What’s in It for Me?

What’s in it for me?   That question sounds a little selfish, doesn’t it?  Maybe you  aren’t being compensated fairly, or you’re not happy with the effort vs return.  When you know your client and team needs you and you’re willing to stay for a price, don’t mess around.  Give them the real number or offer that will make it worth your while to stick it out for awhile.

Strategy 3  –  The Budget Cut

The re-structuring.  The downsizing.  The dreaded budget cut.  Whatever name you want to give it, this  can be terrifying  for a lot of professionals.  However,  if you’re  already thinking about leaving, so maybe it doesn’t have to be such a scary thing.  In fact, maybe it can be  extremely  positive for both  parties.

Strategy 4  –  The Ease Out

Still feeling weary  about leaving the organization.  Propose easing yourself out of the post.  Pick a time frame, maybe four weeks or so, and come up with a plan for slowly taking yourself out of the position.  This also allows you some time to slowly ramp down your time commitment.

Strategy 5 –  Burning Bridges in the Industry  

“Sometimes it’s about networking and being nice to people and not burning any bridges – but remembering to draw line where you must.”

There’s no harm in an early exit from a job you never plan to mention again or an interim role where you have clearly agreed on a start and finish date.  But if your manager is well connected to your industry you should try to leave on a good note.  Why? Because it’s a small world and the next hiring manager may put in a call to his or her former colleague  (a.k.a., your new manager) to get the unofficial scoop.  It happens, so if you’re going to leave anyway then try to fulfill your end of the deal.

Strategy 6  – Get Moving Fast

Imagine, for example, that you were hired to help the company manage multiple programmes and projects  across the globe, but a recent change in leadership means all efforts moving forward will be focused locally.

If you’re spending your days just trying to find ways to be productive or are undertaking a role you never signed up for, you have every right to pursue new opportunities. Of course, the first course of action should normally be to  discuss this with your manager to see if there are other roles you can take on. But if you know that this isn’t going to happen in the new world, get moving fast.

Strategy 7  – Your Dream Job Awaits

“When you’re being interviewed, always treat the interview as a 50-50 thing,” says Andy Dallas, a director at Robert Half International, recruitment consultants. “Ask what you can expect to be doing in your first week, month and three months. Ask what a successful year looks like.”

Dream jobs don’t come every day. So, if you have a chance at yours, take it quickly  and congratulate yourself for being strong enough to leave when you were unhappy.

Strategy 8 – Remeber to Be Patient  

We will not always be in a job we desire. Maybe you are fresh out of school and are working a job that has nothing to do with the degree you just earned. Maybe you are in a situation where you are working at a job where you are overqualified, overworked, and fed up. Maybe, for the most part, you love your job but get discouraged by the mundane tasks that take up time from doing the aspects of your job you love most.    

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” – James 4:10 NIV

Here’s the thing: God will still use this season to grow, develop, and prepare you. Any season that humbles us is preparing us for what God has next.

Any thoughts to share?

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You Were Never Made to Be ‘Productive’

Compared to people in other industrialized nations, Americans work longer hours, take fewer vacation days, and retire later in life. Busyness, once seen as the curse of the disadvantaged, has become equated with status and importance. Our work increasingly defines who we are.

“Godly rest (distinct from play, relaxation, or sleep) is inextricably tied to our identity as children of God.”

The solution perhaps is to be “Lazy Intelligent”?  That sounds like something an unsuccessful, lazy slacker would say, isn’t it? Actually, it’s the opposite. One of America’s most influential and controversial science fiction authors Robert Heinlein uttered these words during his time. Despite his nod to laziness, Heinlein went on to pen hit titles such as Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land.

Productive laziness is not about doing absolutely nothing at all. It’s not about just sitting around and drinking coffee or engaging in idle gossip while watching the non-delivered project milestones disappear into the horizon. In fact, this behavior would lead to a very short-lived project management career.

Laziness Is Not Synonymous with Stupidity

Instead, productive laziness should be viewed as a more focused approach to management. Adopting this mindset means concentrating efforts where it really matters, rather than spreading yourself thing over unimportant, non-critical activities that in some cases don’t need to be addressed at all.

According to the Pareto Principle — Also Known as the “80/20 Rule” — 80 Percent of the Consequences Stem from 20 Percent of the Causes.

While the idea has a rule-of-thumb application, it’s also commonly misused. For example, just because one solution fits 80 percent of cases, that doesn’t mean it only requires 20 percent of the resources needed to solve all cases.

The principle, suggested by management thinker Joseph M. Juran, was named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80 percent of property in Italy was owned by 20 percent of the population. As a result, it was assumed that most of the result in any situation was determined by a small number of causes.

Rest Is at the Center of God’s Design

Every smart but lazy person should consider the 80/20 Rule each day. For managers, the principle is a reminder to concentrate on the 20 percent of work that really matters.

Contrary to belief, 80 percent of success is not just showing up. In fact, only 20 percent of what you do during the day will produce 80 percent of your results. Therefore, it is important to identify and focus on that 20 percent during the working day.

Project Journal5

When genius and laziness meet, the results can be magical. Being just the right combination of smart and lazy can bring you to have a real edge over others. Interestingly enough, smart lazy people are generally better suited for leadership roles in organizations.  These people make great strategic thinkers and leaders. They do things in a smart way in order to expend the least effort. They don’t rush into things, taking that little bit of extra time to think and find the shortest, best path.

They  question, contradict, and show dissent against inefficient methods or unnecessary tasks.

“Whenever There Is a Hard Job to Be Done, I Assign It to a Lazy Man; He Is Sure to Find an Easy Way of Doing It. — Bill Gates”

Bill’s not the only guy, who believes that laziness doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.  German Generalfeldmarschall Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke was the chief of staff for the Prussian Army for 30 years. He is regarded as one of the greatest strategists of the latter 1800s among historical scholars and is the creator of the more modern method of directing armies in the field.

Moltke observed his troops and categorized them based on their intelligence, diligence and laziness. If soldiers proved to be both lazy and smart, they were promoted to leadership because they knew how to be successful with efficiency. If soldiers were smart and diligent, they were deployed into a staff function, focusing on the details. Soldiers who were not smart and lazy were left alone in hopes they would come up with a great idea someday. Finally, soldiers who were not smart but diligent were removed from ranks.

Like Moltke’s army, the lazy manager is all about applying these principles in the delivery and management of work. You’re likely not stupid since you’ve landed the management position, but how are your lazy skills? Applying smart-lazy tactics will not only allow your work to be more successful, but you will also be seen as a successful individual and a top candidate for future leadership roles.

Think return on investment (time spent versus money earned ratio) rather than busy work and  don’t restrict yourself to a certain way  of doing things just for the sake of the status quo.

These people make great strategic thinkers and leaders. They do things in a smart way in order to expend the least effort. They don’t rush into things, taking that little bit of extra time to think and find the shortest, best path.

In the wise words of Bill Gate’s and American automotive industrialist Walter Chrysler, “Whenever there is a hard job to be done, assign it to a lazy man or woman for that matter; as he or she is sure to find an easy way of doing it.”

For an overachieving people-pleaser like me, thinking of rest as an innate part of who we were created to be—not as a discipline or something to be earned—is compelling. It is yet another form of God’s infinite grace, one that’s needed today more than ever.

Co-Author Peter Taylor

Described as “perhaps the most entertaining and inspiring speaker in the project management world today”, Peter Taylor is the author of two best-selling books on ‘Productive Laziness’ – ‘The Lazy Winner’ and ‘The Lazy Project Manager’.

 

 

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