Category Archives: career management

How to show customers they are appreciated.

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The key to client appreciation is understanding what the client values.  In Dr. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love  Languages, people respond to 5 different categories of appreciation/love: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time and Physical Touch.
A relationship (whether a personal, professional or business relationship) is composed of one or more people.  Therefore, a show of the right kind of appreciation (the one that the client would value most) in any of those venues would work.  Dr. Chapman mentions that everyone has 2 dominant categories.  For example – if you know that your client feels appreciated (loved) with words of affirmation and acts of service – you would best be served by giving them a plaque/award with some fanfare or a special “Done For You” complimentary service.   On the other hand, if your client doesn’t like to be put on stage – then giving them an award in front of people would have the opposite affect and he/she would resent being there.
Understanding the proper acts that make them feel appreciated (or loved) is the key to a successful client appreciation program.  Then selecting items that fit one of their 2 dominate profiles would win the day.

If you would like additional recommendation for your specific situation, please let me know.  I would be happy to setup a quick discovery call, so that I can better understand your unique situation and offer some next-step recommendations.

What are the best ways to ask managers for a job title transition?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose. I am a speaker and author. My background is in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff. I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.

Today’s question came from a reporter: It’s not exactly a promotion–but you get to do more of what you want to do and maybe even take on more responsibilities to set you up for higher salary and promotion in the near future.

What are the best ways to ask managers for a job title transition?

It’s recommended that you create (and document) an Individual Development Plan in which you outline your career goals and professional path.  At your regular (recommended weekly or twice a month) one-on-one manager meetings, you frequently review your goals and IDP plans with your manager.  If you do this proactively and regularly, when a position becomes available your manager is neither surprised by your interest nor taking it personally.  They are already aware of your goals and have become a co-conspirator to your success.  But keeping your manager in the loop regarding your IDP, they can also bring those matching positions to your attention.  If you don’t include your managers in your plans, it’s just a more difficult conversation.

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.

You can schedule a 30 minute complementary consult right HERE. Do it today, what do you have to lose?ScheduleTime

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “How to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

This presentation isn’t for everyone. It’s for professionals that are ready to succeed. Since we use the time to do some real-time laser coaching around your unique situation, the seats are limited. Even though this presentation is complimentary, there is a $5.00 reserve your seat fee that is refunded when you after attend the presentation. If you register and do not attend, you forfeit the $5.00 and all materials covered in the presentation.

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit. The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above. It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth. Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

Perks you should hold out for as you’re negotiating a position with a company

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. My background is in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.

Today’s question came from a reporter: What perks you should hold out for as you’re negotiating a position with a company? What perks do soon-to-be-hired people forget to ask for? What should they try to get?

 

My recommendation is to first understand what your wants and desires are, then use those as the starting point for your perks. Take everyone else out of the picture when deciding what you want.

workerswantReview this survey results on “what workers want” – and decide what you really want from your work experience.  For example if you are want your “opinion and knowledge valued” – discuss opportunities to travel and speak at various conferences in the company’s industry.  If you want to be properly recognized for work well done, discuss award schedules based on your performance. If you want the freedom to create and innovate, discuss their patent opportunities and compensations.  If career advancement is important to you, discuss the possibility of reimbursement for success or career coach fees.   If it’s important that you have the proper resources to do a better job, request administrative help to off-load so that you can focus on items only you can do.  If continuous learning is important to you, negotiate appropriate training time and reimbursements.

Once again – go back to what is important to you and then be creative in your negotiation the essence of those goals.

 

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.

You can schedule a 30 minute complementary consult right HERE.  Do it today, what do you have to lose?ScheduleTime

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “How to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

This presentation isn’t for everyone. It’s for professionals that are ready to succeed. Since we use the time to do some real-time laser coaching around your unique situation, the seats are limited. Even though this presentation is complimentary, there is a $5.00 reserve your seat fee that is refunded when you after attend the presentation. If you register and do not attend, you forfeit the $5.00 and all materials covered in the presentation.

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit.  The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth.  Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

3 Tips to manage two jobs.

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Career decisionToday’s question came from a busy professional:

I have been asked to take on 2 day jobs, what are your tips and advice to ensure that it manages both of them without any problems? One of them has a wider scope than another.

 

  1. If you have been “asked” to take on 2 day jobs, you always have the option to say “No, thank you” to one of them. That is always an option.
  2. One way to fully accommodate 2 full-day jobs is to work 16 hours a day and get paid separately for each day job. Otherwise, you are not really handling 2 day jobs; you are merely managing several products, roles and responsibilities. This isn’t that different from many other employees with multiple hats.
  3. My recommendation is to manage your projects and not your “jobs”. Clearly identify the tasks, priority of the tasks, the deadlines and stakeholders for your tasks and projects. Then schedule your time appropriately according to the priorities. Limit your schedule to the 8 or 10 hours of work in which you are being paid. Be transparent with your managers on what you can realistically deliver, and at what quality in that time. If the success is important to your manager, they will be realistic on what can be delivered.

Regardless of how hard you push and pack, a 5 pound bag can only handle 5 pounds of stuff.

I have several self-study courses on time management and realistic scheduling. Check them out at www.lauraleerose.com/ecourses.

I also have a complimentary article on 12 Tips to Realistic Schedule available for download.   Download the full article HERE

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.

You can schedule a 30 minute complementary consult right HERE.  Do it today, what do you have to lose?

When and How to say NO to your boss

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author.  My background is in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.

Today’s question came from a professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

His question is : When and how to Tell Your Boss “No”

I normally recommend my clients to take control over their own career path.  If they see that their assigned tasks are below their pay grade or are stalling their professional advancement, they should take action to get back on track.  This might entail a redirection on what and how you are performing your daily tasks.

The important thing to remember is that your boss is trying to solve a problem.  Solving his problem doesn’t always mean you have to be the one doing the work.  If the boss comes to you with a task that is beneath your pay-grade or is not aligned with your individual development plan (these things are discussed in detail in the Professional Development Toolkit online eCourse), I often recommend my clients to do one of the following:

1) Brainstorm with your boss to find a different way to solve the same problem that either elevates the task that matches your pay grade or band level.  This would include (but not limiting to):  streamlining, automating, optimizing and documenting that task.

2) Offer to train someone of the right pay grade and band level to do the task.

3) Review the consequences this has on all your other tasks.  Your boss may not remember the other tasks and priorities you are currently working on.  Be totally transparent about the other jobs, dependencies and stakeholders involved in your other tasks.  Verify that this current request (in your manager’s opinion) is higher priority that what you are current working on – and warrants a delay in schedule for the other items. Ask permission to use your manager’s name when telling the other stakeholders about the reason for the delay in their requests.

4) Continually review your career objectives and your individual career plans with your manager, so that he continually assigns tasks aligned with your career goals and individual mission statement.

5) If all else fails – have an agreement that this is a temporary (time bound) assignment.  Have an agreement that this task will be off-loaded within 2 weeks to someone of the appropriate level.  Ask that the task be exempted in your performance review.  This means that you are not docked for doing something lower than your pay grade or performance level.
Remember:
During performance time, managers will rate all the employees of the same band level together.  Because of this – if you accept tasks beneath your pay grade, you are doing yourself a disservice.  For example, if you are Band 9 and are requested to do Band 7 or Band 8 work (because no one else will do it and you want to be seen as a good team player) – and all the other Band 9 employees are doing Band 9 or above work; you will receive “Below Expectations” rating.  This is because you are doing below Band 9 work and you are expected to do Band 9 work.

As you can see in these examples, you are not say “NO” to your boss.  You are saying “YES but on your own terms”.

I realize that your situation is different.  If you need additional information, why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “How to say YES to everything but on your own terms”.  To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

This presentation isn’t for everyone.  It’s for professionals that are ready to succeed.  Since we use the time to do some real-time laser coaching around your unique situation, the seats are limited.  Even though this presentation is complimentary, there is a $5.00 reserve your seat fee that is refunded when you after attend the presentation.  If you register and do not attend, you forfeit the $5.00 and all materials covered in the presentation.

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit.  The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth.  Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

 

How to Regain Credibility After a Mistake

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Your reputation witreputationh your customer isn’t tarnished by making a mistake; but how you respond to your mistakes.
Some quick tips on how to best respond to your mistake:
  1. Take full responsibility for fixing it. Responsibility doesn’t mean “taking the blame”. Responsibility means being able to respond (response – able), to take action to fix the issue.
  2. Acknowledge that this situation is certainly frustrating and inconvenient to the client – and that you are going to do everything you can to eliminate as much inconvenience as you can.
    • Note: If the correction takes awhile – don’t keep the client in the dark, while you are correcting the issue. If you don’t periodically update them on your progress, they will automatically assume you are doing “nothing” to help them – because they can see no evidence that you are doing “something”. This runs the risk of them telling ten of their friends of your lack of customer care – even if you have good intentions.
    • If you don’t know how to fix the situation, ask the client how they would like you to fix the situation and how often they would like to be updated. Even if you can’t do exactly what they want, it will give you some insight and clues on what your next steps should be.
    • The goal here is to make sure the client is delighted with the final outcome (not that you are happy with how you handled the event). And you can’t delight the client if you have no idea what will turn this around for the client. Therefore, don’t be afraid to include them in the process. People enjoy providing their opinion and advise to various situations. This will be no different.
  3. Go above and beyond expectations in fixing the issue. This would include (but not limited to) additional products and service; or even a full refund in addition to the product or service.
  4. Do a follow-up after the situation has been fixed, to make sure the client is fully satisfied. Thank the client for pointing out the problem and being so patient while you fixed it.
  5. Include a thank you note to the client summarizing the events, how you fixed it and procedure changes that you put into affect to assure no one else get puts into the same difficult situation that the client did.
The client not only wants his/her issue fixed, but an assurance that it will never happen again. Providing them tangible evidence that you have changed the procedure that caused the mix-up in the first place provides them this assurance as well as illustrates your commitment to continuous improvement and that you took their issues extremely seriously.
There are many other ways to delight your client. If you need additional ideas, why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

What is the Right Way to Handle a Personal Crisis at Work

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What if your car is totaled…what if something really bad happened in your personal life?

Chances are, we will all have situations like this from time to time. What
is the best way to handle personal crisis at work?

Of course this greatly depends upon your role and responsibilities at work.
If you are in an industry that relies on your person touch and full attention – then you are doing your clients a disservice by taking their money and not giving them your full attention. The best way to handle this situation is to be candid about your current mindset (not that you have to give details – but that you have an emergency that is taking much of your attention); that the client deserves your full attention and energies – and that you will need to reschedule to be able to do that.

If you are in an office environment, you should have your auto-responders and voice mail set to collect all your calls and emails. In you canned auto-responders and updated answering machine message – you explain your general situation and when you will get back to them. Ask them to include the reason for their call – so that you can have the answers for them when you call them back.

If you have tasks that need to be done, you should have documented procedures regarding those tasks. The ones that are MUST DO for today, hand them off to a team mate or your manager (so that he can hand find the appropriate resource).

If this is actually a personal crisis — then you will not be in the proper mindset to do high-quality, high-performance work. Put the systems in place to enable the quality work to be done without you.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that if things can get done without them, this means they are dispensable and replaceable. Some people feel that if they are the only ones with these skills that their job is secured.
This is a false premise. Jobs are never secured; companies are purchased; companies are merged; companies go under. Relevant skills come and go. Just because you are really good at X – doesn’t mean that X will be relevant tomorrow. And the rapid pace in which technology is changing today makes this last point even more likely.
This only sure thing that “making sure you are the only one with the knowledge” does is to keep you stuck in this current role and band level. It limits your advancement opportunities.

My name is Laura Lee Rose and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, professional development and work life balance strategies. I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have the time to learn new technology or train their staff.

At the end of the day, I give people the peace of mind that everything is getting done exactly the way they want – even when they are not there.

I am devoted to my clients, and want the best for them.
My clients succeed because they take action and are ready for success.
complimentaryconsult
This offer isn’t for everyone.

So – for the people reading this blog today, that are ready for success, email me at LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info right now – to reserve your complimentary consult. You will receive a follow-up email to select your one-on-one coaching appointments.

How to Regain Credibility After a Mistake

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Your reputation witreputationh your customer isn’t tarnished by making a mistake; but how you respond to your mistakes.
Some quick tips on how to best respond to your mistake:
  1. Take full responsibility for fixing it.  Responsibility doesn’t mean “taking the blame”.  Responsibility means being able to respond (response – able), to take action to fix the issue.
  2. Acknowledge that this situation is certainly frustrating and inconvenient to the client – and that you are going to do everything you can to eliminate as much inconvenience as you can.
    • Note: If the correction takes awhile – don’t keep the client in the dark, while you are correcting the issue.  If you don’t periodically update them on your progress, they will automatically assume you are doing “nothing” to help them – because they can see no evidence that you are doing “something”.  This runs the risk of them telling ten of their friends of your lack of customer care – even if you have good intentions.
    • If you don’t know how to fix the situation, ask the client how they would like you to fix the situation and how often they would like to be updated.  Even if you can’t do exactly what they want, it will give you some insight and clues on what your next steps should be.
    • The goal here is to make sure the client is delighted with the final outcome (not that you are happy with how you handled the event).  And you can’t delight the client if you have no idea what will turn this around for the client.  Therefore, don’t be afraid to include them in the process.  People enjoy providing their opinion and advise to various situations.  This will be no different.
  3.  Go above and beyond expectations in fixing the issue.  This would include (but not limited to)  additional products and service; or even a full refund in addition to the product or service.
  4. Do a follow-up after the situation has been fixed, to make sure the client is fully satisfied.  Thank the client for pointing out the problem and being so patient while you fixed it.
  5.  Include a thank you note to the client summarizing the events, how you fixed it and procedure changes that you put into affect to assure no one else get puts into the same difficult situation that the client did.
The client not only wants his/her issue fixed, but an assurance that it will never happen again.  Providing them tangible evidence that you have changed the procedure that caused the mix-up in the first place provides them this assurance as well as illustrates your commitment to continuous improvement and that you took their issues extremely seriously.
There are many other ways to delight your client. If you need additional ideas, why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

At what point are you being too greedy in salary negotiation?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author.  My background is in time and project management.I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.Today’s question:At what point does the hiring manager or boss think that you’re being too greedy when it comes to negotiating your salary?

My recommendation is to take everyone out of the picture as your first step.

1) Understand the salary market of your current position and region

2) Understand how relevant your current skills, experience and background is to the current market

3) Understand what salary you desire to achieve the lifestyle that you currently want.

After you have done these steps, you can decide if your salary demands can be sustained by the current market demand.

Then have a transparent discussion with your manager on what your salary goals are.  Provide him with a time line, and alternative compensation solutions.

Work with your manager to define an Individual Development Plan that will take you from where you are today – to where you want to be (in regards to both salary and position) within the suggested time frame.  Work together on a plan to achieve your salary goals.
Avoid approaching this as a “Black/White” negotiation.  Offer alternative compensation solutions like a 4-day work week, flexible hours, working from home a few days a week, an additional week of vacation, additional employee benefits donation/savings matching, educational reimbursements.  Consider to offer if you increase sales and reduce costs by xx% within the next 6-months, that your salary increase will be approved.  Attach your salary directly to monetary performance results.  There are a combination of ways to increase the bottom line of your salary.
The company is in the business to make money.
If you can tangibly quantify how much money you are bringing – it’s easier to negotiate for a raise.

I realize that your situation may be different.   Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

Contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info for additional information on these things.

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit.  The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth.  Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

Or sign up for my weekly Time and Career Management Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

 

What is your natural response to conflict?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author.  My background is in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.

Today’s question:

What is your natural response to conflict? Do you

  • move away,
  • move towards (try to smooth things over) or
  • move against (go in to “fight” mode)

How does this help or hurt you on the job?:

For me – It would depend if the conflict has anything to do with me or my purpose. If it does not impact me, then I have better things to spend my time. Not everything going on is worthy of my time and attention. By contributing to a situation that does not concern me , I neither benefit  the real stakeholders nor myself.

If it has nothing significantly to do with me – I move away.

If it does impact either my professional or personal goals, I focus on a Win/Win/Win solution.  A conflict often means there’s an opportunity for a larger solution, a bigger picture creation.   A conflict often indicates that we haven’t taken the time to find the better solution.

If I look for a higher-level solution, I can find several that provide satisfactory closure for both (or all) sides. I focus on the higher-level or the essence of the goal — instead of the specific issues being currently discussed.   Most of the conflict resides in the “HOW TO do it” – instead of the “WHY we are doing this”.
If you take the time to understand each person’s reason or “why they want it done this way” – you can find an appropriate solution. (Habit 5 of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People  – Understand first then be Understood).  – If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – I recommend you re-read it this week.  You have accumulated additional experiences and knowledge since you last read it.  Therefore, your perspective will be different simply because you are in a difference place in your life.

Here is an example that may illustrate this idea better:
I was in a meeting with a high-profile client and the developers. The client was insisting that they needed a “drag-n-drop” feature in the next release (scheduled for Monday). The developers were adamant that this level of rework was not feasible by Monday. The client was also adamant that they have been waiting for that feature and wanted it by Monday (OR ELSE).
So I asked the client “why” they needed that specific feature. How were they going to use that feature. Where would they use it.
They said that they wanted to create a “new project” from several “older projects”. They wanted to drag and drop the files that they wanted into a “new” container to create the new project.
So – I paraphrased the “want”. “You want to be able to import folders from older projects to create your new project.”
“YES” the client said enthusiastically.
I said, “We have that. We don’t use the Drag-n-Drop . We use directory-drill down instead. This allows you to drill down past the file level. You can even drill into the file, down into the code AND you can mask (or exclude) lines that you do not want. It’s more flexible and powerful than the Drag-n-Drop.  Here – let me show you. ”
The client was delighted. “WOW! This is better than what we were asking for.”
“AND you already have this feature in your current version. You don’t have to wait until the next release.”

This is a good example of solving a conflict by better understanding the motives and reasons on both sides. Stephen Covey’s 5th Habit of his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People calls it “Understand first and then be understood.” That habit works well in many situations.

I realize that your situation may be different.   Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

Contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info for additional information on these things.

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit.  The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth.  Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

 

Or sign up for my weekly Time and Career Management Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/