Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

The Right Way to Think About Succession

Marshall Goldsmith is one of my favorite business authors.  What I like about him is that he often brings up issues that no one else is talking about.  Like succession.  Here’s what Marshall had to say on his Harvard Business Review blog:

“For many leaders, it is hard to make the announcement that they will soon be passing the baton of leadership to their successor. The common fear is that if they declare their intentions too soon, they will become lame ducks. No one wants that to happen.  Almost every leader goes through this inner dialogue as part of the challenge of slowing down.  This fear, which often results in postponing the announcement about succession until the last minute, inhibits what could have been a much smoother transition.

Face it: When you are nearing the time to exit, you will become a lame duck!  That is okay.  Eyes will immediately turn to your successor as their vision for the team, department or company will mean more than yours. Colleagues who have encountered your disapproval for their pet ideas will just "wait it out" and re-sell their ideas to your successor. People will start sucking up to him or her the way they used to suck up to you. So what's the solution?

·         Make peace with being a lame duck before it happens. Your life, your successor's life, and the lives of your coworkers will be a lot better.

·         Use this time to coach your successor behind the scenes.   Transfer authority before it is necessary. Support your successor in whatever way you can. Build his or her confidence.   Involve your successor in important decisions and ensure as best you can that he or she agrees with any long-term goals before they are announced. After all, this is the person who is going to have to live with these goals for the next few years and is going to have to make them work.

·         The key to being a really great lame duck is to make tough, unpopular decisions that you know will be good for the company in the long run.  Don't get caught up on finishing on a great note or making sure that you look good. Focus on putting your successor into a spot where he or she will succeed. This type of class and self-sacrifice is rare, but this is your last chance to do the right thing for the long-term benefit of the company, your successor, and even yourself.  Don't waste it!”

Succession is a critical issue, not just for CEOs but for everyone in a position of authority. The current economic situation aside, the Boomers will exit the workforce eventually, and executive positions will need to be filled by much younger, much less experienced Gen X and Gen Y managers.  I do feel that people who follow Marshall’s advice aren't lame ducks at all.  Maybe he should change the term to "smart duck."

Don't Get Tripped Up By Tricky Interview Questions

Job hunting?  Don’t get tripped up by these tricky interview questions (courtesy of Ford R. Myers, author of Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring).

1.       What weaknesses do you have for this job?

Answer is to ponder the question for a while, and then state that “you can’t think of any weaknesses that would compromise your performance at this job or that would negatively impact your handling of the job’s responsibilities.”

2.       Are you considering other positions at this time?

Simply say “Yes.” If you say no, you’ll seem like a loser who nobody else values as an attractive candidate.

3.       What changes would you make to our company if you came on board?

This question can instantly derail your candidacy.  No matter how comfortable you may feel with your interviewer or the situation, you are still an outsider. No one, including your interviewer, likes to think that a know-it-all outsider is going to come in, turn the place upside down, and promptly demonstrate what idiots everybody at the company has been for years.

4.       What do you expect to get in this job that you haven’t gotten in your current/previous job?

State that your current/previous jobs have met or exceeded your expectations. With this new position, you would hope to have broader responsibilities and make greater contributions over time.

5.       Tell me about the greatest achievement, and the greatest disappointment in your life.

Give one personal example (like meeting your spouse and getting married, putting yourself through college, saving up to buy your first house, etc.). Then give your best professional accomplishment story (make it relevant to the company’s apparent needs and challenges). As for the disappointment, give an answer similar to the one above, such as, “Overall, I would say that I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career have been developing, so I really can’t think of any major disappointments.”

6.       What did you like best/least about your last job?

Explain what you liked best. Then say, “While every job has its challenges, I have been fortunate enough to learn and grow professionally in each of the positions I have held.”

7.       Why should I hire you?

This is a killer question, because so many candidates are unprepared for it. If you hesitate or improvise, you’ll blow it.  If you know the employer’s greatest needs and challenges, this question will give you a big advantage over other candidates because you’ll offer better reasons for getting hired than anyone else. Whether your interviewer asks you this question explicitly or not, this is the most important question of your interview! After all, the interviewer must answer this question favorably in his or her own mind before you’ll be hired. So, here’s what to do. Walk through each of the position’s requirements as you understand them, and follow each item with how well you meet that requirement.

8.       At your previous job(s), what did you think management could have done to make you function more effectively as an employee?

Say something like: “My employer was very good in providing resources and support to my position, so I have no complaints about this.”

9.   Tell me about the best/worst boss you’ve ever had.

Say, “While every boss has been different, I have worked productively with, and learned something from, each one.” (Be prepared to give some examples of what you have learned.)

10.  What do people criticize about you?

Say that “You can’t think of any criticisms you have received from colleagues on the job. Of course, there have been areas for development, such as when your supervisors would have given you your performance reviews, and they might have made some suggestions for improvement.” Say that “You have always taken these suggestions seriously and have taken steps to make the improvements that were requested.” Add that “This has made you stronger as a professional.”

 

 

7 Tips for Negotiating a Better Severance Package

With companies such as Chrysler and GM announcing major closings nationwide and results from a recent survey showing that 45% of 228 of the largest employers are planning further layoffs in the next twelve months, hundreds of thousands of US workers can expect to receive pink slips in 2009.   Still, US workers are clearly not doing their best to take care of their self interests.  It turns out that in a global study about severance pay, US workers received the least amount of severance pay of 28 countries worldwide regardless of level or tenure.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Maury Hanigan, founder of Layoffcoach.com and severance negotiation expert, offers these 7 tips for negotiating a better severance package.   

1.  Assume you will be laid off and plan for it.  Regardless of how secure you believe your job is, think through the severance package that would feel fair and appropriate for you.  You never do your best thinking under duress.  Approach it like career insurance – have it ready just in case.
2. Signers remorse.  You need time to be sure you have your best deal.  Also, if you are over 40 years old, federal law requires employers to give you seven days to consider your package.  Don’t feel pressured. 
3. Approach the negotiation positively.  Tell your employer that the package offered is good, and you would just like to add a few more things.  If your demands seem overwhelming, or your attitude is contentious, your employer may not negotiate at all.
4. Don’t focus on the weeks of severance pay.  The formula for severance pay is often the least negotiable item in a severance package.  To increase your cash compensation, focus on pro-rated bonuses, extended termination date or contract work.
5. Finding a new job is top priority.  Identify the resources your employer has that will help you find a new job.  Information and contacts can be more valuable than cash if they help you find a new, steady paycheck.
6. Confirm every interaction in writing.  Within a few hours of each meeting or phone call, send an email confirming each agreement and listing the actions each side will complete prior to the next meeting.
7. When you have most of what you want, fold.  Employers are genuinely facing tough times and are not in a position to be overly generous.  That doesn’t mean you should walk away with a thin package, but this is not the environment to be greedy.

New Episode: 30/20 Vision

Please join us the new edition of 30/20 Vision, the radio show for the twenty-something who wishes they had a couple of big sisters to clue them in on the ins and outs of life after college.

The show will feature your hosts, authors Christine Hassler, Lindsey Pollak, and me. It will air live Monday, June 22nd at 5PM ET.  We'll be talking about our relationships with MEN over the years, and it should be a fun one.  Hope you'll join us on Monday or listen to the replay.  

Get Part Time Help or a Part Time Job

Some of my unemployed friends and acquaintances have been asking me about ways to earn a little extra cash until the job market picks up again.  I recently had the chance to meet Cari Sommer, who is the driven and charismatic co-founder of Urban Interns. 

UI is a new website that connects small businesses with part-time help.   If you’re an employer, you can search the database of prospective candidates (filtering by hours, availability, or task), or post a job and have candidates respond to you through the site.  Job seekers can create profiles so that employers can contact them about opportunities, and apply for interesting opportunities that appear on the site.  UI also features a blog that is full of ideas, tools, and resources on finding, hiring, and managing part-time assistants. 

Says Cari about her new venture:  “For small business owners and busy professionals, particularly in uncertain economic times, workloads can be unpredictable, and the tasks required of staff can vary from day to day. While a small business owner might need help with errands, online research and organizing files, hiring a full-time worker is not a cost-effective solution.  And in cities like New York, there are many talented people who are specifically looking for part-time work - to make some extra dollars, to gain valuable experience, or all of the above.  The same capable people want flexibility in their schedule and have the skills to be great assistants.”

Thanks to Cari, I think I know where to find my next assistant!

Hire – and Get Hired – More Easily with “Come Recommended”

I wish my friend and colleague Heather Huhman had launched her new business, Come Recommended, before I published my recruiting and retention primer Success for Hire, as it certainly would have been incorporated in my list of must-have hiring resources.  Come Recommended is a web service in which job candidates build profiles that include at least three recommendations.  Employers can review these recommendations before deciding whether to pursue a candidate further.  In other words, it saves them a step.

Says Heather about her new venture:  “The idea for Come Recommended came about when I set out to fill my very first job as a hiring manager—an entry-level position for a small public relations firm. We received nearly 100 applications after posting the position to both Craigslist and WashingtonPost.com. I scoured the stack looking for ways to weed out candidates and identify ones with potential.  Finally, I narrowed the list down to five and started making calls. My “phone screens” have always been fairly in-depth because of the position I held with this company. If I brought someone in, he or she would meet with the principal of the firm, and I certainly didn’t want to waste any of her valuable time. I vividly remember loving one candidate for this position in particular on paper and during the phone interview—at least until I asked if she had any questions.  Her question?  “So, what do you alls do over there?” No, that isn’t a typo.

I remember feeling so frustrated that I had just spent 45 minutes of time on this candidate—not to mention the time sifting through all the applications—that I could have been billing to clients. There had to be a better way.  Many experts now claim traditional online job boards are dead. They have become behemoths, bogged down by fake or misleading job ads and résumés of unqualified candidates. And although I encourage candidates not to leave combing the job boards out of their search plan, that action alone simply isn’t enough anymore.

The way hiring managers seek out and employ individuals is changing—rapidly. With the slumping economy, they are experiencing cuts in their staffs, resources and overall budgets. Now, networking, referrals and references reign supreme. Welcome to what I call “recruiting 2.0.”

Being a member of the Come Recommended community can only help you  -so if you’re job hunting or think you might be in the foreseeable future – set up your profile today.

Learn “Who’s Got Your Back”

I’ve recently become involved with the Author Teleseminars series, hosted by the wonderful Elizabeth Marshall.  Given that, I thought I’d let you know about a free call coming up showcasing Keith Ferrazzi, the internationally renowned consultant and bestselling author of Who’s Got Your Back?.   

For those of you not familiar with the book, the premise is that becoming a winner in any endeavor requires a trusted team of advisers who can offer guidance and help to hold us accountable to achieving our goals. It is the reason PhD candidates have adviser teams, top executives have boards, world class athletes have fitness coaches, and presidents have cabinets.  Keith is an expert in teaching people how to build deeper, more trusting "lifeline relationships” and how to replace the "yes men" in your life with those who get it and actually care and push you to achieve.

The free call will take place on Monday, June 15^th at 1PM ET and will also feature the ever-insightful Chris Brogan and Michael Port.  Those who would like to COMMENT HERE about any of these top thinkers or the subject of building a trusted team of advisers will be entered to win a FREE COPY of Who’s Got Your Back?.

Book Review: Hip & Sage

Last year, my dad and I were interviewed by my friend Lisa Haneberg, who has just published the terrific new book, Hip & Sage: Staying Smart, Cool, and Competitive in the Workplace.  Lisa wanted to have a conversation with us regarding how workplace values have changed from my dad’s generation (Early Baby Boomer), to mine (Generation X) to the young professionals I study (Generation Y). 

Born in 1964, Lisa’s a “red-caboose” Baby Boomer herself.  Though she’s written several books for the HR uber-organization the American Society of Training and Development and consulted for top companies like Amazon.com and Intel, Lisa has never lost her own unique sense of cool.  She’s been active in the blogosphere since 2004 and has been known to do her cross-country book tours via motorcycle.  She’s the perfect person to teach older professionals how to stay relevant and successful in today’s techno-driven workplace.

Boomers and their Traditionalist siblings and parents should be proud of their sageness, or their natural strengths, characteristics, experiences, skills, and judgments, which have been honed and polished through the years.  When I tell young professionals that they should have deference for their older colleagues’ wisdom, this is what I’m talking about – their sageness.  Lisa instructs readers to recognize and cultivate their sageness by increasing their self-awareness, setting better goals, doing one great thing each day, unpacking their bags of distractions, and volunteering to be a mentor.   As for hipness, older professionals need it to communicate, connect, and collaborate with younger generations.  The book is an excellent primer on how to do this, from signing up for cross-functional projects and setting up open-dialogue forums at work to being an expert on a social network and telling your stories via the podcast and blog mediums.

Hip & Sage concludes with how to create your own definition of success and how to take advantage of your hipness and sageness during the job hunting and hiring processes.  If you’re a more seasoned professional or you work with one, this gem of a book makes for witty and insightful evening reading. 

 

 

Take Your List of Ingredients and Make a Recipe

I love this post from the ever-insightful Pamela Slim of Escape of Cubicle Nation fame because I get asked all the time how to do a self-assessment exercise that results in a clear direction in which to take your career.  Says Pam:

I spend a lot of of my time working with people who are trying to figure out what to do for a living.  I usually start by sending them on an internal expedition, examining the nuances, thoughts and feelings of their body, mind and spirit for clues about what interests them.  They carry around notebooks in which they furiously scribble insights, create vision boards, bookmark websites like crazy, make spreadsheets and stuff files with pictures and magazine clippings.  Then they get back in touch with me, feeling a bit perplexed and overwhelmed, sharing a summary list which looks something like this:

My interests: old rugs, Pittsburgh Steelers, organic farming, my family, writing code, speaking Russian, salsa dancing, old episodes of Friends, small business marketing, photography.

They say “I sure love all these things, but how in the world can I make a business out of them?”  To which I reply:  You are ingredients in search of a recipe.  Or perhaps many recipes.  A common misconception about the process of entrepreneurship is that you have to fit all your interests into one neatly tied up and integrated business which will allow you to express all of your passions.  Instead, I like to think of skills and interests as ingredients to use selectively in different business models, depending on the opportunities and market.

So you could say: “I think I want to use salsa dancing as the main staple for my next venture.  I will round out the flavor with a bit of coding, by creating a killer website that hosts great instructional videos for novice dancers, and will sprinkle in a little bit of photography so I can take stunning photos of professional dancers to use in their promotional materials.”

OR...

“I would love to spend some time in Pittsburgh so I can catch all the Steeler home games live. I think I will focus on organic farming in the northeast, using a few cups of marketing to help local farmers expand their offerings in the slow winter season.  I hear that there are some amazing rug dealers in the area, so when not doing small business marketing, I will try to find some great pieces and sell them on eBay.”

Looking at your interests this way, you can see that you don’t have to use all the ingredients at once, in the same measure, in the same recipe.  All you need to do is to continually refine your list of ingredients, and combine them in ways that interest you and taste great.

Wonderful and more importantly – clear and useable – advice!

Dream Job Spotlight: Alexander Lopez, Occupational Therapist

Occupational and physical therapists are some of the only professionals who can actually say they’re still in demand right now.  And Alexander Lopez, who is an occupational therapist and also vice chairperson of the occupational therapy program at my husband’s alma mater, Stony Brook University, has even more of an edge – he’s involved with his third-party association, the American Occupational Therapy Association.  If this career path sounds interesting to you, here are some of the details courtesy of Alexander.

What made you become an occupational therapist?

When people ask me what I do for a living, I can say I am an attorney, professor, or community advocate. However, those professional designations do not define my professional identity. Occupational therapy was an unintended discovery. It was not a profession that was on my radar. I became fascinated with the profession when introduced to it when I was in the military. My initial exposure to the profession revealed a world of opportunities of which I had not encountered.  Nevertheless, what made me choose the profession is not as important as the person I have become because of occupational therapy. The therapeutic process between a client and practitioner is collaborative and bidirectional learning process. It is through occupational therapy and my interactions with the clients I have served that I have become a better father, husband, friend, and person. So the answer to the question is…there are thousands of really great reasons to become an occupational therapist, however, the real reason to become one is because it is a profession that allows you to learn and grow as a person. You do not have to sacrifice your identity, your values, and your integrity for career advancement.

What is day to day life like for an occupational therapist?

An occupational therapist starts his or her day with a plan—a plan that focuses on the client’s needs and desires. Occupational therapists have a unique opportunity in health care. Unlike other health care providers, occupational therapists spend a significant amount of time with their clients. A therapy session can be anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours depending on the type of facility in which the therapist is working. During that time, occupational therapists can really hone in on a client’s needs.

How does the academic side differ from the clinical side?

The transition from clinic to academia was a difficult one for me. When entered the role of academician, I missed the client-therapist experience. It was as if I had to reinvent my identity. However, I have become increasingly inspired by the work of occupational therapy scholars and students. Through community participatory research and community programming, I have rediscovered a new world of occupational therapy.

Why is OT a hot career today?

One can say occupational therapy is hot because of it is “recession proof.” However, if one knows the true nature of the profession, they will find that it is more than a job—it is a passion. Occupational therapy is a hot career because it is holistic. It encompasses every aspect of living. Its theoretical foundations in arts and sciences are not only practical but necessary in helping restore our clients’ sense of meaningful existence.  

What advice would you have for people who are interested in getting into occupational therapy?

I say take a personal inventory. Identify your personal vision and mission. Once you have done so, compare it to the profession’s vision and mission. You will find that the pursuit for self-actualization can be found in noble and enriching profession like occupational therapy.

Thanks Alexander!