Monthly Archives: March 2011

New Job Jitters

You’re thrilled!  You have a new job after months and months of looking.  It’s exactly what you wanted and you are thankful because the money was starting to run out and your self-confidence was starting to slide as well.  So you’re set . . . or so you thought.  What are these nagging doubts all about?

My friend and colleague, Cindy Saunders, SPHR, HR Manager Tahoe Resources Inc., hit the nail on the head.  She recently published a great article “The Other Side of Unemployment: Employment” NNHRA magazine, March 2011.  Drawing from her own experience, Cindy helps us understand the conflicting emotions a new employee can be feeling in those first few weeks of a new job.  It’s not that they don’t want the job – they do – but now the fear is that they could lose the job.

But how is this different than people getting new jobs in the past?  It is . . . because highly qualified professionals are out of work much longer than in previous depressed economic times.  For even the most skilled and self-confident person the endless searching and rejections take a toll in how we can see ourselves and our abilities.

Tips for Overcoming Jitters

Cindy has excellent suggestions for the HR professionals (and she quotes me!) to ensure that these new highly valuable employees get their feet back under them and strive forth to bring their professional gifts to their new employers.  But you can do a lot on your own behalf to prepare yourself for these first few weeks of “new job jitters”.  Here are three of my favorite suggestions:

  • Be out and about.  Regularly attend professional networking events to continue practicing connecting with other professionals. And then get together with folks you meet over coffee – it gives you wonderful opportunities to present yourself and to chat about mutual professional interests.  The bonus – you are building relationships and your professional network.
  • Work in some capacity.  Consider volunteering or an enjoyable part-time position to stay comfortable with working with teams, working for a boss and taking on new challenges.  The bonus – low key work like this feeds the heart and soul and balances the rigors of job searching.
  • Go learn something.   Sign up for a skills-based class that will stretch your comfort zone and add to your resume to boot.  The bonus – a burst of self-confidence and a delicious feeling that you are still in the loop and just as valuable as anyone else.

 

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Welcome

As many of you know, blogging is taking a step out into the unknown – at least it is for me! I’m taking some of my own advice and stretching, exploring, and expanding my skills and reach.

Join me in my new journey. I’ll be bringing you new tips as I come across them, my thoughts about books I’m reading and information I’m sharing.

But even more, I’m here to listen to what YOU have to say. So, check in. Leave a comment. We’ll chat.

-Warmly, Kit

Posted in And a Bit More, Career Tips & Strategies, Inspirational Leadership, Navigating Change, Your Time & Energy | Tagged | 1 Comment

Be a Tribal Leader Every Day

So, who are your tribes in this chapter of your life? As the years pass and we live in more places, meet more people and experience more things, we have moved in and out of tribes sometimes without ever really thinking about it. It just happened. But for now, let’s take a moment and identify what tribes you are part of during this chapter. You could even call these your networks – don’t forget to include your Internet social network if you’re heavily into that way of connecting.

On a blank piece of paper, draw the image of the Olympic Circles. These are 5 ovals that overlap each other, creating a wonderful synergy amongst them. Now in each circle put one of your tribes – a group of people (usually 20 – 150) that you feel a part of. It may be your professional colleagues, your neighborhood, old college friends, your children’s school network, family connections, volunteer work associates, your church, etc. Pick the five that you enjoy the most. Draw these circles in colored pencils, on the computer or on a cocktail napkin – anywhere that feels right to you.  Now here’s my challenge to you . . . what can you do to positively support, encourage and influence those in your tribes?

What kind of leader are you?

  1. A leader who energizes and brings out the best in others?
  2. Or one who drains others so they only perform at a minimal level?

I want you to be one of the #1 leaders – And the best!

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Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan et al

Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization, by Dave Logan, John King & Halee Fischer-Wright, 2008.

This book has caused a buzz among those in the organizational development field . . . and for good reason.  The concept of Tribal Leadership evolved from a University of Southern California ten-year field study of 24,000 people working around the world.

Personal and Business Tribes

The study found that we all naturally form into tribes – both at work and in our personal lives.  These tribes typically range from 20 to 150 people and we either personally know everyone in the tribe or at least know of each other.

The unique piece is the description of the role of the leader in these tribes. That is what is so fascinating. Read this book – it will open your eyes to the incredible power of “tribal leadership” and what you as a leader can do each day to inspire, motivate and move others to be their very best.

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