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Career Advancement Radio

Month: August 2016

Leadership Evolution and Your Career

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The last show of the week, today we are talking about leadership. Leadership is a skill that is essential to career advancement, one that can really change the way you shape your career. For an organization, having good leaders is necessary. However, we have seen how different styles of leadership affect the workplace. Leadership comes in many different forms and styles and finding which kind of leader you work the best with is a great way to figure out what kind of company or organization you need to be working with.

Leadership Road Sign with dramatic clouds and sky.

There are a few styles of leadership that we really focus on with today’s show. One is known as transactional leadership. This is what we see as being a more traditional kind of leader,  more reward and position based. Another effective style is known as transformational leadership. This style focuses more on the character of a leader, including traits such as honesty and integrity. The philosophy of leadership has changed over time, however, we want to focus more on what these styles mean today.

leadershipThe kind of leadership that appeals to millennials, is not the same as the workplace is used to. For the current workplace demographic, transformational leaders seem to be the most effective. We sometimes neglect the importance of emotional intelligence and how thinking has changed. Emotional intelligence has grown increasingly important the younger generation. The transition needed to appeal to the new working generation is not going to be easy. It will prove to be an organizational challenge to switch to a more transformational style. However, this is going to be a change that will prove to be a great benefit for the organization and the incoming working group.

Valuable Skills to Learn in Your Spare Time

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Today we have a little bit more of a dense show. Today Ms. Desai and I discuss 10 skill sets that can really get you noticed and change the way companies and organizations look at you. These are 10 simple skills that you can learn, and a combination of just 2 or 3 skills is a great way to spice up your resume and make you more valuable and desired by hiring companies.

08-Skills-AssessmentSomething that makes this a great topic to discuss, is the ease with which we can pick these skills up. No matter your age or level of management, these skills are applicable and useful. Many of these 10 skills are related to data and numbers. Number crunching and data analysis is the hottest thing in the business world. For those of you who are number or technology savvy, these are great skills to pick up to further your own career. There are skills that can be learned in strategy, management, and marketing fields as well. No matter where your specific career lies, there are skills in this list that can be very useful to advancing your career.

  1. SAAS
  2. Data Mining
  3. Search Engine Optimization
  4. Data Modeling
  5. Contract Negotiation
  6. Software Development
  7. Strategic Project Management
  8. Strategic Planning
  9. Technical Sales
  10. Customer Service Metrics

ski_lede_01These are 10 skills that will take a good amount of your spare time, but are so valuable to your resume and career skills. Not all of these skills are going to be suitable for your job and career. Focus on the skills that are relevant to your career and where you want to go. Your resume is for a particular situation, and not every situation requires the same set of skills. The article with these 10 skills is written by Trent Hamm, who does a wonderful job of breaking down each of these skills. The article can be found below.

How To Actually Acquire the 10 Most Valuable Career Skills in Your Spare Time 

Creating Your Career Path

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career pathOur topic for today is all about career paths. Many people are in a position where they are unsatisfied with the work they are doing. Despite the experience coming from the job, there is no happiness and desire to stay with the job they are in. Career management is a difficult thing to manage, but is one that can make our lives a lot happier.

Specialization seems to be taking over the career world, further confining our careers to a little box and path. While we may find our strengths in where we specialize, this can also be our vulnerability. In today’s era, following your career path or desire often turns into following the non traditional career path. And this is perfectly okay! There are a lot of ways to find your niche and where you really want to work, the trouble can sometimes be finding which way to go about it. However one of the biggest ways to see change is to first redefine what career means to us. A career is not a job that you hold for a while. It is a culmination of all the jobs and skills and experiences you have. Many times, it takes having multiple jobs as being a part of your career. You have to be flexible in your career, and companies can help foster this flexibility by promoting the discussion of personal goals. We take a look at GM’s model and see how that non traditional approach has created a wonderful place to work and advance careers.prof free

Figuring out your career path is something that is constantly in motion. Each are of your work connects to another, and though you may have started in one place, you may currently be somewhere completely different. All of these different jobs and experiences create your career and help determine future possibilities. Taking the time to look at what you really want and where your possibilities may lie is a wonderful way to aim your career where you want it to be.Professional Freedom in the Midst of Chaos is a book that may be helpful in really figuring out where you want to go and how to create your career path. Just remember, you have the ability to change your career to what you have always dreamed it to be.

 

Young Talent in the Workplace, But No Future Leaders

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Today our show is all about the issues faced by the new talent coming into the workforce. There is a lot of young talent coming into the workforce, but this new group is not fully equipped to handle the challenges of organizations. Managers and leaders in companies are concerned that there are no future leaders for the company to look to. Today we want to really look at management and leadership competencies, and how to impart that knowledge on incoming workers.

young Core competency is vital to a company’s performance. Core competency is not only related to just the company, but also each individual employee. Competencies cover three broad categories: organizational competencies, personal competencies, and job role competencies. A successful combination of these three categories is a great way to not only advance your career, but also create progress within a company. There are many different competencies within these three categories that are applicable to all levels of employment.

core competencyMany businesses today have changed the traditional model of employment and have used these competencies to really outline what a job entails. Promotional job opportunities are everywhere, but can depend on the flatness of the business itself. There are many organization styles, from small communities to large corporations, and defining these core competencies help define the overall view of the company. Providing resources to foster the way core competencies helps create future company leaders. A strong foundation in these competencies gives a company and organization a chance to create a level of understanding that cannot be grasped outside. Preparing an individual for the next level of management has a lot of small factors, but can be done with teamwork.

The Rise of the Workplace Bully

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Today we are addressing a topic that has been prevalent from grade school to the workplace. Bullying is an issue that we all hear about and sometimes are a victim of. Normally we hear these stories from students, however, bullying is not limited to youth alone. Bullying in the workplace is and issue that is often ignored. We are going to look a little at why bullying happens and how to diffuse these situations.

bullyWorkplace bullying is one of the most disruptive occurrences in the workplace. It leaves an emotional and physical toll on the victim, which reflects in poor growth and productivity within the company. Why do we find bullying in the workplace? The mindset of the bully is held in this idea of self preservation. We find ourselves caught between good and evil, and bullies tend to choose one side over the other. We see that bullies often lack the knowledge and people skills that are valued by the organization. The social skills and abilities needed to work with others can be lacking within the bully, which can cause friction.

workplace bullyWorkplace bullying has a detrimental effect on an organization. Ignoring the situation has the power to break a company down from the inside out. It is incredibly important for organizations to recognize the signs of workplace bullying. Acknowledging the issue and working to end workplace bullying creates a better workplace climate. The aftermath of bullying not only has economic and social effects on the organization, but also emotional and psychological consequences. We need to be mindful of the social climate within an organization and learn to foster the best in people.

Branding vs Bragging: Women in the Workplace

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Today we touch on a topic that is especially important for women in the working world. Women in leadership is something we don’t see as often. Despite their qualifications, women ask why they are being passed over for promotions. Times like this provide a great branding opportunity. Many of us find the need to spruce up our brand and market our personal brand.

brandingTaking advantage of available opportunities to market yourself is the difference between a person who gets the job and the person who doesn’t. Self promotion is something that has to be done. We cannot rely on others to promote ourselves, nor can we allow work to speak for us. Effective careers are built on interest, possessing knowledge and competence for effective performance, and taking advantage of all opportunities. A personal brand supports all three of these. Opportunities are created with preparation and self confidence. Having the knowledge and skill along with self confidence and preparation don’t mean anything without self promotion. This creates a recognition gap that leaves you unaccredited.

Women need to take more credit for the contributions they make. If not, someone else less deserving will take credit for your work. We also need to engage more in discussion about what they are doing, and show enthusiasm for what they do. Talking to people, even just for a minute, keeps people engaged. Getting involved gets you talking to others and gets you more places than staying quiet. We must be constantly self promoting, talking about what we do and expanding our presence. Quantifiable information is essential to personal branding and self promotion as well. Showing the monetary value you brought is a way to brand yourself even further. Personal branding brings your contributions and capabilities to the forefront.

brandOur personal brand is what we use to identify our value to a company or organization. Your personal brand is what you want people to think about when they hear your name. Personal branding is always a work in progress, but is something that can be the difference between the person who gets promoted and the one who doesn’t.