Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Happy Turkey Day from Turkey!


      From           



I wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!  I am off to Turkey for the holiday.  That's right, I am going to Turkey for Turkey day, where I hope to eat some Turkey while speaking Turkish?  Too much?  I agree!

Today's tactical play for a YP is to ALWAYS take vacations when you can!  We work long and sometimes hard hours. When a opportunity comes around for you to get out of town, allow yourselves to take it. Seize any opportunity that allows you to relax and have an experience. Leaving work behind for a week or two can seem impossible, but it is the experience of life that makes working so hard worth it!

Until I return from Turkey, have a wonderful week!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

3 Tips on Strategically Volunteering

                                   
Have you ever thought about the importance of strategically volunteering? We all know the importance of networking, but we rarely discuss the importance of volunteering. 
As Young Professionals we like to volunteer. It is the stage of life we are in. We want to make a difference in our communities for causes we believe in.  With that being said strategically volunteering can give a huge boost to the success for a YP.  I would like to make one disclaimer before we get too far. Volunteer where you like, for a cause you believe in and I am not suggesting anything different. If you don’t believe in the cause but volunteer just for personal gratification, everyone you volunteer with will know it. Your motive will come out in your energy and it will do the exact opposite of what we are hoping to achieve by strategically volunteering in the first place.

What I am saying is this: If you believe in a cause and you are going to volunteer anyways, why not do so in a strategic manner, so you get just as much out of your time as the organization does.  
I have done this throughout my career. I personally only volunteer for organizations or causes that I believe in., but if I can also network or build my skill set while doing it, why not take full advantage. My last two jobs were offered to me by people I met while volunteering, Not to mention that volunteering in general also just looks great on a resume. When your resume isn't long, volunteering can set you apart. It shows you are well rounded, a team player, and engaged.

 First step is to pick out the causes and organizations that you believe in. Take a look at their missions and familiarize yourself with what their purpose is. Once you have identified these things, you can start looking for opportunities that would mutually benefit you. Here are some things to consider when approaching volunteering strategically.

People
If you can volunteer with people you want to get to know, not only does it make volunteering more fun, but you build your network at the same time. Look at who you will be volunteering with or for. You are new to your profession; it is okay that you want to build your network.  One idea is to volunteer for a society that promotes the development of your profession. If you help with something like registration, not only will you be adding to the organization, you will also meet every single person at every event.

Another example is Jake.  He LOVES baseball with a capital “L”!  He also really loves mentoring and already volunteered in that capacity.  One of his firm’s Partners knew this about him and approached him to coach his son’s little league team.  Of course Jake accepted.  Not only was he able to combined his two loves, but he was able to have weekly face to face time with his boss.

Skill Set
As YPs, we are always looking for ways to gain more skill sets or to further develop our current skill sets.  A quick way to get exposure to a lot of difference things is through volunteering.  Again pick your causes and organizations, but then see how you can best benefit them.  Sure everyone can clean up a park and that work is important, but maybe they can use your skill set to their advantage.

Also with volunteer positions you are able to learn new skill sets in a non-threatening environment. Always be honest about your skill set, but volunteer organizations are much more willing to take a chance on you because their budgets are small. You will be given tasks through volunteering that will stretch you for the better. 

If you are an accountant that works mostly on for profit audit work, but you want exposure to other industries, volunteer to do a non-profit’s books. You end up saving them a ton of money and it gives you experience with non-profits.  The organization will be grateful to you and you get to build your skill set. You can feel good about saving the organization money as well.

Organization
After you have identified a cause you want to volunteer for, look around and see if there are multiple organizations that you can support that cause with.  If there are, pick the organization that aligns closely with your personal goals.  If you are really interested in the cause they may even be able to give you a job there someday.

Volunteering can be a win for everyone. You will make a difference, while also making a difference in the progression of your personal/professional goals. Not to mention that typically the friends or connections you make volunteering will last you a life time. If you have any examples of how you have done this, leave them in the comments to give others ideas! 

Friday, November 9, 2012

Tenacious


                                                    


On the tail winds of the conviction of Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s shooter, we should all take a minute and think about the word tenacious. Tenacious is defined by Webster dictionary as: “holding fast, highly retentive, pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, obstinate or cohesive.   I would like to dedicate this blog post to people like Congresswoman Gifford because she is tenacious.  Regardless of your political affiliations we can all agree that she is tenacious in all meanings of the word.   Some of the adjectives listed to define tenacious can be thought of as negative, but sometimes you have to be stubborn and obstinate to keep things and yourself progressing.

What we learn from Congresswoman Gifford is to never give up.  One day you wake up, go through your routine, and then something happens that completely changes everything.  None of us will hopefully experience anything like what Congresswoman Gifford experienced, but events happen to all of us that change our perspectives and lives.  How we handle and react to these changes defines who we are.  It defines what type of leaders, colleagues, friends, and even just members of a society we are.

When events positive or negative happen that completely through your world into chaos, you can show up, persevere or check out.  Being a leader isn’t defined as managing someone.  Anyone can do that.  Being a true leader means showing up, organizing chaos, and staying positive.  To all of my emerging leaders out there, when things get tough…stop and remember Congresswoman Gifford.  She returned to Washington only 7 short months after being shot in the head to cast her ballot on the debt limit deal.  Why?  Because she felt so strongly on the debt limit, and its effects on our country, that she couldn’t sit by and not contribute. She was being persisted, stubborn and trying to make a cohesive America. She walked into congress and did her job, regardless that her life is hard. 

Be tenacious for what you believe in.  As you begin your journey in the workforce decide how you want to be defined and stick with it.  As your perceptions change, allow it. Learn and grow from all your experiences, but always remain tenacious to who you are. We get over whelmed, but remember the events that define you as a leader aren’t the “walk in the park days”, but the days when everything falls apart. Stand strong in what you believe in, whatever that may be. 

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Too Young to Manage? I don't think so...


In today’s workforce we are starting to see a trend of lower/middle management positions opening up at high rates as the management chain shifts to accommodate the retirement of baby boomers. The workforce is calling and Generation Y is showing up for the task!  Several YPers are getting promoted very quickly and finding themselves managing employees not that much younger than themselves.

Moving from being an individual contributor to managing will be one of the hardest adjustments in your early career.  Don’t worry; it is okay if you are not great at it at first.  Just like all of your other skills, you will get better at managing.  Here are a couple of my blunders and a few tactical plays from when I went through this change.  My transition was not as smooth as I would have liked it, but hopefully you will learn from my mishaps!

Blunders and Tactical Plays:

1.    The first employee I managed was 3 years younger than me.  Only 3.  She only had 3 years less experience than I did.  Only 3.  I felt that I had to show her how much I knew and that I was the authority.  Rather than getting to know her and how she liked to be managed, I imposed my management style upon her. She didn't flourish.  She hated coming to work and she didn't give me her best work. It caused a horrible dynamic.  Finally, my VP sat me down to talk about her performance.  I was armed with several examples of how she “just wasn't working out”.  However, the first question my VP asked was, “Why don’t you think she likes working here.”  I didn't have an answer.  I was told to go get to know my employees and see how we could save her.  That was a hard lesson for me to learn.  It wasn't the “Sarah Show” anymore.  I had already proven myself; it was now time to focus on the development of someone else.

2.    To drink or not to drink with your employees?  When you are in the same stage of your life as your employees, do you go out and do things with them or do you keep your relationship strictly professional?  My recommendation is to do a mixture.  I don’t have any good personal examples of this, but being in HR I have been the moderator in a few of these situations.  As your HR guru, I simply ask that you always remember this question, “Do you want your HR person to ask you about this tomorrow.”  If the answer is no, then stop and go home.  If you are fine with admitting what you are doing, then you are probably doing okay.  Each company is different and has different expectations for their manager’s interactions with their employees.  Follow the lead of your boss.  With that being said, never forget that you are in fact your employee’s manager and if they stop performing, showing up, meeting deadlines, you will have to do something about it.  If you are best friends, it can become very sticky.

3.    What is your management style? I always thought that my management style was easy, non-micro managing, and trusting.  However, when I was thrown into my first management job, I was the exact opposite.  I didn't know how to motivate someone and I didn't know how to trust that my employees would do as good of a job as I would.  I knew how to do a good job, but I didn't know how to excite someone else to be at their job as well.  I didn't have the confidence to trust my employees to do their jobs.  It wasn't fun and it didn't turn out so pretty.  Let your employees do things their way.  Although it might be different from your method, as long as the finished product is of high quality, it doesn't really matter.  Allow them to set boundaries and encourage them to figure out their own style.  Managing isn't creating carbon copies of you, it is about finding and developing talents.  Let your employees thrive and they will be loyal and work hard.

4.    Manage and reward each employee as an individual. A reward holds different merit for different employees.  I once had an employee who had children and one was single.  It meant more to the employee with children to be able to leave early for school plays, games, and events.  However for my single employee, leaving early right before a vacation was such a bigger reward then just leaving early on a Tuesday. And when it came time for my employee with children to go on vacation, I didn't let her leave early.  It was my way of being fair but in a more rewarding way. Using the same reward, but in different ways is an effective way to leverage to the reward.       

5.    You can admit you don’t know something. When the gap between age and/or experience isn’t distinctly large it can be hard for a new manager to admit that they don’t know something. By admitting you don’t know something you set a tone for your employees and earn their respect.  This simple act can be a building block to a very successful team.

6.    Stand up for your team and take the blame.  You are responsible for your team and their product.  If something goes wrong, never say to your boss, “Sally, my employee, was responsible for that.”  Take the heat and then approach your employee when you are clam and ready to have a productive conversation to explain the mistake.   Show your employees that you have their backs.

7.    If you remember ANY of my tactical plays, remember this ONE.  Think about your best boss/work environment.  Make a list of why that boss was so awesome or why the atmosphere worked for you.  Apply those traits to your management style.  No need to recreate the wheel.

Use my blunders and tactical play to make yourself a RockStar boss that people love coming to work for!



x

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Big Deal



What is the big deal about Generation Y anyways?  Is what they say about us really true?

I'll start with saying that I am a Gen Yer.  So are we a big deal?  I think so, but here are a few things I do know about generation Y (as I will refer to it from here on out) is....we are soon to be the LARGEST population in the workforce. Some estimate us to be around 70,000! That is a HUGE fact.  

This fact means that employers, marketing and even politicians will care more about our ideas/wants/desires then the generation before us. The workplace will start to look more like what we think it should look like and what feeds our needs. The world will start to operate on our timetable(at least a little bit). 

 Now here is the big question?  Do we keep doing things the way they have always been done, or do we alter them? Improve them? What is our generations personality and what would make our lives feel fore filled? This is something we will continue to figure out over the next few decades, but I think it is important for us to start thinking about it now.  What do we want our future it look like? What makes our future happy and balanced? 

Here are a few traits of a Gen Yer: tech-savvy, family-centric, Achievement-Oriented, team-oriented, and attention-craving.  

Do those resonate with you?  Some of them, for better or worse, I think, are spot on. Get ready Generation Y...our time is now. Let's do something that makes a difference!

Monday, October 1, 2012

To be or not to be...a YP...


I wanted my first post on this blog to be something amazing and insightful.  There are so many topics, insights, and perspectives I hope to explore on this blog that I found myself having a hard time deciding on a topic for my first post. The other day, while sitting on a conference call for the National SHRM Young Professional committee I participate on, I found myself discussing what it is to be a Young Professional (YP).  This isn't the first time this month or maybe even week I have had a similar discussion with different groups of people.

Lately, everyone around me has been trying to define what it is to be a "Young Professional". Is it based on age, career progression, education, or is it just about how you "feel". Frankly, I think it is a combination of all of the above.  I typically lean towards the traditional idea of YP being within the first 5 to 10 years of your career.  This is typically a time when you are 1. Working so much you don't know who your neighbors are 2. You can and do still pull all nighters easily, regardless of the reason for them (Which tells me that my YP days are numbered!) 3. Once you finally feel like you have a handle on this thing you call a "career", some new project, new boss, new something is thrown at you and you have no idea what to do and/or  4. You may still be asking yourself, "What do I want to be when I grow up?" – Although number 4 may never go away!

Does the definition of what a Young Professional is matter?  I'm not sure it does and I have a feeling the people of my generation could care a less.  Call yourself what you want.  Join whatever organization or club that you want under any title that you see fit, just get the job done. I chose to define this concept as my first post, because I think it is important for all of to see what my idea of what makes up a YP.