Archive for September 2009
By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.
A client expressed concern that they felt their search had lost its momentum. They were hesitant where or how to further their job search. I suggested they forget for a moment about looking forward and go back to their foundation; review some basics.
You know it is not always about trying to hit a home run. Keep in mind that it is the little details which make us successful. It is covering all the bases. For example successful athletes don’t always swing for the fence or make every toss a 60 yarder into the end zone. Instead they work at doing the little things right.
For example. a good baseball player will work on their stance, perfect their swing by keeping the shoulders level, maintain eye contact with the ball. They worry about their feet, their grip and their attitude. Imagine that one of the premier baseball pitchers of our time, Johan Santana of the New York Mets is pitching. He is standing up against one of the greatest hitters of our era, New York Yankees Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez. We have a match of heroic portion. There is Santana on the mound, thinking how is he going to pitch A-Rod? What is his strategy to keep A-Rod off-balance? He thinks, does he throw outside the strike zone, change speeds, vary pitch location, change velocity or alter his grip and the break on the ball? How does he keep A-Rod guessing, keep him off balance? What did his pitching chart say?
60 feet away is A-Rod. He watches Santana leans from the pitcher’s mound. Do I use my power stroke, contact swing? Will I be able to get my muscles into it and swing for the fence, he says to himself? Timing the pitch is my key. What’s coming, three balls is the count, advantage me. It will probably be down low in the strike zone. I have to gauge the speed. Do I try to hit a fly so the runner can tag up? Can I do a hit and run? Maybe I will get a good pitch to hit to the opposite field. Maybe get behind it and hit it to the right side.
These are two all stars at the top of their game. They are there because they did not leave their careers to chance. They understand to be successful they need to understand not only themselves but how the competition thinks too. Over time both Santana and A-Rod learned to play to their strengths and their opponents’ weaknesses. They have refined not only their ‘hard skills’ of swinging and throwing but also the soft skills that attempt to explain and predict, trying to be objective and see things not only through their perspective but also the eyes of the competitor.
Same stands true for your successful job search. Do the little things right. Write a perfect Résumé. Fine tune your cover letter. Work on your voicemail message. Prepare a telephone closing before you pick up the telephone. In many cases, the job search is won or lost before the first résumé is distributed, the first phone call is made, attend your first interview or negotiate that first contact. In other words, it is doing all the little things correct. Be brilliant with the fundamentals.
By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.
1)The purpose of a résumé is to secure an interview.
2)Use a profile summary to highlight your strengths at the very beginning of the résumé.
3)Brevity is a desirable trait in a résumé. One to two page résumés are preferable.
4)Sell yourself. Create a good first impression by highlighting skills and abilities appropriate to the position.
5)Use “active” language. Articulate marketable skills acquired through your previous positions.
6)Be consistent. Choose a pattern of spacing, format of highlighting and an order of information presented.
7)Present information in reverse chronological order.
8)You are not texting your friends. Use proper grammar & spelling.
9)Make sure your résumé is neat and visually appealing.
10)Make your résumé unique. Highlight special relevant accomplishments, experiences and skills.
11)If you have more education than work experience, list your education first.
12)Under skill categories, describe your responsibilities emphasizing your achievements.
13) Focus on nouns for electronically submitted résumés. Use appropriate current industry buzz words.
14)A strong handshake is essential.
15)Watch your posture and maintain direct eye contact.
16) Dress for the job you want.
17) Focus on what you bring to the table. Demonstrate that you are a team contributor.
18) Practice your responses to expected questions. Give precise, quantified answers and examples.
19) Get information about a company before the interview. Ask intelligent questions.
20)Do not ask about salary information or benefits until you are offered the job.
My top interviewing rule: If you do not arrive 15 minutes early, you are already late.
What is your favorite tip?
I was so moved with emotion immediately after the September 11 terror attacks, I wrote a poem called “Last Call”. Many of you know this poem was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul of America. It was also recorded as a beautiful song by my friend, Sara Green. On the one-year anniversary of the attacks, Sara’s incredible voice brought this poem to life for 10 New York City firefighters (and many others) during a Remembrance Memorial in Clearwater Florida. After that Memorial, Sara received the following e-mail from Lt. Brian Grisanti, Engine Co 160 F.D.N.Y.:
Date: September 24, 2002
“Hello Sara,
My name is Lt. Brian Grisanti. I recently retired from F.D.N.Y. I was present at the Sept. 11th Remembrance Memorial at the Harbor View Center in Clearwater FL this month. You might recall I made a speech during the ceremony. That was probably the hardest thing I was ever called to do, especially after hearing your rendition of ‘Last Call’. I am writing you to commend you on this beautiful song. I tried so hard to hold my emotions while you were singing, but I succumbed to tears.
I can personally relate to the words of this song because many of my brother firefighters were able to call someone before they perished. I heard this from many of their widows. My engine company is in quarters with Rescue Co. 5. We lost 11 men from my house that morning. I am still trying to come to grips with that loss.
Your song does put a lot of things in perspective and I find it quite healing. Myself and the other nine firefighters that joined me for the Memorial were gifted with a copy of the CD. I often listen to it, and it brings tears to my eyes every time. I just felt a need to let you know how your song touches me. Thank You for a job well done. And please, for the sake of the 343 firefighters and all the victims of that tragic day, NEVER FORGET!”
Sincerely,
Lt. Brian Grisanti
Eng. Co 160
F.D.N.Y.
To read the words and hear this beautiful song, please go to the Home page of www.davetimmons.com or click on the following links:
audio file: www.davetimmons.com/LAST_CALL.mp3
pdf words: www.davetimmons.com/LAST_CALL.pdf
Dave Timmons lives in central Florida. He was our speaker for HRTampa after 9/11 and read his poem to us. There’s nothing like hearing an author read their written words. I still hear his words in my head. This poem can be found in, ”Chicken Soup for the Soul of America book.”
As smoke and heat diminish from the mangled steel
and glass,
The hope of rescue workers faded in and out so fast.
Those heroes of our nation working tirelessly to find
a sound, a breath, some proof of life, to keep that hope
alive.
The victims were so innocent, just doing their life’s work,
In a nation called America, those most free on this earth.
Suddenly, a worker finds a cell phone flashing red.
He plays the “last call” message and this is what it said:
“Hello, it’s me, I’m calling to tell you I’m alright.
I’ve made it up to heaven; I tried to call last night.
The group that I arrived with is strong and brave and tall
And proud to be American’s while answering God’s call.
“I love you all and know I’ve been in all your thoughts and
Prayers
You need to know I felt no pain and made it safely here.
Now let me say a prayer for you of closure and of life,
Move on with courage and with faith that we will reunite.
“I know it’s sad; I’ll age no more, but in this you can trust:
My dreams were put back in the Earth in particles of dust:
That dust is in the air you breathe; I’ve past it on to you.
So please breathe deeply every day and make my dreams
come true”
Dave Timmons is a Leadership Artist who helps people become Leaders through the Art of Six String Leadership. For more information including Dave’s videos, please visit www.davetimmons.com/ or call (813) 948-6709.
By Lori S. Goldsmith, SPHR
In 2007, I won an honorable mention for the following poem in The Love Foundation’s, (http://www.thelovefoundation.com/) annual poetry contest.
“from the first”
babies crave sugar from the first taste
black white gay straight
we label
we teach
violence fear and hate
love respect responsibility
starts first
with me
to
teach
unconditionally
what can be
universally
begins with me
One of my employees once told me that he wished everyone could me like me – that I saw him and not his wheelchair.
To this day one of my proudest moments happened when I had taken on a Senior HR position with one of the world’s largest manufacturing and distribution companies. I started to do job analyses on all of our positions. One of our senior mangers, a Latin male, came to me and admitted that he did not read well and wanted to do a good job on the questionnaire so we set an appointment time so I could go through the process with him verbally. Cultural delimiters were eliminated. I knew I had earned his complete trust and respect.
Caring is the “heart of ethics.” As Edward James Olmos said the HR Florida State Conference & Expo, “There is only one race – the human race.”
As long as we are talking about labels: Democrats – Republicans, whatever your affiliation, our health care system is low ranking in comparison to other industrialized countries. Why is it so hard to wipe away the labels and just focus on the issues? To succeed, it is clear we all have to work together. I don’t have to like you or even agree with you, we do to respect one another and work together.
How many of your employees are unable to afford your company’s healthcare premiums? HR Professionals, let your voice be heard. SHRM Advocacy program makes it really easy for us.
Get involved. We must be part of the solution. To learn more: http://www.shrm.org/Advocacy/Pages/MoreaboutAdvocacyProgram.aspx
In my opinion freedom means responsibility and propriety. It is my hope that someday we all are judged solely on the way we represent the human race – not by cultural delimiters or party affiliation delimiters.
We made it. Finally, the last puzzle piece of Leaders Who R.O.C.K. will be revealed in this newsletter. If you’ve been keeping up with this series, you know it was created to share the secrets in the foundation of the most effective Leaders today. Simply put, this foundation is the ROCK that separates Great Leaders from mediocre managers. As a review:
1. The ‘R’ in ROCK stands for Remarkable RELATIONSHIPS (Jan. 2009 issue) 2. The ‘O’ in ROCK stands for Outstanding ORIGINALITY (Feb. 2009 issue) 3. The ‘C’ in ROCK stands for Consistent COURAGE (May – Jun 2009 issue)
The ‘K’ in ROCK stands for Key KNOWLEDGE. This is the knowledge that great leaders focus on to make them more effective. In fact, it is the specific knowledge that gives them an EDGE – which is coincidentally, the end of the word, knowl-EDGE. What do you need to KNOW and DO today to give you The Leader’s Edge? Here are four areas to consider:
PEOPLE – What new knowledge will give you the edge in influencing people?
The best Leaders seem to really know the people they must influence (employees, customers, stakeholders, etc.) They know their personal needs and desires; their hobbies and interests; their emotional hot buttons (family, aspirations, causes, etc.) They also know their professional skill sets and what they are capable of accomplishing.
PEOPLE Knowledge tips to consider:
1. Make a list of the people you need to influence. Become genuinely interested in the personal data points above and start a file or database to capture. Show your interest by including these topics in future conversations.
2. Learn all you can about the professional skills and attributes of the people you influence. Behavioral and skill assessments are often very helpful in determining strengths & potential.
3. Resources: Go to Amazon.com and do a ‘Top 5 Book’ search. I.e. Top 5 books on Leadership, or Management, or Psychology, etc.
TECHNOLOGY – What new knowledge in technology will help you lead smarter?
Are you current with what is happening in the world of personal and business computing? Today’s influencers must know how the continued explosion of technology affects their people, processes, and results. Do you tweet, blog, and text? Are there proprietary software programs or new equipment in your industry that will give you an edge? Does your website stand above your competitors and rank high on search engines?
TECHNOLOGY Knowledge tips to consider:
1. Attend conferences and trade shows in your industry to view and operate the latest technology specific to your business.
2. Take courses at local colleges or retail stores to become proficient with the latest Microsoft and Apple applications.
3. Get certified in high-profile technologies to increase your marketability and leadership skills.
FINANCIAL – What new financial knowledge do you need to produce breakthrough results?
Know how the numbers work! Every Leader must know how they make money, lose money, and impact the value of the enterprise. I continue to be surprised by the number of leaders and managers I meet who do not know the numbers of their unit or organization.
FINANCIAL Knowledge tips to consider:
1. Ask your boss or Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to teach you the basics.
Then ask them this question: What can my team and I do to more positively impact our numbers?
2. Brainstorm new ways of measuring activities that could make you more productive. What are you NOT measuring that you need to be successful?
3. Resources: ‘Reading Financial Reports for Dummies’, by Lita Epstein, MBA
EXECUTION – What new knowledge will give you the edge in ‘making things happen’?
Have you ever met someone who is super-educated and degreed, but never seems to do anything with their incredible knowledge? Leadership expert Dick Biggs puts it this way: “The biggest gap in life is the gap that exists between KNOWING and DOING”. The best Leaders I’ve studied not only have an edge in knowledge; they multiply that edge by doing something with it. What do you need to learn that will give you a greater bias for taking action?
EXECUTION Knowledge tips to consider:
1. Read books or study great military leaders, coaches, or business icons.
Pay particular attention with how they took action and executed their strategies.
2. Beware of too much information. It’s easy to fall into information overload (since it’s more accessible than ever) and never really do anything with it. Prioritize your learning.
3. Resources: Subscribe to online articles / RSS feeds from the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, McKinsey & Company, and CEO Express.
I congratulate those of you who are continuing their knowledge through a certification, MBA, Ph.D. or other knowledge event that makes you more valuable. We are living in the “Talent Age” and your ability to stay sharp and effective, while leading others to do the same, will clearly make you a Leader who ROCKS!
Dave Timmons is a Leadership Artist who helps people become Leaders Who R.O.C.K. through the Art of Six String Leadership. For more information including Dave’s videos, please visit www.davetimmons.com/or call (813) 948-6709.
I have been volunteering ever since I was in the first grade. My elementary school had a class for physically and mentally challenged children and my parents told me to ask the teacher how I could help. I learned respect and sensitivity at a young age and can’t imagine not being involved in my profession or my community.
This is my third year on the HR Florida State Council and my first year on the HR Florida conference team. What a wonderful experience. I joined the program committee because I wanted to learn more. Unexpectedly, the Program Chair resigned and I stepped up to the plate. Then I had my true HR moment of panic … Oh no, what the *** have I done!!! I learned so much this past year, met a lot of amazing, talented and dedicated people and the chance to work once again with Carol McDaniel, Conference Chair and past HR Tampa president.
At our state council meeting, when Kitty Fields, the HR Florida State Council President, starting talking about the person she was about to introduce as the HR Volunteer of the Year, she talked about dedication, rising to the challenge, participation in conference calls at all hours – Kitty could have been talking about anyone of my team members. When she started talking about what this person has done for certification, I found myself looking around the room somewhat frantically because I could not figure out who was in charge of certification … when I gasped … I realized it was me. The thought of being recognized as the HR Volunteer of the Year still overwhelms me.
Volunteering is straight from the heart. It is the best gift you can give to another and to yourself. Prior to my appointment to the HR Florida State Council as Certification Director, I had the privilege of serving as the HR Tampa Certification Chair for 6 years … and I was afraid that they would not like me … it is a daunting and exciting responsibility.
If you have the employer and family support to get deeply involved or can only give one hour a month … I encourage you to get involved to the best of your capacity. You will be a better person and a better HR Professional for it.
Certification is my passion. I have been volunteering in an HR certification role since 2000 and want to thank HR Florida and HR Tampa for the honor of allowing me to serve you all these years. Until all Florida HR professionals are certified by the HR Certification Institute, I have work to do!
We cannot predict what the future will bring; however, as HR professionals we are positioned to help our organizations create its future. Although lay-offs may be unavoidable, do not lose sight of the long term. Keep your organization’s leaders focused on recovery by engaging and retaining your top talent employees. Studies reveal that organizations with highly engaged employees:
• 42% are more likely to survive over a five-year period.
• Generate 44% more profit.
• Productivity is 70% higher.
• Customer satisfaction is 86% higher.
• Avoidable turnover is reduced by 75%.
High performing employees are seeking organizations that demonstrate a shared vision, leadership, accountability,collaboration and corporate citizenship. Some key factors for recruiting and retaining top employees:
• #1 with employees is respect.
• Goal Management Process – How do established goals relate to company strategy?
• Performance Reviews – Are they meaningful and effective?
• Praise employee efforts.
• Reward Results – Consider developing a non-monetary rewards system.
Engaged employees are fully involved and enthusiastic about their work. They will behave in a manner that will further your organization’s business interests. The formula is simple …
Skills + Abilities x Motivation = Performance Getting there is not always that easy. Employees cannot be engaged if the corporate culture is not compatible with their personal values. Remember – employees do not leave their organization, they leave their direct supervisor. Improve the quality of your managers. Effective managers will make a difference in retention, productivity and profits. Even in these challenging times when we are doing more with less, make sure that your employees still have a workload in alignment with their talents and temperaments. High performing employees equate to greater shareholder value. Studies show that value can be as much as 50% greater than book value. Organizations that fail to adapt face significant risks in their ability to remain competitive and profitable. HR’s strategic role encompasses: Facilitating the Strategy, Managing Expectations, Coaching, and are Architects and Facilitators of the Change. Evaluate key practices, such as engagement levels, shared mindset, customer image in relation to their impact on your organization’s strategy. Get your organization’s leaders to focus on recovery, too.
By Lori S. Goldsmith, SPHR
HR & Client Relations Manager, Tomlin Tested Staffing
www.tomlinstaffing.com
twitter: HeartofHR
By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.
I call most résumés I critique career obituaries because they speak to the past and do not make the jump to the future. In other words, the résumés do not focus on what the employer is seeking. The majority of résumés are a chronological list of work history with the focus mostly limited to company names, dates of employment, and job titles.
Employers are not mind readers. You must make it clear on your résumé how your skills match what they seek. Employers advertise to fill a need. I call it the “Big Hurt.” Their “Big Hurt” is a problem, and they are trying to fix something by finding the right employee.
Be very careful not to make your résumé a recollection of things dead and gone. Make it a living reflection that points out how you can fix your prospective employers’ problems.
