Communication - Personal Development - Business

Looking for a way to stand out in your workplace? This becomes a critical question when the economy is tugging at most businesses purse strings and companies are looking to trim costs.  Cutting down forces, outsourcing, rightsizing, and laying off is often a quick fix to an ugly problem for the leadership ranks. Separate yourself from the herd by being authentic.
* Suspending all judgment and keep an open mind to everything.   This does not mean you blindly accept anything, but you gather enough information by questioning and processing that you can set aside your old frames of reference and see the situation with a new pair of eyes.
* Train yourself to be in the moment and not dredging up all the old thinking on why something won’t work or that you don’t like it. This will allow you to be fluid and will move you from that static positioning and entitlement.
*  Allow your self-confidence to shine through so you trust your instinct.  This will guide your behavior to try new approaches. I always recommend keeping a success journal and compile all the successes you have, no matter how small.  When you need a little motivation, read through the pages and remind yourself of all the cool things you have achieved.
* Train yourself to respond not react. Knee jerking when you react tears down the respect most strive to build.  Responding allows you to authentically determine the real guts of the situation and suspends the emotional battle. If you don’t, you will be an authentic jerk and a spoiled brat.
* Taking a creative approach to living, rather than relying on routine and habit. This allows you to genuinely be different from others. Change anything to spark creativity.  Have a stand up meeting, pick up the phone and call someone rather than blindly replying to an email, rearrange your office – any thing!

Experts from Psychology Today offer their (sometimes conflicting) views on how to lead the authentic life.
* Read novels. “It’s the best way to figure out what it feels like to be in someone else’s head—and that’s what helps us to distinguish our own identity.” —John Portmann, professor of religious ethics, University of Virginia
* Be deliberate. “Authenticity consists in being aware that you have choices and consciously choosing what you do.” —Roy Baumeister, social psychologist, University of Florida
* But not too deliberate. “People often make better decisions when they don’t think about them. Go with your gut. Authentic reactions are much more at a gut level.” —Mark Leary, social psychologist, Duke University

What traits do you view as being authentic?

Marsha Petrie Sue - Now taking personal responsibility for my authenticity

Tags: accountability, authentic, authenticity by Marsha
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Why do you think entitlement ruins our economy and do you think personal responsibility ends the spiral of this madness?

What do you think?  Where do you stand?  If you post a comment on the blog I will send you a download of The CEO of YOU: Leading YOURSELF to Success by Marsha Petrie Sue.

If you are really serious about taking control of your job and making more money, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything.  The first step in turning yourself and your job into the perfect situation is to dump any thinking about what others “owe” you. “Why do my employees have such an entitlement mentality?” is a question often asked in business today? And I’ve learned it is not just the Generation Y’s who create this image.  The Baby Boomers and Gen Xer’s are as much at fault as any other workforce participant.

I think many people have become spoiled brats. Some blame it on generational differences, others say it’s society gone soft and still others claim there is a disappearance of the work ethic.  It is a combination of all of these.
And companies and employers can blame themselves:
•    They have not set clear connections between job performance and compensation.
•    All employees are rewarded the same.
•    Automatic raises are given because of tenure.
•    Companies have poor or inconsistent communication.
•    Come-and-go-as-you-please work schedules are acceptable.
•    Dress codes are not enforced.
•    Annual raises of 10 percent to 20 percent of base salary are automatic.
•    Regular grant of stock options are expected.
•    Full coverage health insurance costs are part of the entitlement.
•    Employer-subsidized soft drinks, bagels, coffee and more are expected.

I was speaking to Mortgage Brokers and Loan Officers on Monday.  The president of the company agreed with an analogy I had been told by another company leader.  The group was whining and certainly displaying difficult behavior when he chimed back with this:

•    So, when your numbers are terrific it is because you are such a fabulous sales person and so good at your job?
•    And when the bottom fell out of the Real Estate Market and many of the financial markets, it was the economy’s fault for your numbers tanking?
•    Then why did 20% of the team continue to make their numbers and succeed?

My belief is that a certain percentage of people have learned to be resilient in their jobs and make the decision not to be spoiled brats.   The toxic behavior of a whine and cheeser (see Toxic People) is easy and is reserved for the lazy that don’t take the time to figure out what does work and what they should leave behind.

What is your perspective?  Do you fall into the Spoiled Brat frame or have you figured out how to pull yourself up and move forward no matter what?

Remember Vilfredo Pareto and the 80/20 rule? I also think this is why 20% of the investors today are investing in the financial markets and 80% are whining because they overextended themselves and often times because of their greed!

What do you think?  Where do you stand?  If you post a comment on the blog I will send you a download of The CEO of YOU: Leading YOURSELF to Success.

Tags: Gen X, Gen Y, accountability, entitlement, professional development by Marsha
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I’m about ready to go nuts with all the crazyness in the market today.  Down, up, down, up!  Where will it all end. In the midst of a political upheaval, this is getting quite interesting.  Watch closely what both parties say and expouse.  Look at a variety of reporting agencies and different media.  Don’t let yourself fall in the trap of only believing one source.

Whether McCain or Obama, we must elect people that take personal responsibility for the outcomes and stop pointing fingers. We need true leadership and business acumen. Moral Amnesia has set in - again!  Remember Enron?  Lehman, AIG, and others are going down the same path.  These are private concerns and it is just disgusting when you look at what the top leaders of these companies are making.

And don’t even tell me your are not going to vote! OK - I’m done now.  What do you think?

Tags: accountability, leadership by Marsha
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Yep - I’m at it again. I am just enthralled with Gen Y and all the clamoring around their entry into the workplace. So here is more of my thinking…

Are you ready to turn your thinking from Generation Y as difficult people to great corporate citizens? Generation X and the Baby Boomers have not had this kind of press because they remained within a “norm” of others expectations. Gen Y do not consider themselves to be difficult or toxic people.

The good news is that Generation Y learned the importance of balancing work and life from watching their overworked parents. So here are some ideas of what they bring to an overworked, entitlement driven work force.

1. Hold Only Productive Meetings
Email will be the medium for information that just needs to be shared. Thirty minute meetings will pull everyone to the same page while motivating them to get the work done. They bring to the table efficiency, focus and definitive expected outcomes.

2. Training obsessed
And they will determine what they need to learn by engaging great mentors. So if you are a Gen X or Boomer, learn to mentor. This is where the online “social” networks will play a role. Want to learn new skills and polish old ones? Visit http://www.marshapetriesue.com/Successstore.html and enter code BACKTOSCHOOL08 and save 50% on everything including Marsha Petrie Sue’s Toxic People book.

3. Hire Administrative Assistants
Gen Y constantly ask themselves, is this the best use of my skills? If not, someone else needs to do it! They can find over 500 extra hours a year by not doing tasks that don’t maximize their talents. Interestingly they are willing to pay for this themselves because it give them more “free” time.

4. Shorter Work Days
Maximizing technology to get more work done in less time is the name of their game. Already the workplace is watching Gen X take eight hours to accomplish the same work a Gen Y can do in six.

5. Gen Y won’t retire – they will reinvent
They do demand 401K’s and excellent benefits. Every few years they will take time off to enjoy life, then come back with new vigor and ideas on how they want to work and live. They have a new attitude!

6. Emotional Intelligence Promotions
Generation Y will force the Gen Y’s and Baby Boomers to promote them because they do an excellent job. Not because of tenure, seniority, paying your dues or office politics. They will hone their people skills to they lead people more effectively.

7. They value their Helicopter Parents
Parenting comes with a license to hover over the Gen Y kids. Because of this, Gen Y’s respect their parents because of the undying interest in the kids growth and success. Some companies have already designated a “parents waiting room” used while their Gen Y is interviewing for a new position!

8. New View on Performance Reviews
Since they expect constant feedback because of the model set by their Helicopter parents, they will expect the same from their leaders. Frequent feedback, and spot reviews will move Gen Y to quicker improvement and this really matters to Gen Y.

9. Higher Starting Salaries
Gen Y look out for themselves and do their homework. They know the value of their talents and what the supply and demand is in their field. They will use Monster.com, Jobing.com and Payscale.com for salary information.

Actually these 9 elements are good lessons for everyone that wants to be successful. I would recommend reading them again and replace the Generation Y reference with your name. Just a suggestion! If you want the Ten Commandments of Cooperation please email me at Marsha@MarshaPetrieSue.com - and I REALLY enjoy your comments. If you post a comment on this blog I will send you a down loadable copy of my book, The CEO of YOU.

Cheers, Marsha

Tags: Gen X, Gen Y, accountability, leadership, management by Marsha
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If your work situation is facing a high-degree of economic turbulence, there are very specific strategies that you can apply whether you are a leader or an employee. This topic is so hot, that I recently added a new presentation to my speaking repertoire – Smart Moves in Tough Times.

1. Verify that you know what is expected of you. Make sure that you communicate this information to your team. Don’t wait for anyone to tell you … you must ask and verify.
2. Make sure your skills match the needs of the changing goals of your department and company. If you don’t know, ask. And you may have to seek out the appropriate training and pay for it yourself. Don’t wait for others to pay for your success.
3. Commit yourself to a flexible approach to the changes in your particular situation. Your perception is probably different than anyone else’s so flex to their style and ideas.
4. Dump the negative attitude. People really don’t care and are only interested in themselves. Help others see the bright side of change. Growth, opportunity, and new perspective are just three to concentrate on.
5. Set up a system of feedback and check progress in real-time. If it is not in place, set it up. Again, do this whether you are in a leadership position or not.
6. Train yourself to act promptly and change your focus quickly. Don’t focus on what you can’t control. Rather, look at your own personal responsibility of what you can control like your behavior, attitude, talents, communications, presentation skills, self-awareness, conflict resolution, work ethic, morale, and more.
7. Update your resume. Go on line and learn the nuances of how people are hiring in today’s job market. I guarantee that it has changed within the last twelve months. (Email me (Marsha@MarshaPetrieSue.com) for the Resume How To!)
8. Job search and verify your worth in the marketplace. www.Monster.com and www.Jobbing.com are good places to start.
You get the picture. Take full control of your job and success. Get ready because you will never know when you will be outsources, right sized or someone will decide to free up your future. Please email me for a great white paper on how to write a resume.
Marsha Petrie Sue, MBA, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)

Tags: accountability, positive attitude, promote yourself, reorganization, resume by Marsha
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Just when you think you’ve heard it all, along comes a story like this.

A Los Angeles woman claims she was injured by her Victoria’s Secret thong, prompting her to sue the underwear manufacturer. The plaintiff in the case, Macrida Patterson, 52, attributed the May 2007 injury to a Victoria’s Secret “low-rise v-string,” according to a court document posted on The Smoking Gun.

Patterson’s lawyer told The Smoking Gun that a “design problem” caused a decorative metallic piece on the underwear to fly up and hit Patterson in the eye while she was putting the underwear on. Patterson’s product liability lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court last week.

The Smoking Gun reported that, prior to the lawsuit, officials from Victoria’s Secret had asked to see the offending underwear but were refused by Patterson’s lawyer. I had never checked out the Smoking Gun Web Site - what a lesson in lack of personal responsibility for actions!

Glued To His Seat: Shopper sues Home Depot, claims he was cemented to store toilet. This one was good too.

Our court system is so clogged with this type of nonsense law suit, that they don’t have time to manage the drug dealers, smugglers and felons of a serious type. Children and adults need lessons in personal responsibility. The choices they make are their own fault. We must all help people become the Leader of their own life. I am sick and tired of this wing nuts diverting attention in our legal system. I know some people will say I am wrong but I will stick to my guns on this one.

Then you look at the personal responsibility of the court to uphold the law of the land. I believe some of our judges need to take personal responsibility for interpreting the law consistently.

Remember the TLC approach to personal accountability and making choices.

Take it (have a plan if it is not how you want it)

Leave it (walk away or reject it)

Change it (be flexible and keep an open mind)

The women and the thong and the guy and the toilet seat made choices. Do they really think they will be awarded an easy buck by suing? Sad news is they probably will which intensifies the non-responsibility issue. This should be taught in every work environment.  Every leader must help employees understand that personal accountability, good communications and self-leadership is part of their job.

Let me know if you agree or disagree with this stand! Marsha

Tags: accountability, choices, outcomes, personal responsibility by Marsha
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