Description
Join Us for the May Atlanta BENG Chapter Meeting
featuring Debbie Rodkin, MBA Linkedin
Debbie will speak on the topic: Cost Segregation
Date And Time
Tue, May 14, 2019
7:30 AM – 9:30 AM EDT
Mentors, Coaches, and Networking
This week I received an article from my friend, Faith, which she described as ‘must read.’ When Faith sends me a ‘must read’ article, I jump on it! This article was an excerpt from The Complete Guide to Building Your Personal Brand, a book written by Neil Patel and Aaron Agius. Actually, the article is chapter 6, How to Connect With Mentors.
The article begins by stating that “74% of hiring managers, believe that job seekers need the support of a mentor, counselor, or job coach whereas, only 40% of job seekers actually have a mentor to help them through the process.” They quoted Madeline Slutsky, Chairman of the Career Advisory Board and Vice President of Career Services at DeVry University who stated that “job seekers are doing themselves a huge disservice by ignoring the wealth of guidance and insight a mentor could provide.”
They quoted Rachel Louise Ensign of the Wall Street Journal who said that “a mentor can help a young worker answer tough questions about his or her career path and get perspective on the industry. The relationship may even help you eventually land a new job.”
After the setup and further prose on the value of mentors, the article laid out a systematic approach to identify a mentor, how to engage the prospective mentor, and the need to formalize a structure for a productive relationship.
This post was clearly meant for someone beginning their career, a primer as it were, which is fine. It’s an important topic, worth discussion. There’s so much to learn about navigating organizational cultures that one needs a mentor or coach to help accelerate their learning.
I find it useful to distinguish between the work of a coach and mentor. Although there may be some overlap in their approach, there is a difference. A mentor is more of a strategist and generalist whereas a coach is more tactical and specific. This point is a generalization, of course, as mentors can be strategic or tactical, depending on the situation. In my experience, mentors are people you call on to better understand the dynamics of a situation. They are guides. They don’t tell you what to do but help you learn by providing options to consider. A coach, on the other hand, helps you develop skills and provides feedback and encouragement. Another important distinction is that coaches are often paid for their services. Mentors are volunteers who gain satisfaction by giving back.
The situation is relevant as well. A mentor or coach appropriate for career development on the job may not be suitable to help you during a job search. A career coach experienced in job search will provide relevant tactical support for resume preparation, networking effectiveness, and interviewing skills, to name a few.
I couldn’t help but think that finding a mentor is a subset of building a network to support your career. That thought sparked my thinking on a broader level. Faith’s recommendations tend to do that. I was reminded of the chapter I’d just read from Strategic Connections. Those authors speak about the importance of creating teams to accomplish different objectives. They say that, depending on the nature of the objective, different personality types are required to achieve the objective. They identify 14 different archetypes as follows:
- The Sponsor
- The influencer
- The Cheerleader
- The Wise Elder
- The Novice
- The Heart
- The Wizard
- The Brain
- The Critic
- The Guru
- The Sarge
- The Promoter
- The Creative
- The Global Citizen
Thinking about the issue further, finding mentors and coaches is part of building your network. You’ve probably been on different teams from time to time, both at work and play, so you have experience. To achieve important goals, we often need to assemble a team. Depending on the nature of the objective, the team may be broad, or it may be small.
From a broader perspective, the issue is about building a network of people with diverse skills and perspectives who can be a resource to you. I believe it’s about developing relationships based on mutual respect and interests. You’re not only developing a team to support your needs; you’re a member of your contacts’ teams. Expect to be called on when they need you. Make sure to answer their call.
Thank you for visiting our blog.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
Jim Weber, Managing Partner
ITB PARTNERS
Houston, We Have A Problem!
I swear, I must have been transported into an alternate Universe this week, where I was an actor in a sitcom. Something resembling “I love Lucy.” You know how sitcoms are written, there is always the main plot with a few sub-plots working. By the end of the show, all the plots converge on one common theme. Yes, I was living through a sitcom episode in my alternate Universe.
It began a week ago Friday evening when my wife’s car wouldn’t start. She was at a job site which required the car to be towed to the nearest Dealer. It sat there until Monday when the Service Department opened.
As she is a residential contractor, she rented a car to keep her projects on track. Unfortunately, she fell in love with the rental and decided it was time for a new car. It must have been the electronics package. Naturally, I protested! Her car is ten years old but hasn’t even cracked 100,000 miles. In fact, it is very reliable and has had few problems. From my perspective, the car isn’t even broken in. We have been married for 43 years, so I knew how this would unfold. My best logic would be deployed to no avail. I could only hope to minimize my losses by working at the margins. By the beginning of the week, we weren’t speaking much. Houston, we have a problem!
I realize that most purchases are made on emotion and later justified by tortured logic. Surprisingly, I have come to believe that is not limited to the consumer world. All too often I have seen that scenario play out in the business world. This is was our sub-plot.
Monday, I met with a senior consultant for the local office of a National outplacement firm. He invited me to explore an opportunity to collaborate. I told him how we help our members understand and adapt to the new employment paradigm. I explained my view that we are all ‘free agents’ in a dynamic environment. Professionals will move between W-2 and 1099 status as tenures become shorter and shorter. We have little control over the employment situation created by the digital transformation of the economy. He invited me back to speak to his clients.
Tuesday, I moderated the monthly meeting of the BENG Atlanta Chapter. Our featured speaker, Erica McCurdy, a Master Coach, and ITB Partner facilitated a discussion entitled “Not every problem has a solution.” The gist of her message was don’t confuse situations with problems. There is a difference. A situation is a state of being; a confluence of events beyond one’s control. Situations require one to adapt whereas problems require solutions. Was it merely a coincidence that I was hearing this message from Erica?
It’s useful to know the difference between problems and situations to focus your energy on things you can change. If you try to change things that cannot be changed, your state of mind will suffer. By resolving things that can be changed, you will reduce stress and improve your life, especially if you eliminate unproductive effort.
Successful people view problems as opportunities to grow, improve, and adapt. For them, problems are a part of life. Their positive attitude toward problem-solving improves their outcomes. Experience makes future events easier to traverse. We should accept problems as a normal, unavoidable condition of life.
I spent the rest of the week evaluating situations and problems. As I dissected what I assumed were problems, I realized that some were situations. In these cases, I found opportunities to employ my leadership skills.
This week unfolded within the context of my wife’s desire for a new car. I had a situation. She had a problem. When she sets her mind on a course of action, I become a spectator. During our marriage, I can’t remember winning a major battle, but I’ve had success at the margins. Guys, I think you know what I mean. While I became more obstinate, digging in my heals, she negotiated a better deal. I lost, of course. I knew I would. My life was imitating art. Today, she is very happy with her new car. I live on to fight another day.
Thank you for visiting our blog.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
Jim Weber, Managing Partner
ITB PARTNERS
I’ve Got Nothing!
I recently attended an after-hours networking event hosted by Chad, a longtime friend. Over the past ten years, Chad has assembled a group of professionals who enjoy cigars. My kind of people! His networking events are held once a month at cigar friendly venues around the area. I believe I attended his kick-off event but haven’t been able to participate on a regular basis due to other conflicts. Most notably my monthly poker game. Chad’s strategy is to concentrate on building relationships first, with talk of business somewhat subdued. Business cards are exchanged by request only. I like his style. This is as it should be.
Chad’s most recent gathering was at a cigar friendly steakhouse in Buckhead. Chad had reserved a strategic location in the bar area near the live entertainment. It was a diverse group, including a few couples and two single women. There were IT folks, a few from the medical field, a realtor, a marketing director, and a lawyer and his wife. We were all about the same age and dressed in traditional business attire.
During the evening, I had other interesting conversations including one with the female marketing director. Let’s call her Carol. She arrived a little later than I and greeted the regulars before taking a seat next to me. She introduced herself and we struck up a conversation. Naturally, her first question was about my connection with Chad. I explained that we have known each other for many years and that I am on the group’s mailing list. I asked her the same question and went into full executive recruiter mode asking follow-up questions to keep the conversation alive. Carol was forthcoming, revealing her career interests and personal history, albeit just the basics. She told me that she feels very confident about her professional skills but mostly enjoys developing her coworkers. She admitted that she was frustrated that she doesn’t know how to leverage her strengths into a more significant role. She said she is passionate about giving back through various causes but hasn’t focused on one in particular. I asked if she had considered working with a career coach. Maybe her most interesting revelation was that she is an introvert, but she isn’t shy and that she’s intuitive. I confessed that I found that rather unique and agreed that she wasn’t shy. When she finished her story she asked for mine. At that point I was feeling a little mischievous. With a friendly smile, I said “since you told me you’re intuitive, why don’t you tell me about me?” She leaned back in her chair and looked me over. Then she said, and I quote, “I’ve got nothing.” I found that amusing. If our roles were reversed, I would’ve made up an interesting story, flattering her of course, to keep the conversation moving. Not missing a beat, I complied, and the conversation continued.
I revealed my background story, including the point that I work with coaches who could help her with her career aspirations. The conversation continued until other folks arrived and was redirected elsewhere. Carol is a delightful lady and I enjoyed our conversation. I must’ve admit however, I continue to be amused by her “I’ve got nothing” comment. It has become the punchline for our conversation. I’ve since told that story to other friends, both male and female. They found it amusing as well. Not because she didn’t regale me with flash of intuitive brilliance, but because she didn’t play along. Then again, I may have been the first to ask her to demonstrate her extra sensory skills. The rest of the evening was as enjoyable as my conversation with Carol, but our conversation was the highlight of the evening. Chad has developed a healthy culture within his group which
isn’t a surprise. ‘Good people’ attract other ‘good people’ and Chad is definitely ‘good people.’ I was very comfortable with his group and plan to attend future events.
At around nine p.m. I made a graceful exit, making a point to thank my host and say goodbye to everyone. As I was leaving, several guests asked for my business card and I received a few from others. I made a mental note to follow up with Carol as she could be a good client.
Professionally speaking, I had two takeaways from my conversation with Carol. The first was a minor thought that if one is talking about a personal skill, they should be prepared for questions about that skill, even in casual conversation. Be prepared to go with the flow. Of course, Carol could’ve been a bit risk-averse, although she didn’t take my suggestion as threatening.
The second and more important takeaway is that active listening is a powerful tool to make connections and build trust, the foundation of networking. One of my female colleagues reinforced that point yesterday. After a good laugh about my punchline she offered that people like to talk about themselves. The more you let them talk the greater their appreciation, which leads to rapport, the beginning of trust. Never underestimate the power of active listening!
Thank you for visiting our blog.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
Jim Weber, Managing Partner
ITB PARTNERS
Interview with a Career Coach
Last week I ended my post recommending that you seek professional help to achieve your career goals, especially if your efforts haven’t been successful. This week I am pleased to provide you with more information in this connection. What follows is my interview with my colleague Richard Kirby a Career Coach. Richard has been helping people achieve their career goals for 20 years, so he is the ideal person to provide insight into the subject.
Jim: Richard, thank you for making time to talk with me. To get started, tell me what a career coach does. Why does someone come to you for help?
Richard: Jim, I help my clients evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan to address those weaknesses. A large part of my work is to help them find a role that makes them happy. This may be with their current employer or with a new employer if they are between jobs.
Jim: That is terrific Richard! Can you tell me more about the process you follow to help your clients?
Richard: My process begins by having the client complete a self a valuation. I use a number of online assessments to identify needs for improvement. This helps me focus the client on their objectives. I also help them craft a marketing plan to land their desired role. It could be a role different from their current career path but one that will use the same skill set that is equally fulfilling. So, I help them identify and uncover career opportunities and to go after them.
Jim: After you’ve worked on needs and have developed a marketing plan, what’s next?
Richard: The next phase is to help them prepare for the interview. I began with a five page ‘how to prepare’ worksheet which gets the candidate thinking about answering questions they should expect. I also help the candidate respond to difficult questions which may relate to changing industry segments or gaps in their profile compared to the employer’s expectations for ideal candidate. We’ll conduct mock interviews, which I video, to be reviewed and studied by the candidate. I make notes and comments about their body language, verbal style, and the quality of their answers. Later, we have a follow-up discussion to reinforce the positives and identify work to be done. I am very hands-on with my clients.
Jim: Richard, how important is it to understand the employer’s culture? How do you coach a client in this area?
Richard: I have tools to help the client understand the target’s culture. I suggest they use Glass Door and talk with people who work for or have worked for the company.
Some aspects of the culture will inhibit the candidate from getting the first interview, like educational background or prior employment. There is nothing to do to fix those gaps, at least in the short run. It is different than one looking to improve their situation with their current employer as they are already part of the culture. They know it, live it, and understand it.
In one case a client was able to create his ideal job by finding a need that wasn’t being addressed. I coached him to present the need to the department head and then sell himself as the solution.
I consider myself to be the client’s champion. I am their chief motivator and inspiration. “I believe my clients have more potential and can achieve more than they think they can.” I push them to believe in themselves and to face their fears. A good coach must believe in their clients. I have turned down or canceled contracts with one or two who did not have enough self-confidence or failed to follow through on their assignments.
Jim: What else do you do for your clients, Richard?
Richard: For an additional fee, when appropriate, I help them negotiate an offer to arrive at the best possible outcome.
Jim: Richard, thank you for your time today! I am a big fan of your work, especially for people who find it difficult to achieve their career goals. I will provide links to aid anyone interested in more information about your services.
Thank you for visiting our blog.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
Jim Weber, Managing Partner
ITB PARTNERS
Author of: Fighting Alligators, Job Search Strategy For The New Normal