Tag Archives: transition

How to handle uncomfortable networking events

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert 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 turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.


We all understand the importance and value of business networking. How do we handle networking events in a proper and professional manner?

One of the best ways to break the ice at a networking event is to pretend or put on the persona of a host. Focus your attention on “your guests”. Put the spotlight onto them. Allow them to shine and talk about themselves. Most people are there to talk about themselves, anyway – why to against the flow?

  1. Ask them questions about “What brought them here tonight?” “What are they hoping to gain or what are their goals for this meeting?”
  2. If they share that they are looking for referrals on XYZ or people that they can work with on ABC – connect them to someone that you just met at the same meeting that shares those goals.
  3. Don’t stay too long with any one person. Like a host, make sure you mingle. You can say “I know you want to meet more people, and I want to respect your time. I would love to stay in contact, why don’t we exchange contact information and make plans to call each other on Thursday.   How does that sound?”

If you really want to stay in contact, take out your calendar and then move on.

But what if you are shy or is an introvert? Are there any other special tips for us?

Normally what makes shy people uncomfortable is having the spotlight shined on ourselves. So – much like the above advice, shine the spotlight on other people. Instead of worrying about what other people think about you – focus on learning more about the other person. People love to talk about themselves and it takes the pressure off you to carry the entire conversation.

Also, look around to see if anyone is sitting alone or hiding in the corner (make sure it’s not you doing the hiding as well). Then go up and visit them. They may be feeling uncomfortable, so be a good host and go up and introduce them to some other folks.

For additional articles and videos on tips for introverts, check out these artifacts:

 

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. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

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

What are the first steps you should do after returning from vacation?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert 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 turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

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

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

What are the first steps you should do after returning from summer vacation? Can you discuss the challenges of returning to work after summer vacation and offer some useful strategies to make the transition back to work easier.

We are often bombarded with an outrageous amount of emails, activities, and questions when we return from an absence; whether it’s a vacation, a business trip or an illness. The best solution for “planned outages or absences” it so actually plan ahead. Make sure you have well-trained representatives that can handle your regular activities in your stead. Make sure you have all your important procedures documented and published. Make sure you have your significant dealings completed prior to your leaving. Make sure you have your “second-in-command’ well versed in things that may pop-up while you are away. Make sure your email-autoresponders, and voice messages are properly announcing your “out-of-office” intentions and your backup contact.

I also recommend not giving anyone by your “backup contact” – your out-of-office contact.   Allow your designated representative to determine if/when there’s a need to contact you (and no one else). All information should be flowing through this person while you are away. Don’t sabotage his/her job by allowing people to go around him/her to get to you.

By doing the above, you will have paved you way to an easier entry back into the workplace.

Returning to work after summer vacation

  • Move all your emails to a “misc” folder and out of your inbox. The assumption is that everything has already been taken care of by your “second in command”. Therefore, there is no need to review the past unless it is relevant to the future. If it is relevant to the future, it will come up again. If it comes up again, you still have the information in your misc folder – but you don’t have to review it, unless it comes up again.
  • Focus on things that are relevant for this week. You want to be as productive as you can be, once you have returned to work. Therefore, don’t get bogged down with reviewing things that were completely accomplished while you were away. Many things that occurred will have no impact in the current items, and you will have plenty of time to review them LATER. Curiosity is the only reason to review these things now – but it’s not the best way to hit the ground running after summer vacation.
  • Don’t agree to deliver anything of significance for the next 2 days – use that time to catch up. I normally add 2 additional days to my vacation return date on my voice mail and email autoresponders. This setup of the proper expectations that no one will receive anything from me in those two days. Setting the proper expectation is key to returning to the workplace with ease.
  • Setup one-on-one meetings (via phone is fine) with each of your staff and managers within the first 2 days of returning to the office. Once again – only focus on the things that are relevant to the future, although a quick summary of the past is fine in these review meetings. Before ending each call, highlight any Action Items, Deadlines, and Owners on relevant projects.
  • Return only the calls on items that are still relevant. Don’t waste time on things that have passed. You have successfully done your job to assign a “second in command” and your second-in-command has done his/her job.
  • Update your Individual Development Plans (IDP) with your new goals. Review your Personal Business Commitments (PBC) to see if they are still accurate and up to date. Since you have scheduled this “catch-up” time and have not committed to any significant deliveries in the first 2 days of your return, use this time to review your business commitment performance. This is a great time to make sure your individual development plans and business goals are still on track.
  • It’s also a good idea to review them before you go on vacation – to allow your subconscious to work on your next role, your next promotion and the steps you need to accomplish to achieve those goals.   This sets up your subconscious to work on these ideas while you are on vacation. When you return, you revisit your IDP and PBC to update them accordingly.

In my Professional Development Tool online course and in my various coaching packages, we go over the IDP and PBC in more detail. If you would like to learn more about those services, setup a quick discovery call at https://www.timetrade.com/book/WFSFQ

The key is to have confidence in the team that you left in place to handle things while you were away. A highly effective professional makes sure things will run smoothly when they are away.

 

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. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

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

What’s in a job title?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert 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 turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.


jobtitleWhat’s in a job title? How does one pick the appropriate job title? What does a title say about us?

A rose given any other name still smells as sweet. So – what’s in a job title anyway? How important is it?

If you had asked me this question several years ago, my answer would be very different. My answer would probably center on individual prestige or associated with the number of years and experience associated with a particular job role or responsibility. Today, my recommendations lean toward looking at what we are trying to accomplish with that title.

Today, I would go back to the company’s goal or the directive. If – for instance, your job is to influence high-profile, high-paying client – then your job title needs to be prestigious enough to warrant their time and attention.

A high-profile client may schedule time with a Director of Research versus a Software Engineer.   But having the owner of the company be the one to install the product at their test lab – may have the opposite effect. It may put unwanted exposure that you are a one-man show versus a long-established company. In that situation, you might want to underscore your founder/owner status and just state that you are here to install their new software.

An unhappy customer may feel better heard if the Customer Advocacy Manager is working with them, versus Tech Support Staff (even though the Tech Support person is handling all the customer advocacy issues).

The audit team might feel better talking to your Division Audit Officer versus your QE Manager (even though the QE Manager is also the one handling all the Audit and Process issues).

Since business cards are inexpensive and you can create your own, having several cards with different titles is useful. To avoid fumbling through which card to give out – have your goal and purpose in mind before the networking event or meeting. Then only bring those cards to the event.

So, in general – my recommendation is to directly associate the job title that will make it easier to achieve the results that you want. Don’t focus on the “years of experience” or “conventional title hierarchy”. Get creative in your job titles – and focus on what you really want to achieve with them.

If your target client values creativity and inventiveness, get creative with your titles. If your target client is more procedural and strategic, then more conventional titles would appeal to them. Focus on the goals and what would attract the target clients.

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. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

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

How can I keep activity/participation high around slower demand seasons like the holidays?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert 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 turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into the business you love to run.
Today’s comment came from a busy professional.

The success of my mobile app relies heavily on the activity of users being high and consistent. We have seen a drop in participation which I believe is correlated to it being Thanksgiving weekend. I am predicting the same drop in activity around Christmas and New Year. What are some marketing techniques I can undergo to build up activity and keep my audience interested?

 

Without knowing what your “mobile app” does – it’s hard to give a specific answer. But one way is to provide apps for those specific holiday or natural slumps. For instance, if your target market are parents with small kids – providing a mobile app that tracks Santa’s activity level between Nov – Jan, incorporates the season’s activities.

If you mow lawns, offering leaf-blowing and snow shuffling for the fall and winter months (when the lawn is not growing) are some additional services designed for the natural “mowing-lawn” slumps.

If you own a greet card company, offering CARE packages (Congratulations, Appreciation, Recognition and Encouragement) packages for the slumps between busy holidays card-giving seasons is a way to up-turn the down-turn of business.

Once again – without understanding your target audience, it’s hard to answer this question. Let’s chat so that I can better understand your unique situation. Then I will be able to better recommend your next steps.  It’s really easy to setup an appointment directly into my calendar with this link: https://www.timetrade.com/book/WFSFQ

Are there career risks a person should never take?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert 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 turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

Are there any career risks that a person should never take?  These career risks may be on the job, during a job search, while networking, or some other aspect.

Everyone is different, so it’s difficult to say what absolute career risks different people should never take.  Career risks are relative to each person’s tolerance to financial security, family obligations, and debt/credit issues.
But there is the adage of “The bigger the risk, the higher the reward”.

The general rule of thumb is – if you are proactive with your risk-management activities, then no career move is off the table.  Take the time to do a risk analysis (determine the probability and impact of the risk) on your career decision. If the probability of it actually “falling apart” is low and the impact is insignificant, then simply go for it.
If the Probability of it “actually falling apart” is HIGH AND the Impact of the situation is significant/major – make sure you have a contingency plan in place.  If you have an appropriate contingency plan in place, it’s still a feasible path.

For example – What if you are considering giving your manager an ultimatum to give you a raise or you will walk?  What is the career risk of this action?

1) Since you have been the top sales person, was responsible for single-highhandedly responsible for 60% of the company’s profits, MVP for the last 3 year and is currently making lower than 10% of your sales – the probability of you getting fired is low AND the impact of moving on is low because you can easily find another job based on your past performance and client connections.  In this scenario – go for it.
2) But what if you are already being paid more than you bring in and are in debt (which is why you need to ask for a raise)?  At the same time, you have been getting Average and Below-Average performance ratings in the last 3 years. Well then the probability of you not getting the raise is HIGH and the impact of you losing your job (via this ultimatum)  is significant (because you are currently in debt and have not savings).  So – should you avoid asking for the raise? Is this a career risk that you can’t afford to take?  Not necessarily.

My recommendation is to find another way to accomplish your goal.  The real goal is to increase your income. Propose a change in position in the company that is salary based (versus sales commission).  It may be a better match to your talents, allowing you to get higher performance ratings and a higher, consistent income/salary.

So – take that time to do a risk assessment on your significant decisions, regardless of the situation (professional, personal and private).

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. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

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

You may be a micro-manager, if you ….

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Often times, people think a micro-manager is someone that stands over the employee’s shoulders every hour. But that’s not totally true.   There are other traits to a micro-manager that you may be falling into without knowing it.

 

  • If you haven’t taken vacation, you may be a micro-manager
  • If you haven’t delegated the lead of some of your staff meetings, you may be a micro-manager
  • If you haven’t allowed your team to run the show, you may be a micro-manager.
  • If you are afraid of taking a day off, you may be a micro-manager.
  • If you are afraid of what will happens when you are not there, you may be a micro-manager
  • If you haven’t allowed your team to fail, you may be a micro-manager

 

Instead of being afraid of what happens when you are not there — allow things to happen by not being there. You may be pleasantly surprised.

If you don’t allow people to try these things on their own, you miss the opportunities for growth and excellence in both them and YOU. If you are too busy taking on other people’s responsibilities, you don’t have the time for your growth and promotions.

How to track remote employee’s activities

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert 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 turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

 

What is a good CRM for remote employees that tracks what they are doing every minute

I have a remote employee on a significant base who works from home and road with android phone. I want to track their day.

I want an CRM web app that runs on desktop and android phone:
– Sends me a daily email report that
1) chronologically lists how previous day was spent including


A) work day start time,
B) calls outgoing and incoming
– start, end time, contact, result
C) emails reading & writing
– start, send time, contact, result
D) meetings
– start, end and result.
E) Other activities eg driving
– start, end, contact, result


2) Sales pipeline status changes and value in graph format.

This should be done as automatically as possible. Ideally with no typing by salesperson. Ie buttons only. Or only one word typing if req.

I apologize if this answer seems too blunt….but I think it will be easier to find a salesperson that you trust. Requesting an app that automatically shows you exactly what they do every minute illustrates a lack of trust in their capability and competence. It’s better to find the type of people that you will value and trust; people with the right work ethics, experience and talent — then to try to micromanage those traits into the wrong people. The right people will be turned off and quite. And the wrong people will find a way around your app.

Keep it simple. Simply focus on your required results.
If you have sales quotas and success metrics in place – and they are meeting the success criteria; why do you need to know what they ate for breakfast?

My recommendation is to do your best to hire talented and trustworthy people to begin with. Setup goals and objectives around those important metrics (like hitting at least 20 sales calls a week, making at least 5 sales per week, or whatever you deem necessary). Then allow them to fully express their talent and skills they way that best works for them – in regards to meeting those success criteria.

If they are not meeting their quotas, offer them additional training or fire them.
If they are meeting your quotas, don’t fix what ain’t broke.

If you still need this day-to-day checking; I recommend setting up a daily 5 minute call with this person or team. In the agile development (this is called a SCRUM meeting), where you meet daily for a very short time to answer the critical status questions. For you – you may want to have a daily status meeting to report their sales made, sales in the pipeline, expected sales closed dates for those items in pipeline, any roadblocks to closing on time and if they need any help in closing the deals.
Bottom line – It’s a waste of time to “big brother” everything your sales person does. Setup clear expectations in regards to number of sales, leads, and lead-to-sales ratios. Then track only the metrics that bring in the money. Don’t worry about how they get it done. Just focus on the results and treat your team like experienced and valued professionals.

For you would like more information on how to better manage your team or increase their performance, why don’t we schedule a short call. That way I will be able to learn more about your unique situation and be able to recommend your next best step moving forward.

We also have a Professional Development Toolkit ecourse available for self-study.

 Once again, 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. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

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

Overcoming Your First Mistake At A New Job

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert 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 turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

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

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

 

Overcoming Your First Mistake At A New Job

What advice do you have for new hires having to own up to their first big mistake on the job? Is there a professional way to apologize? What is the best way to bounce back after making a mistake?

 

First recommendation is to relax. Everyone that starts a new job is focused on making a good impression. We all want to prove that they were right to hire you. Everyone would be a little nervous about making a mistake. The good news is that everyone makes mistakes. It’s just that we feel more vulnerable at a new job, versus when we’ve been at a position for awhile. So my first recommendation is to relax.

Next is to avoid the term “mistake” and replace it with the idea that you were trying something new. Professionals makes “mistakes” when they are trying something new, experimenting, and stretching beyond their comfort zone. This is a good thing. People that never make mistakes are not growing, exploring or evolving. Every action or decision that you take merely generates more data and results. The results are either moving you closer to your goals OR giving you more data that will get you toward your goal.

The last concept is that your mistake doesn’t ruin your reputation.  It’s how you respond to your mistake that makes or breaks you in the eyes of your coworkers and employer.  By taking the initiative to correct, improve and eliminate the repetition of that same mistake is always a good step.  By creating an automated procedure, utility, better documenting the steps, or sharing the knowledge with others not only stops you from repeating the error but stops everyone that follows you.
Think like the owner of the company.  What would the business owner like to see come from this situation?

Under no circumstances would you try to cover up or blame someone else for the error. Taking responsibility for a situation isn’t taking the blame. Taking responsibility is actually being able to respond to the situation (response – able). Being able to respond to any difficult situation is a sign of a leader.

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. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

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

Mono-tasking Versus Multi-tasking

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert 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 turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

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

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

Multitasking is out, mono-tasking is in. But how do we learn to focus on just one task at a time? Looking for practical workplace tips on mono-tasking and efficiency.

One recommendation is to realize that “multi-tasking” and “mono-tasking” is really the same thing.   You can only fully focus on one thing at a time. You can only be effective on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking just means that you are churning from one task to the other – but still you are only focused on one item at a time. It’s just that you are only focused on that one item a very short amount of time. You are only fully engaged in that one task for only a few moments. In my opinion, the false encouragement of multitasking supports attention disorder. We proudly announce that we are an expert in multi-tasking – when you are trying to express that you are very organized and able to project manage various tasks. The skill is not in the switching and churning from task to task. It’s not the ability to do multiple tasks at the same time. The organizational skill is in the efficiency, accuracy and quality in which you complete your tasks on time and within budget.

Mono-tasking is merely extending the length of time that you elect to focus on a task or item. Mono-tasking, like any skill, takes practice.   The key to stay focused on a task until its appropriate conclusion is to break the task into manageable mini-tasks.

This is described in more detail in the Sprint and Buffer strategy in the Professional Development Toolkit online course. For more information on this ecourse, follow this link <Professional Development Toolkit>

Once you have your tasks split into mini, self-contained tasks (as described in the Sprint and Buffer method), the next step is to take control of your time and calendar.

Here are some additional suggestions:
1) Make proper use of your “do not disturb” signs on your office door, your instant messages and your phone.  Educate people on when they can and can not disturb them.

2) Schedule regular meetings.  Take the time to setup quick (regularly scheduled) meetings with your entourage and staff.  If people know they will be meeting with you every Tuesday for 10 minutes, they tend to hold all their issues until that date/time – eliminating interruptions.

3) Use Sprint and Buffers:  If you are having problem focusing all day on one task, split the task into mini-tasks with breaks or buffers between the mini-tasks.  Then you can switch to a different task or area in between those mini-tasks for some variety.

4) Set the timer.  If you can’t focus for a long time on something without getting distracted, set your timer for 20 or 30 minutes.  Stay focused on that task until the timer goes off. Often times when you know, in advance, how much time you have to work on something – you become more productive and focused. Often times when you set yourself a time limit to get something done, you challenge yourself to get it done before the timer. Make it a game.

5) Use the timer to distract yourself back to work.  If you take longer breaks then you intend, use the timer to bring you back to work.  For example, if you take a break with social media or internet searching – you can often allow time to get away from you.  By setting the timer for 10 or 15 minutes – the alarm will distract you back to reality.  This allows you to take those spontaneous side-tracks without getting lost in time.

6) Implement the “parking lot” method (discussed in more detail in the Professional Development Toolkit) to jot down any extraneous and spontaneous ideas that come to you while you are focused on this particular task. This allows you to keep track of your great ideas AND still stay focused on what you need to accomplish “at this moment”. After you have completed your scheduled task, then review your parking lot items to prioritize and schedule quality time for those items.

7) If you feel that you cannot us the “do not disturb” solution because your manager is a micromanage, then you need to proactively ease his/her anxiety over the status of things. If you regularly and frequently provide status reports that anticipate issues and questions – you reduce his/her need to micromanagement, reduce interruptions; and increase the trust between you and your manager.

For more tips to realistic scheduling, check out the article “12 Tips to Realistic Schedule”. Download your copy <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. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

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

How to get a good reference.

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert 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 turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

Is there any specific way to ask for a reference (i.e., is it more appropriate to do over email, or over the phone, or in person?) – Who should you ask for a reference? (i.e., can you only ask your boss or is it appropriate to ask a colleague or someone you worked with on a different team?) – What are some ways to gently coach your reference? – If you are let go from a job, what’s the best way to get a decent reference? – If you didn’t get along with your boss, are there any good ways to get a decent reference? – What if your past company’s policy is that HR will only verify employment? Should you ask your boss or colleagues for a reference anyway?

 Whether you are going after references or testimonials, it’s good to have at least 3-5 references that show your breathe and depth of responsibility and aptitude.

Consider having at least one reference in each of the following:

 

1) Manager or 2nd Line Manager:  doesn’t have to be your boss, any manager that knows your value and contribution to the company’s bottom line.

 

2) Co-worker – to illustrate team work, cooperation and collaboration.

 

3) Client – to illustrate quality and attentiveness to service; as well as creativity and problem solving skills.

 

If you are a business owner, consider the following categories

1)    Current client

2)    Current sponsor or investor

3)    Current vendor

 

Depending on your desired next position (or business opportunity) – select references that will highlight the traits that you want to promote. For example, if you are currently an assistant teacher and you are going after a graphics designer of training materials; highlight your presentation skills and training portfolio. Highlight the graphics you created for the training materials versus the overseeing of children during lunch.

If you are a developer and you are going after a manager of developers and testers, highlight your team leadership skills and collaboration skills with the developers, testers, sales, technical writers and managers. Highlight your on time delivery, coordination and project management skills versus the ability to program in less time and code lines than anyone else. Be selective and strategic in the skills you highlight.

One way to coach your references – is to actually supply them with a template or sample version.  This saves them time and allows you to emphasize what you want them to emphasize.  They can modify as they see fit – but you have made it easier for them to do what you want.

 As for finding reference after you have lost your job – I always recommend collecting references and testimonial every time you accomplish or achieve something significant. Collect the references throughout your career – don’t wait until you need it. This is what your Professional Career Press Kit is all about. For details on what is and how to create a Professional Career Press Kit, setup a one-on-one consult or take advantage of the eCourse The Professional Development Toolkit.

For a list of the 10 Tool to Advance Your Career, request using this link <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. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

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