Career Derailment

Take Your Dreams Off Hold

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There will always be economic highs and lows, jobs and bosses we don’t like, and life circumstances we allow to stymie us. We believe it is just the way life is. To further complicate and prevent us from taking charge of our careers, we employ worn-out excuses of not having enough time or money, being afraid of failure or even of success. Yet none of these excuses and thought processes will move you forward to achieve your aspirations in life.  It’s time to take your dreams off hold!

First, embrace the fear! Now, blast through it by identifying and handling the most pressing issue keeping you from your dream (for example, if you need money: find additional income; if you need child care: trade services with other mothers; if you need a different job: talk with your human resource department). Second, clarify in writing what you really, really, really want, establish a short-term goal, and now create a focused action plan.  Run it by others to ensure it will produce the intended results.  Third, find or develop a group of like-minded people (family, friends, or boss) to keep you on task and provide time- and money-saving ideas. Hire a coach to keep you focused on the right things and moving forward if you are pursuing a business venture. (https://seibco.com/contact/)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

You Are a Champion

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In many companies, employees are expected to “dummy down” and not share their accomplishments. Statistically women, more than men, have a very difficult time sharing their achievements, since most were taught as children that it’s impolite to brag. The result? Because employees don’t give voice to their successes, they don’t receive the promotions, pay increases, and business recognition deserved. Business owners don’t get the contract bids and industry reputation required to succeed because they don’t tout their accomplishments. There is an art to learning how to brag in a business-savvy manner. Get your copy of It’s Time to Brag! and complete the five simple exercises. Share your successes, and experience increased success. (http://TimeToBrag.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Is your ethical compass spinning?

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When ethical issues get overlooked during the design and implementation of a project, everyone blames somebody else. It’s very easy to succumb to the strongest advocate’s point of view that ethical issues won’t matter. But the problems created by lies or by dismissing the truth won’t resolve themselves. As the leader, you need to guide your team on how to proceed. Make it easy for your employees and peers to bring these types of concerns to your attention—discovering ethical issues down the road usually makes them more costly, if not impossible, to fix. Don’t shoot the messenger! Don’t blame the informer for someone else’s theft or violation of company policy. Is your ethical compass still spinning? Now is the time to call a highly experienced business advisor, someone who can confidentially bring clarity on how to resolve ethical issues. Remember, ethical doesn’t always mean easy!  http://SeibCo.com/contact

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

How do you handle the company bully?

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People can be difficult to converse with when they are being bullies constantly in search of special favors. As an executive, you don’t have the luxury of avoiding them. However, you can minimize and structure your interactions to be effective. First, listen to their request. Don’t dismiss it simply based on who’s asking. Second, ask what the return on investment is. Third, have them put it in writing. Fourth, make a decision that works best for the company. For additional insights on how to handle difficult interactions, get your copy of Most Discussions Require More Than 140 Characters! https://seibco.com/books/eguides/

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

How does “new normal” impact your leadership?

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The new normal is a paradigm shift. Old thoughts and beliefs are being replaced with new expectations about sustaining and growing our businesses. We may have to take new actions in order to acquire new clients and embrace new technology to meet expanding needs. We may need to refine marketing, sales, and hiring systems or give them a complete overhaul. But we will still need to measure successful operations, financial growth, and strategic planning against the company’s actual results to ensure we’re headed where we want to go. Integrity and ethics will be increasingly scrutinized by prospective customers and prospective top talent in the new normal.  Sometimes these shifts are for the better, and sometimes they are simply a passing fad.

A new executive kept telling the CEO they needed to make changes in their marketing plan and sales activities to attract larger companies. The CEO kept reminding her that “bigger clients are not always better ones, nor do they necessarily provide bigger ROIs.” The company’s strategic plan was deliberately focused on small to medium-sized clients. The new executive was unwilling to adapt and left because of poor job fit after 18 months—and the company grew and prospered because her replacement embraced the company’s strategic vision.

What is your responsibility as a leader? Stay consciously aware of shifting criteria. Some principles will start quietly until they become so loud that they demand your attention. Others are much more subtle and may only hang around until they are replaced by a newer craze or trend. Regardless, don’t follow blindly along. Take charge of defining which changes will work well for your company. Infuse as much objectivity as possible when making any modifications, and don’t forget the human factors, regardless of how small the modification. Your employees’ emotional reactions will create a smooth or difficult transition.

“The grass is greener at other companies” is a myth many job-hoppers believed when taking new positions that promise increased pay and work responsibilities. They may find that their new employer does not offer the same benefits package and other perks as their old one, or that their new bosses are not better people and project managers. Increased work responsibilities could instead simply mean working longer hours with fewer resources!

The key? Don’t become an ostrich with your head in the sand. Investigate and explore the potential impact of any new normal. Consciously choose when, where, why, and how to follow—or not! You don’t want to be left scrambling to refocus on the right things.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Rewire Your Leadership

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  • Are there rumblings about you that are becoming harder to ignore?
  • Is your boss or board upset over something you’ve done and you’re unclear why?
  • Did you fail to meet budget or ROI requirements when executing a project?
  • Are disgruntled employees or peers pointing fingers at you?

Business is rapidly changing. We need to change too! It’s time to rewire our leadership! As many successful executives will tell you, hiring the right business advisor/executive coach and being coachable are two primary ingredients for success. It’s lonely at the top! The feedback you’re looking for within your organization can be hard to come by or fraught with ambiguities.

Too often we are unaware that our job is about to be sidelined or could soon end. Even when there are clear signs that we’ve made mistakes or ignored less-clear indicators, we fail to act in a proactive and positive way. Unfortunately, some C-suite bosses will delay in making the inevitable decision to terminate, and leave us with a false sense of hope that all is well.

 

A high-level manager with 20 years of experience worked at a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company. She asked her boss’s boss the wrong question at the wrong time. He took it personally and began a covert crusade to get her fired. She sensed something was wrong and contacted me. We resolved the problem within 30 days! Soon thereafter she applied for and accepted a new position with a salary increase, a job that wouldn’t have been offered to her without the work we did. We kept talking to ensure she didn’t inadvertently step on any new land mines or shoot at any sacred cows in her new job. Several years later she retired, received an early retirement package, and is now happily traveling around the United States and Europe.

 

Regardless of your years of experience, job knowledge, and allies, you can still say or do something that sidelines your career. Although you may lack clarity as to what happened or rely on others’ friendly sentiments that it will all work out, there are always signals to pay attention to and handle immediately with outside guidance. (Insiders may be less willing to get involved for fear of reprisals.)

 

A man who had many years of executive experience finally got an opportunity he really wanted. He started the job with bravado and relied on promises of advancement. Although it was a poor strategy for a leader, his primary goal was to be liked. He failed to discern what needed to be done to move the company forward—even though he was apprised of the required results. Soon he was dragging through his days. Employees stopped talking to him. His boss sidelined him by ignoring him or going on a rampage over his mediocre results. He refused outside coaching and clung to the false belief that he “knew what needed to be done.” After several less-than-subtle conversations with his boss to try and rectify the situation, he was fired. Unfortunately, his anger will keep him unemployed for a long time.

 

Instead of listening and learning, we rationalize or justify our beliefs about “how things should be.” We fail to do what is necessary or fail to understand why it’s in our best interests to clean up problems in our working relationships. Then, we are mystified when people stop talking to us or stop providing us with critical information. Subtly we withdraw from the team and become overly critical of the company’s direction or activities. None of these unconscious strategies work well for anyone’s career.

 

“Jeannette’s work with executive and leadership teams is targeted and focused in a way that will align the people side of your business with its goals and growth objectives.” —Nikki Ellison, Co-Founder, ELEVATE

 

Rewire your leadership provides clarity, knowledge, and best practices to rectify the situation through executive coaching customized for your challenges. The mark of a great leader is learning how and when to effectively clean up mistakes and focus on ignored issues while developing positive relationships. Many executives have poor project management skills. Learning how and when to get help can be a challenge. Outside objectivity is the key to your success.

Your first step is to call SeibCo—we have been providing qualified business advisory services for over 21 years to over 75 executives; along the way, three became millionaires.

We can help you make the difference to keep your job title, paycheck, renew your commit to doing the right things in your job, achieve the required results, improve your declining reputation and likeability, and stay employed.

The key is to do it now before it is too late.

Only you can do the work. Do it the right way for the right results. Don’t go it alone.

Contact me today!

Contact Jeannette Seibly today: http://SeibCo.com/contact.

To read Jeannette’s profile, recommendations, and endorsements, go to www.linkedin.com/in/jeannetteseibly/

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013  All Rights Reserved

Use an outside sounding board to get you out of the mind-forest.

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“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” —Albert Einstein

When you’re immersed in the mind-forest of logic and/or emotions, your inner monologue can disguise the best path for your company to follow. You usually find yourself in these predicaments when there is a lack of clarity in the direction you’ve taken or a lack of integrity in the decisions you’ve made. Many times the problem could have been prevented if you had used an outside sounding board (e.g., a mentor, business advisor, or advisory board). It is easier for someone on the outside to point out the current or predicted obstacles, because they are not attached to the inner workings of your business. They can help you generate a new commitment to develop and execute a workable solution while creating an ethical, but not always easy, best course of action to achieve the right results.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Who have you talked with on the outside to get a clearer view of the inside of your company?

Impatience stymies the best of plans.

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Many gung-ho executives and entrepreneurs have one thing in common: They can be in denial about how fast they can achieve their vision or idea. Although failure is not an option for these dynamic leaders, their impatience stymies the best of plans.  While being confident and persistent are important, so is the ability to work with and through others to make the plan a reality. Emotions, office politics, wanting to be the best at the expense of others, or being focused on a personal million-dollar payout will cloud logic, ethics, good business practices, and common sense. Impatience diminishes the effectiveness of your team! Learn how to tame your impatience and use perseverance and dedication effectively to propel your team forward.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

An executive coach’s job

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An executive coach’s job is to tell you what you need to know, not what you want to hear. She or he is a sounding board with whom you can verbalize your intentions and fears, since sole reliance on your internal mental monologues can often steer you in the wrong direction. You could be led astray because you misread economic or business indicators, don’t track metrics and adjust accordingly, or simply fail to understand how to work with and through people to elicit ideas and generate focused actions to get the job done. Successful executives know that having a confidential sounding board is particularly invaluable when they hit the inevitable wall.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

How has an executive coach helped you?

Do you sound like a four-year-old?

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“I don’t want to and I shouldn’t have to.” Many professionals take new positions that include tasks they don’t enjoy and are unwilling to do because the new job offers a better paycheck, job title, or other perks. Yet every role has those hated obligations that you need to get done right in order to keep your job. A childish reaction of “I shouldn’t have to do it” is never a good attitude, and doesn’t bode well for future opportunities either.  

One client wanted a new job and got it. He took on a job his new co-workers refused to do. He met with each client and asked the tough question “What can we do to improve?” It transformed his ability to deal with controversy and build teams to resolve issues, and it positioned him for a big new job—running his own company.

Instead of focusing on what you don’t want to do, adjust your attitude and focus on the results. One solution is to focus on resolving customer dilemmas (both internal and external). Or, focus on system improvements you can create with your team by learning the procedures from start to finish. By developing the right inner talk and correct actions, though you may not love your assignments, you’ll get them done well—the sign of a leader with a high social intelligence. This can-do attitude will be recognized when it is time for performance reviews, pay increases, bonus payouts, and promotion opportunities. (Don’t forget to learn how to share these achievements in a business-savvy manner! http://TimeToBrag.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013