7 Tips for Managing “Whitewater” Conversations
For 13 summers, I worked in the Grand Canyon as a whitewater guide to pay for my college education. Running the river was the highlight of my young life to that point in time. I loved the beauty of the canyon and river, as well as the excitement and changing nature of our experiences. In order to keep my passengers and me safe, I learned very quickly to be focused not only on what was happening right then, but to look ahead, have a plan, consider what could happen, and have a plan for managing those contingencies.
Success: It’s in Your Hands (and Mind)
Often people will work and work, then see others being promoted over them. They ask themselves: what have they got that I haven’t? Their typical solution – obviously I have to work harder! As a result, they buy into a dangerous narrative in which work dominates at the expense of everything else in life. The paradox, of course, is that the leaders who made the decision about your promotion have probably picked up on that.
Perfecting the 6 Parts of a Cover Letter
Many online job listings state that a cover letter is optional. Meanwhile, some employment writers have suggested that cover letters are obsolete. Neither is true. A well-written cover letter is still an essential job-seeking tool.
How to Use Stories to Convey Values
Are the stories being told within your organization today the kind of stories that clarify your desired culture? Storytelling is one of the most effective and impactful methods for communicating the desired culture of your organization to its members. For centuries, tribes of all kinds have utilized storytelling to support their desired culture. In man’s early history, those stories were told around the campfire each evening, with tribe members going to sleep with a clear image of preferred tribe behaviors, values, and norms in their minds.
How Recruiters Can Cope with a Changing Talent Landscape
What’s that line, “change is inevitable,” right? Well that change has come to the recruiting world in a big way, and as recruiters, it’s up to you to work with these changes and keep the talent pipeline into your company open and flowing.
The Future of Work: 3 Key Skills Employers are After Right Now
The world of work is constantly changing. Not least because of the impact of technology, which is constantly progressing and evolving in order to help organizations succeed.
This is no different when it comes to the government. It needs to deliver information and services to people anywhere and anytime, on any device or platform. As such, there’s been a huge focus in improving digital services in order for the government to thrive.
What Happens When Your Soft Skills Kill Your Career?
I spend a lot of time listening to job seekers discuss their skills and accomplishments and expressing their concerns as to how those skills can help or hinder their job search and their careers. Unfortunately, not enough emphasis is put on soft skills, which are the most important ones. Soft skills are the non-measurable, subjective skills that are not specific to one’s role, industry, or their career. They typically speak to how well one interacts with others. They are essentially personality traits that help define one’s character, however, they do offer less proof of their experience.
Leadership: The Sharing of Wisdom
Should you ever visit Australia, a trip to Australia’s island state of Tasmania is a must. On the Tasman Peninsula, near the township of Eaglehawk Nest, is a rare geological formation known as the ‘Tessellated Pavement’. This is a compressed rock formation that over millions of years has been eroded into what seems like tiles that have been laid by the sea. You can read more about this at Tasmania National Parks.
Looking for a Federal Government Job? These 7 Tips Can Help!
The federal government is the country’s largest employer, with more than 2.7 million nonmilitary employees and as many as 90,000 new hires each year. On any given day, the government has as many as 10,000 job openings in areas as diverse as health care, law enforcement, engineering, tech support, and landscaping.
The Secret To Communicating With Millennials
“I think the problem is that these millennials just don’t care,” Sara shared with us candidly in a moment of total frustration.
We both looked at each other and then at her, “Uh…you do realize YOU are a millennial, right?”
“Yeah, yeah,” she acknowledged, “but I’m a DIFFERENT kind of millennial.”
Of course she is, and so were the people who were frustrating her.
No matter what generation you’re in, we’d bet money you don’t feel like you fit the stereotype.
Enhance Your Meetings by Taking the Emotional Temperature of the Room
Have you ever felt a certain “temperature” in a room when you walk into a meeting? I’m not talking about whether the room is too hot or too cold, but the emotional temperature.
Discover the emotional temperature by making it easy for participants to state their feelings about the topic, process, or outcome. This knowledge gives you a productivity edge. Check out this example. It was a tiring meeting, but we knew it would be. The strategic planning discussion would set the future direction and tone for the organization.
Two Proven Approaches to Catching People Doing Things Right
During a session with a culture change client, the organization’s president had an epiphany: “For 30 years I thought my job was to manage processes and results. This culture change journey has helped me redefine my job – to manage people’s energy.”
Why Your Self-Esteem Is Tied to Your Negotiation Skills
Do you feel extreme discomfort, anxiety, and apprehension whenever you have to reach an agreement with others on contractual terms? You may not realize this, but low self-esteem might be damaging your deal-closing success rate. Your self-esteem is tied to your negotiation skills in a number of essential ways.
Writing a Motivational Letter for a Government Career
You know how to write a resume. But when it comes to a government sector, it’s not enough for paving your way for the dream job. A wisely structured personal statement aka motivational letter is that very detail you need to stand out from the crowd of other candidates.
The Importance of Data Protection in a Government Career
World Backup Day is celebrated annually on March 31st. It serves as a reminder to the importance of protecting your data to avoid the risk of losing private and sensitive information. As a government employee, taking precautions to protect both your personal and work-related data is crucial.
Problems to Solve – You Need a Holiday!
Imagine giving such a response to your boss when they offer you a promotion or to take the lead on a strategically significant project for your Government agency. Imagine saying “sure, I’ll get onto that as soon as I’ve had a vacation with my family!” Too often we fear that such a statement will lead to such a career changing offer going towards someone else. We fear that it sends the wrong message! Does it though? The simple answer is that it does not necessarily have to be sending a negative message and creative leaders most likely know this!
Why Is the US So Unhealthy?
Why is the U.S. only the 35th healthiest country in the world? Can our federal and state governments do anything about it?
Building Trust Through Behavioral Integrity
Cornell University professor Dr. Tony Simons’ powerful article, “The High Cost of Lost Trust,” appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 2002. In that piece, he described his team’s efforts to examine a specific hypothesis (“Employee commitment drives customer service”) in the US operations of a major hotel chain. They interviewed over 7,000 employees at nearly 80 properties and found that employee commitment drives customer service, but, most critically, a leader’s behavioral integrity drives that and more.