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Career Advancement Radio

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.

Simple Skills to Improve Your Life Continued

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Today we continue our discussion of skills that can radically change your life. Again, these are simple skills that can be practiced and are great habits to make. We pick up from where we left off with the last episode, and are again joined by Ms. Komal Desai to give a millennial viewpoint on these skills.

time is moneyWe started out with one of the most important skills to have and understand. This important skill is to think of your time as money. We hear that quote all the time, that time is money, but few people really take that to heart. However, thinking of time as money allows us to really start to value the time we spend on things. It forces us to stop spending time on things that we need to do, and focus on what really matters.

Second, we took a look at long and short term goals. Both kinds of goals matter, but we often focus on one rather than the other. Part of being successful is having a good number of short goals while working towards a long term goal. We picked apart what these goals are and what they mean to your level of success.

The next skill is one that we love being able to do, but don’t necessarily do well. Winding down and meditating is something we all need to do. With life being so busy, our bodies and minds need to take some time to recharge.  A lot of times we like to watch television and movies, or go be social. However we look at why that is not the best way to wind down and what are things we can do to actually wind down and finish the day.

negative thinkingTo close off this list, we looked at eliminating ANTS. The acronym ANTS stands for automatic negative thoughts. This is something we don’t realize happens more often than not. But, being able to recognize the negative thoughts are happening, allows us time to change our perspective and look at things in a different light.

All of these are skills that we can readily implement into our own lives. Start by finding one that you really want to make a habit, and try to make that a part of your everyday routine. Eventually, we can make all of these skills part of our lives.

Article: 8 Very Simple Skills That Will Radically Improve Your Life

Simple Skills To Improve Your Life with Komal Desai

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Today we discussed a topic that is applicable to everyone. Our focus for today is on simple skills that can really change and improve your life. This topic has been split into two shows because of how dense this topic is, but we took the time to really explain each skill, and talk about the ways to make these skills a part of your daily routine. We are covering four of these skills today: scheduling around your energy, looking successful, starting early, and planning in advance.

To start off the show, we talked about scheduling around energy. Scheduling around energy is a way to allow you to work in the most efficient way possible. Knowing when you have the most energy and when you are most focused in the day, allows for your day to be prioritized. It is okay to take time to rest throughout the day and take some time to let your brain take a break. Your energy is not infinite, and understanding how to plan your day based on energy is a great way for you to become more productive.

dress for success

The next skill we looked at was looking successful. Look the part to play the part! Sometimes we forget that the way we dress makes a lasting impression. Knowing how to dress for each situation is a a great way to ensure success. The way we dress presents a certain image, and we always want to present the best side of ourselves.

Third skill we looked at is starting early. Starting early allows us to make the most out of the day. When we start early, we get more hours in the, meaning we get to be that much more productive.

plan in advanceThe last skill we looked at today, is planning in advance. Planning is a way to stay on track and make sure that we get as much done as possible. Knowing that situations are always subject to change, we must remain adaptable in our planning.

These four skills are great ways we can start making a change towards success in our life. Next time, we are going to take a look at four more skills that can really make a change in life and lead you towards success.

Article: 8 Very Simple Skills That Will Radically Improve Your Life 

 

Sometimes You Have to Check Out to Check In

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On today’s show, we took a look at the idea of vacation in the working world and how important it is to take some time off. Everyone likes to  have the ability to take time off, have a time in which we allows ourselves to get away from the schedule of working life. However, even when on vacation, it has become common to continue working and emailing. What many people forget though, is the purpose of taking time off and going on a trip. This can often leading people to have the need to take longer vacations because they don’t take the time to check out completely.

Vacation-prep-essentials

One of the key reasons vacation often turns into working remote, is the fear of missing out. There is an inherent fear that taking time away from the office will lead to a loss of important information and participation. There is a fear that taking time away from the office will cause people to fall behind and  be outside of the professional loop. While these fears are common among professionals, today, we have taken a look at why it is essential to go on vacation.

The importance of checking out is vital for everyone. Vacation is a time to reconnect with our realities and families and with that which really matters to us. It is a time to disconnect and reconnect- disconnecting from the office and reconnecting to your own personal life. Sometimes we forget how necessary this time off is for our own physical, mental, and emotional health. Career advancement is not just the ability to climb the professional ladder, but is the ability to grow and expand your knowledge, something that taking time off facilitates.

Attachment-1 (1)

Companies are now starting to introduce the idea of unlimited vacation. This allows employees to take as much vacation as they want, as long as all their work is getting done. While this does cause the need for legal coverage and a very descriptive plan and negotiation, the business benefits of unlimited vacation are strong arguments for implementation.  A rather revolutionary idea and one that may provide to be even more beneficial, this may prove to be the future of vacation time allowances.

What Does Brexit Mean For Your Career Featuring Komal Desai

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One of the hottest topics in the world right now is regarding Britain’s exit from the European Union, fondly known as “Brexit.” On the June 28, 2016 episode of Career Advancement, we honed in on the topic of Brexit and what that means for careers and the future of jobs in the market. We discussed what Brexit really means, the air of uncertainty surrounding Brexit, and how this event will make an impact even here in the United States. Based on Ms. Desai’s future career thoughts and plans, this was a great topic to discuss for all ages, especially millennials. The common theme throughout the discussion is focused on the idea of uncertainty and adapting to change.

brexit 1

So why does Brexit matter and why should we care about it here in the US? This topic was inspired by Ms. Desai and how Brexit has already started to affect her future career. Currently a student, Ms. Desai has looked at London to be her future home, a place where she wants to establish herself and her career. We shed some light on the idea of working in a globalized economy, and touched on the what Brexit means for those looking to work in Europe or for a European company here in the US. We also looked at what tolerance of uncertainty means for careers and jobs, focusing in on the ability to go with the flow and adapt to the constantly changing market in order to advance and be happy. The tolerance of uncertainty includes exploring curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism, and risk taking.

What They Mean:

Curiosity: new learning

Persistence: exerting effect despite setbacks

Flexibility: fluidity in attitude and circumstances

Optimism: sight for seeing new opportunities and possibilities

Risk Taking: being ready to take action in the face of adversitytolerance of uncertainty

 

Komal Desai is currently a student at The University of Texas at Austin. She is working towards her Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a focus in Finance. Ms. Desai has played an active role in the startup community, working for Beautylish Boutiques based in San Francisco and Appspire.me in Austin.