Archive for November, 2009
Do You Have a MEMORABLE Brand? – 8 Things a Powerful Personal Brand Can Do for You
We're in a whole new world of employment — one that has continued (and will continue) to evolve and one that is MUCH different from the employment world of our parents and grand-parents. The days of joining a company that you stay at and retire from are LONG GONE and will likely never return again. Job changes occur more and more frequently and career changes are more common than ever before.
We are no longer "Who we work for." Tagging your identity strictly to a company and "co-branding" your work-life with a company name are strategies that have less meaning and are impossible to sustain as a PRIMARY means of your identification. Companies come and go through mergers and dissolution — even BIG names lose their "wow" factor and brand identity …. think of names like Enron, Arthur Andersen, NationsBank, Eastern Airlines, and countless small and mid-sized businesses.
The better strategy and one that we all must embrace if we're going to enjoy lasting career success is to firmly establish our Personal Brand. We have much more control over our own Personal Brand, and it's the "thing" that stays with us regardless of where we're "physically" employed or who we work for.
Our Personal Brand reminds people "who WE are," it becomes "what WE are known for," and it represents the "market" perception of our value proposition and personal competitive advantage. A highly effective Personal Branding Program is key to continuously communicating our Personal Brand "to the world" and constantly "pinging" our contact network with highly useful content that reminds them of who we are.
So, what are some of the key benefits of a compelling Personal Brand — i.e., exactly what does it do for us? A compelling Personal Brand is a HUGE BENEFIT — without question. Consider the following indicators of a Powerful Personal Brand:
- Always on the Radar Screen and "The Short List." When an opportunity comes up in your field — a job opportunity, a new business opportunity, etc., you're on the list that gets called or contacted. Having established yourself as a "thought leader" or expert, and having constantly broadcast that expertise to your network, you remain on their mind when something important comes up.
- Frequent Calls for Speaking Opportunities. In situations where an expert is needed to speak on an important topic or in an important role (e.g., keynote speaker), you are often contacted and at least presented with the opportunity.
- Frequent Calls from Leading Executive Recruiters in Your Area of Specialty. Leading recruiters in your field KNOW YOU and are very comfortable with presenting you as a candidate for a new job opportunity, or call you frequently to ask you if you know someone how might be a good candidate. This is a great place to be in from a career management standpoint.
- Frequent Requests for Interviews and Articles in Trade Publications. The press and and PR professionals reach out on an ongoing basis requesting interviews for articles in your field of expertise. You're frequently asked to submit articles or you proactively submit articles for publishing.
- Opportunities Appear "Out of the Blue." A new client "appears out of nowhere," a business deal drops in your lap, you get a call from someone you don't know well with an incredible business opportunity, you're the first one called for an amazing job opportunity, you're asked to speak at a major convention …. the list goes on. Think it can't happen to you …. Why not?
- Visibility to Leading Influencers. You're known by leading influencers in your profession and area of specialty. They may not KNOW you, but they KNOW OF YOU because of your proactive and memorable personal branding efforts. People with influence can help you accomplish big things, and are usually willing to do so because YOU have consistently given to THEM in some way — information you shared, referrals you've made, etc.
- Frequent Engagement with Other Thought Leaders. You have frequent conversations with other thought leaders — some who share your specialty and some who are thought leaders in other related areas. You help CREATE the next direction and are a member of the "R&D Team" for your field of knowledge.
- Network Gravity. You have incredible network "gravity." People are drawn to you, opportunities attract themselves to you, you become a magnet for all kinds of good things.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You do NOT have to be a "CELEBRITY" to achieve the above, but you DO have to put conscious thought and EFFORT into the process of developing and communicating a compelling Personal Brand. It's up to you to CREATE THE PERCEPTION in the marketplace of what you WANT to be known for and what you represent.
Personal Branding is a PROCESS, an ongoing process …. and IT WORKS MAGIC for you if you do it with passion and sincerity. MAKE IT HAPPEN …. Start TODAY.
Andy Robinson, Executive Career Coach
Co-host, Career Success Radio Show
A leading authority on career success; 15-year executive coaching veteran
Contact: Andy@CRGLeaders.com, 239-285-5575
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Get Results with LinkedIn! – The LinkedIn Daily Workplan
The first time I heard the phrase "Networking Gravity" was from my friend Liz Lynch, author of the wonderful book "Smart Networking." In her book, Liz defines "Networking Gravity" as "a force that draws people automatically into your world with whom you have the greatest potential to build mutually beneficial relationships." I LOVE that definition.
Liz states that you build networking gravity in four principle ways:
- Sharing your expertise widely to enable as many others as possible to have clarity on what you do and know how you could help them.
- Having a clear idea of the kinds of people you want to meet and network with.
- Developing strong interpersonal and communications skills that help you create sustainable relationships.
- Raising your profile to attract people in large numbers and enable you to "stay on their radar screen."
I am thoroughly sold on the LinkedIn platform as a means of helping you attain and sustain networking gravity. LinkedIn is NOT a "silver bullet" solution — it's simply one of the tools you can use VERY EFFECTIVELY to create networking gravity.
Whether you're a job seeker, a seller of services, a seller of products, or someone seeking to leverage relationships to help achieve other business goals and objectives — LinkedIn WILL work for you, if you focus sufficient time and effort.
My personal goal is to spend about ONE HOUR each day on LinkedIn-related activities (sometimes more, sometimes a bit less). I usually accomplish this in either a single session or split between two 30 minute sessions.
My One-Hour LinkedIn Workplan usually includes some combination of the following activities:
- Daily Status Update. Update your status with a link to a blog article or news article – something written by you or someone else.
- Group Article Posting. Post at least one article – your own article or another's article – across 5 to 10 relevant LinkedIn Groups
- Q&A. Answer a question (or ask a question) in your field of expertise
- Recommendations. Write a recommendation for someone – A vendor, a client, a current colleague, a former colleague, etc.
- Invite Connections. Send out invites for new connections — seek people out in Groups and through "people searches." Add a personal note to your invite.
- Article Comment on someone else's article post in a Group forum
- Group Dialogue. Join in with a comment or feedback on a Group discussion dialogue thread – offering something positive, constructive or helpful
- Reach Out to Connections. Make direct contact with several of your current connections offering to help them in some way. Share a set of useful tips or a great article link.
- Comment on several of your connections' Status Updates.
- Accept Connections. Accept connection requests that you receive. Add a personal response back to several of those
Make LinkedIn work for you in helping to really get the ball rolling in creating networking gravity. Formulate your own Daily Workplan — Develop a routine and stick to it. Then….Watch the "Magic" happen!
Andy Robinson, Executive Career Coach
Co-host, Career Success Radio Show
A leading authority on career success; 15-year executive coaching veteran
Contact: Andy@CRGLeaders.com, 239-285-5575
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“The Wow Factor” – Interview with the Author, Frances Cole Jones – Some Great “Wow” Tips
Career Success Radio Show
with Frances Cole Jones, Author of "The Wow Factor – The 33 Things You Must (and Must Not) Do to Guarantee Your Edge in Today's Business World)"
Carrie and I interviewed author Frances Cole Jones on the Career Success Radio Show
on Tuesday, November 10th on the subject of "Wowing" and positively
influencing your colleagues, employers, potential employers — even your
competitors. Frances recently released her newest book, "The Wow Factor"
with offers easy-to-follow advice and immediately implementable tips and techniques for "Wowing" those around you. CLICK HERE to listen.
Frances founded Cole Media Management in 1997. From the beginning, the
company’s focus has been to cultivate a client’s inherent strengths to
develop more powerful communication skills and, through these, enhance
his or her personal and professional performance.
Cole Media Management clients have appeared on The Today Show, Good
Morning America, Oprah, C-SPAN, CNN, Squawkbox, The Charlie Rose Show,
Larry King Live, The Discovery Channel, The BBC News, E! Entertainment,
Access Hollywood, Project Runway, Top Chef, ESPN, Extra! Fox and
Friends, The View, Cashin’ In, QVC and others. Clients' print
interviews have appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Newsweek, Vogue, W, O Magazine, Town & Country, Harper's Bazaar, Tatler, etc.
The scope of their work includes preparation for television and print
interviews, IPO road shows, meetings with potential investors, and
internal meetings with partners, sales staff, and in-house personnel.
They also provide presentation skills seminars and speechwriting for
clients.
Andy Robinson, Executive Career Coach
Co-host, Career Success Radio Show
A leading authority on career success; 15-year executive coaching veteran
Contact: Andy@CRGLeaders.com, 239-285-5575
5 Tips – The Art and Skill of Saying “No” Effectively – Know Your Limits and Acknowledge Them Freely
We all get bombarded with requests and demands for our attention and our time. Learning to say NO in a way that is respectful but firm is a KEY SKILL that you can develop to handle those requests that you simply do not have time for or the knowledge to do effectively.
I recently re-read the book, "The Power of a Positive No," written by William Ury. His book offers great advice and tips for how to say "No" with grace and effect.
In his book, William offers the following specific phrases you can use to say NO to the demands of others in a manner that is respectful and that flows naturally and sincerely:
- A simple "No" or "No Thanks." Directness has its place, but it can also be expressed gracefully. Adding the work "thanks" to your "No" shows respect and care for the relationship.
- A statement that "I Have a Policy." Examples include, "I have a policy to never lend money to friends or family members." ….or "I have a policy to never make significant purchases without first speaking to my wife (or husband, or partner)."
- "I Have Plans." (or "I Have Another Commitment"). A great concrete everyday phrase that can affirm your interests as well as you power without spoiling your relationship is "I already have plans," or "I have another event I've committed to that evening."
- "Not Now." Maybe another time. Softens the blow of a "No" and leaves the door open to a future request. "Not Now" should only be used in those cases where there does exist a real possibility for addressing the others' needs in the future.
- "I Prefer to Decline Rather Than Do a Poor Job." When you decline rather than do a poor job, you are not only affirming your own interests but also paying attention to the relationship. You would BOTH be worse off — and so would your relationship — if you say "Yes" and then a job that turns out to be much less than satisfactory.
Know your limits and acknowledge them freely — spend your time doing what you do well and what is truly best for you. Both you and the other will be better off in the long run.
Andy Robinson, Executive Career Coach
Co-host, Career Success Radio Show
A leading authority on career success; 15-year executive coaching veteran
Contact: Andy@CRGLeaders.com, 239-285-5575
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What Others Have Said About Andy Robinson
A warm THANKS! to all of my executive coaching clients and to all of you who have chosen to visit and “hang out” at the Career Success! Partners blog site. I also invite you to visit and join the Career Success Community — the premier online interactive career development community for high-performing business professionals.
As an Executive Coach, my absolute focus is to positively impact the lives of others
— it is the purpose behind what I do; it is what makes me leap out of
bed every morning — service to others, helping others love what they
do for a living, helping others be the best that they can be, and
helping others achieve incredible career success.
I literally fell in love with my job when
I entered the coaching profession over 15 years ago, and the love for
what I do has continued to strengthen with every client relationship,
every client meeting and through all of the writing, speaking and media
appearances I make.
I have chosen a selection of statements — presented below — that others have said over the years — as feedback on the services I deliver through my coaching practice, and as testimonial to the quality of career information I strive to deliver through this media center, through my speaking engagements, and through the Career Success Radio Show.
Thanks for the wonderful feedback.
Co-host, Career Success Radio Show
A leading authority on career success; 15-year executive coaching veteran
Contact: Andy@CRGLeaders.com, 239-285-5575
A Selection of What Others Have Said….
NOTE: All of the following testimonials can also be found on my LinkedIn Profile, along with the names of the clients and business contacts who were kind enough to share them.
“Andy made time out of his day to speak with me to provide excellent
tips about career counseling. His insights were extremely valuable, and
he was a fantastic sounding board. I would recommend him highly to
anyone seeking career advice.” July 28, 2010
“Andy is a dynamic Career Coach/Executive Coach. He has a natural
passion and ability to help others achieve far beyond what their
expectations have ever been. He is high spirited, enthusiastic and very
focused on his client’s success. His ability to help others get results
is what really sets him apart from the rest. I truly enjoy working with
Andy and I am motivated by what lies ahead!” July 12, 2010
“Kind, smart, intuitive, professional..Andy Robinson is someone that can
guide and help you reach your peak potential and develop your self
esteem. I have worked with him and seen him in action. If you listen,
and watch, you will learn, a lot! Hire him and thrive!” June 28, 2010
“Before I started working with Andy Robinson I was not too aware of the
importance of business coaching. While working with Andy he gave me all
the tools necessary to educate myself on how to develop structure and
build a successful foundation for success. All I have to say is that
Andy is an excellent business coach. He goes above and beyond your
expectations. Words cannot even describe how big of an asset it is to
have a coach like Andy on your Team to grow your business. If you are
serious about improving your social media platform, corporate structure
and your business, I Highly Recommend Andy.” June 24, 2010
“I sought Andy’s guidance while exploring different career options.
Andy’s expertise has been very useful and helped me confirm my career
objectives and update my approach to navigating the current job market.
Andy’s positive and upbeat personality coupled with his sincere desire
to help is invaluable. Andy assisted me in staying focused on the areas
most productive to my identified objectives. If Andy was not the
expert in a certain area, he was quick to connect me to the correct
contact. I would recommend Andy if you are seeking an expert to help
navigate today’s challenging market or if you simply want to broaden
your networking options.” April 28, 2010
“Andy is an excellent leadership coach, and I am a huge fan. I have
been a long-time client, and I highly recommend him for any type of
coaching– personal development, career transition, strategic business
plans, etc. I am amazed at the depth of knowledge that Andy has on so
many topics– I often wonder how he knows so much. I always walk away
as a smarter person from EVERY conversation I have with Andy, regardless
if the conversation is business or personal, regardless if the
conversation is 5 minutes or 60 minutes. He will exceed your
expectations. Exceptional service, exceptional advice, exceptional
value.” April 24, 2010
“I wish I hadn’t had to limit to three the top Attributes of Andy. I
hired him to help me discover what direction I wanted to move in. His
creativity, ability to discern, introduction of outstanding tools and
accountability of my actions toward goals were outstanding in helping me
create a career that is wonderfully rewarding and exciting. As highly
as someone can be recommended, I recommend Andy.” March 23, 2010
“I highly recommend Andy as a Career Coach. He is professional,
approachable and always ready to help. Andy takes the time to get to
know his clients and quickly discerns their needs. The advice that he
provides is on point and shows that he has experience, excellent wisdom,
and foresight. Andy also goes as far as providing real life examples
to help you be successful with your goals. The advice and guidance
that I received from Andy is very valuable, and he has helped me to grow
as a professional.” March 14, 2010
“Andy
provided invaluable insight and career navigational advice at a
critical time in my professional career. He was able “illuminate the
runway” and keep me focused on my strengths, not becoming overwhelmed
by the crash in the local job market two years ago.
With his coaching I
was able to quickly rebound after four years with the Bonita Bay Group
and stay within the field that I love – event planning. Thank you Andy
for your patience and guidence!” September 1, 2009
“Andy
assisted me in my search for career advancement.
Within a short period of time we had quantified my skills, created a
target list of businesses to approach, achieved interviews and
appointment.
Throughout this process Andy’s knowledge, guidance and support was
excellent.” August 10, 2009
“Andy
and I have been working partners for almost 15 years. We are very
different in our approaches but our styles compliment and bring out the
best in each other. He is the Career Coaching Master and my personal
Strategic Thinking Partner. He is caring, thoughtful and so very
brilliant. He has the ability to come up with creative solutions for
any situation.” July 29, 2009
“Andy
has been a great career coach for me and I’ve learned a great deal from
him, much of which has carried over into my business and personal life.
I highly recommend Andy to assist all business groups in need of a
mentor/coach, as he is proven in the industry and achieves great
results with individuals and organizations.” June 2, 2009
“I
have known Andy for many years and highly recommend Andy as a
professional, executive coach and trusted friend. He is an excellent
communicator and a valued resource to any organization.” March 20, 2009
“Andy
is a talented business & personal coach who is interested in
leading his clients to extraordinary places. He is very articulate and
a great communicator. He certainly does a great job when it comes to
listening & developing a special understanding of his clients.
I have known Andy for many years and he is an incredible cyclist. He
has a smooth & controlled riding style. Andy certainly has a
special skill and ability to ride like no other athlete. He is
passionate about his family, friends, clients, work and his life. Hire
Andy – you’ll love his exceptional leadership and ability to unturn
great opportunities.” March 7, 2009
“Andy
is a creative, thoughtful and highly skilled professional coach. His
insights and focus on the uniqueness of the individual was extremely
impressive. He successfully integrates his personal touch with
pragmatic tools and a planning approach to create results. I highly
recommend Andy to anyone seeking assistance during a time of personal
and/or professional change.” January 21, 2009
“His
results and outcomes consistently exceeded my expectations. Without
reservation I would recommend Andy to any individual or organization” August 25, 2008
“Andy
Robinson has served as my Executive Coach for nearly two years. Of all
the many and varied forms of professional development and training
services provided by my employer, working with Andy has clearly
provided the most significant results.
Working with Andy has enabled me
to maintain clear line of sight and focus to achieving the most
critical goals for my company and my professional and leadership
development. I highly recommend your consideration of Andy Robinson’s
services.” July 22, 2008
“Andy
has provided valuable, impactful, and actionable guidance to me over a
period of several years. He’s not only an expert in the areas of career
coaching and management consulting, but also in the new methods of
social networking and associated technologies. I look forward to more
of his insights in the future.” August 4, 2009
“I
am one of the privileged few employees at Bonita Bay Group who received
career counseling from Andy. Our first session IMMEDIATELY inspired me
to be a better professional. Andy’s expertise and commitment to his
clients is impressive and fueled many accomplishments that were a
benefit to me and my company. He is a valuable resource who provides
LASTING lessons and guidance to successful leaders.” June 2, 2009
“I
have known Andy Robinson personally and professionally for more than a
decade. Personally he is a tremendous competitor who works hard and
encourages others to improve. He is an active volunteer in his
community for several charitable organizations.
Andy is a highly
skilled business professional who takes care of his clients’ needs
before his own. He adheres to the highest standards of ethical conduct
and is an excellent coach and counselor. I would gladly recommend him
to any one in need of his services.” March 1, 2009
“I
highly and totally recommend Andy Robinson as a truly skilled and knowledgeable professional within his industry. His experiences as well
as his knowledge-base of recruiting and personnel issues have allowed
him to excel on every initiative that he has been given and
undertaken. He is thorough in his research and in his analysis of an
assignment before he embarks on it. He is very detailed in analyzing
the skills and capabilities of the personnel his is working with to
insure that there is a perfect match before he presents them to his
client for consideration for a position.
A skill that I have highly regarded from Andy is his following up with
the person that he has placed with a client to insure that the perfect
match is still continuing. He will avail himself if a people has an
issue or a question. He has demonstrated himself to be a person that I
will always seek out for advice as well as counsel on any professional
issue.” December 5, 2008
“Andy
is one of the best executive coaches I have worked with. He is
professional, smart and has the capacity to enable you to see your
potential and create a career roadmap that is solid and aligned to your
skill sets. Andy was a great help to me in a recent job search for a
position in a management consulting firm. I highly recommend Andy as a
coach to people seeking a career change.” December 11, 2006
“Andy
did a phenomenal job of finding me an excellent, high-paying consulting
position in the midst of a recession.While I was trying to hunt down
hundreds of dead-end leads on my own, Andy found a great opportunity
that fit my interests.He helped me prepare for interviews and answered
questions that I did not feel comfortable asking the prospective
employer.I highly recommend his services.” March 9, 2005
“Andy
was responsible for recruiting nationally for the division (Financial
Advisory Services) I led at Coopers & Lybrand. He was a significant
contributor to the rapid growth of that practice during my tenure as
the leader of the division.
There is so much I respect about Andy as a recruiter. His insights into
talent are first rate. His compassion for candidates is noteworthy.
And, perhaps most importantly, his integrity shines, in a business
where that is not always the norm. In short, he is the consummate
professional.
As much as I respect Andy as a professional, I respect him even more as
a person. His values are superb!” April 28, 2008
10 Tips for Adding Value by Showing Initiative – Make It Happen!
In
these tough times, it is absolutely critical that you continue to
demonstrate your value to your employer, to your clients and to your
colleagues on a daily basis. Adding Value is THE buzz-word for "safe-guarding" your career and propelling yourself to the top of your profession.
Today's Daily Dose of Value — Show Initiative!
Showing initiative is a MUST DO in demonstrating your value at work. Initiative correlates strongly with personal achievement and professional development; it is the act of taking personal responsibility for your growth, and it is a clear sign of your capacity to develop as a leader. So….what are you waiting for? Take action today; don't wait to be asked — be proactive. Consider the following ideas for lighting the fire of initiative in your daily work life:
- Always be alert for ways to make something work better. Make the suggestion. Volunteer to take ownership for getting it done.
- Take it upon yourself be the first to adopt and implement the newest company policy.
- Stay alert for ideas to simplify processes and find new and better ways of doing things. Proactively suggest those improvement ideas. Be the example for implementing those processes.
- Stay alert for ways to save money and reduce costs. "Raise your hand" to communicate those suggestions as quickly as possible.
- Reach out to colleagues and team members who need help.
- Be the first to volunteer for those tough projects and assignments.
- Always think ahead …. preempt likely obstacles with well-thought-out plans that take those obstacles into consideration.
- Provide, in advance, the answers to the questions that you know are going to be asked. "Think like your boss/manager" and consider all deliverables from their perspective BEFORE you submit them. Always review your work from the elevation of "30,000 feet."
- Always do your homework; always be prepared. Read the material in advance, research the subject matter in advance, dig in and immerse yourself in the topic at hand
- Deal with problems immediately; take action and be decisive. Get it done, and get it behind you as quickly as possible.
Make it happen! Be a role model for showing initiative; demonstrate your capacity as a leader. Make the choice to lead with action and initiative; your value will soar.
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