Getting to Know the C Suite – Advice for Dealing with Upper Management and Executives

EntryLevelLifeButton_E When you think of working with upper management or executives in your company, does it make you feel slightly nervous or make your heart start to beat fast because they hold so much power over your career? When you get into the work world, there will be times when you have to interact with executives on projects. So, make the most of the opportunities to impress your company’s management with these tips.

Be respectful of executives and their time.
When it’s time for you to meet with the vice president of marketing or the director of operations, be sure you are prepared for the meeting. People who work in upper level positions have a lot to focus on and a lot of meetings to attend. So, don’t waste their time. If the leader requests the meeting, ask in advance about what you need to bring. Be sure to research your topic of discussion, identify key talking points, and prepare a PowerPoint, Excel spreadsheet, graph, or document for the meeting as needed. Prepare questions you need answers to. Make it a point to be over prepared and have more knowledge about the meeting than you plan to use. And, always thank them for their time at the beginning and end of each meeting.

Reserve time on their schedule.
As mentioned above, managers and executives are busy. Be sure to reserve the appropriate amount of time on their calendar for your meeting with them. You may need to coordinate with an administrative assistant. If so, be sure to go through the right channels to book the correct time and space needed to meet. You can’t just walk into an executive’s office whenever you want to meet. To get their full attention and ensure uninterrupted time, be sure they receive and accept a meeting request. You may also want to follow-up with their assistant on the day of the meeting to make sure they are on schedule. Be flexible with your time when dealing with executives because something might happen prior to your meeting that requires you to reschedule with them for a later time.

Know how to address them. 
Do you address executives formally as Mr., Mrs., or Miss, or do you call them by their first name? This is something that may differ across the board depending on your company’s culture. At times, you might have an executive who is really personable and likes to joke around with everyone. But, if you address them informally, it could be offensive to them. You might have a Generation X manager who is more laid back and wouldn’t ever dream of anyone addressing them with a formal title. To be on the safe side, always address executives formally on the first meeting. From there, they can let you know a little more about their personality and specifically how to approach them in the future. After your meeting with them, if you’re still not sure how to address them, follow the lead of those around you, and when in doubt, be more formal. 

Always be honest and act with integrity.
When you’re in a meeting with upper management or executives, always be honest about what you know and don’t know. If, for example, someone unexpectedly asks you to report on the specifics of a project or how much something will cost and you don’t know the answer, don’t try to make something up to look good. Be up front and honest and let them know you don’t have the answer for them, but that you will research it and get back to them quickly. In most cases, they will respect you for your candor. Either way, it’s better to be honest than to fudge the truth and get found out later. 

Know your next plan of action when you leave the meeting.
Before the meeting is over, make sure you are aware of the next steps you need to take to complete a project. Know your key action items and any upcoming deadlines. If you are not clear about something, ask for clarification before the meeting is over. If you have any questions, be sure to ask. Sometimes you might be fearful of asking an executive a question because you’re afraid of what they will think of you. But, by speaking up and asking thoughtful questions, you’re letting them know you want to do a good job.

It’s important to realize that although those in upper management and executive positions hold some significant power within the company, they are still people too. There’s no reason to get worried about interacting with them. If you do get the opportunity, it is a sign that your employer trusts you and respects your work, and it’s an opportunity to learn from the very best in your organization.

Dreaded Friend Requests: Who You Don’t Want to Befriend Online

EntryLevelLifeButton_D With the growing popularity of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, it’s not uncommon for friends to send you a friend request or follow your tweets. It’s OK to have be friends with your co-workers, but allowing co-workers to see your online social networking sites should be approached with caution – especially when dealing with Facebook, because it began as a site mostly for social purposes. Some employees don’t have a problem with co-workers being able to see their personal information or pictures posted on sites like Facebook. Others, however, want to keep clear separations between their professional and personal life.

Regardless of what you decide when it comes to your co-workers and social media sites, here are a few examples of who you should not befriend online.

Name: The Prying Boss
About Me: I have the power to hire and fire you. I may be in charge, but I like to snoop into the lives of my employees too much for comfort.
 
Interests: Checking your social media sites when making a hiring decision, I also like to read updates and make inappropriate comments about your weekend extracurricular activities.
 
Reason not to befriend: They’re a snoop. Plus, they’re your boss. Do you really want him or her to have access to information about your personal life?

Name: The Office Flirt
About Me: I’m single and ready to mingle. I enjoy long walks on the beach, cooking, and am looking for someone from work – or anywhere – to share my life with. I may have been told that my actions make others feel uncomfortable, but I still do them anyway.

Interests: I enjoy leaving suggestive comments on co-workers Facebook walls and digging up dirt on people’s dating history. How you doin’?
 
Reason not to befriend: They probably want to know if your status is “single” or “in a relationship.” To just be on the safe side, deny their friend request or add it to a completely limited profile that restricts access to personal details.

Name: The Office Gossip
About Me: I have never met a stranger. I can talk to anyone, and am just a people person. I am a wealth of knowledge about the workplace, and always find a way to get in on everyone’s conversations to find out all the latest news about what’s happening and what’s about to happen.

Interests: Snooping, prying, spreading rumors, creating rumors, and being in the know.

Reason not to befriend: That status and new picture you posted on Facebook could become the topic of discussion at every water cooler across the office.

Name: The Office Spy
About Me: I’m not a gossip, but I like to know things for my personal benefit and power. I am described as being like the wind – I’m everywhere at all times. I like to think of myself as the private eye of the company.
Interests: Stockpiling information resources for a rainy day when I might need them.

Reason not to befriend: None of your information would be safe. Every small detail about you could be uncovered and put into a database, only to show back up at a later day and time when you’re least expecting it.

Because of these types of people, it's important to know what your social media sites reveal about you. If you do get a friend request from one of these characters, the best way to handle the situation is to address it politely. Let them know you appreciate the gesture, but prefer to decline their request.

Surprising Facts About Workplace Friendships

EntryLevelLifeButton_A When you’re in the workforce, a large part of your day – and your week – is spent on the job. And having friends in the workplace can help make your workday more enjoyable. When you have friends in the workplace, it gives you somebody to talk to, brainstorm ideas with, and generally helps improve your overall productivity. According to a survey in Business Wire, 70 percent of all individuals surveyed said friendships create a more supportive and friendly environment to work in, while 56 percent said it increases workplace morale.

Although some workplace friendships can transition into lifelong friendships outside of the office, other times they can backfire and cause more harm than good. When that happens, it can lead to feelings of awkwardness between those involved and have a negative impact on careers and office environments. When it comes to developing friendships in the workplace, you don’t have to avoid them. But, it is important to be a little cautious. So here are a few words of advice to help  keep your workplace friendships happy and healthy.

Remember there’s work to do. You and your co-workers have tasks and duties to perform throughout the day and you have goals to meet. Make it a point to not spend your day around the office cooler gossiping about what company news you’ve heard. If you want to talk and catch up on what’s going on with your office buddies, reserve a few minutes at the beginning of your day, go to lunch together, or talk at designated break times. Just keep in mind that too much socializing throughout the day, especially when there are deadlines to meet, can cause strain and stress on your team, your job, and your friendship.

Be careful about what information you share. If you hang out with co-workers outside of work, be careful about what personal information you share, especially if you don’t want that information shared with other co-workers. Also make sure you don’t talk about other co-workers, supervisors, or the company. Depending on how well you know that person, what you say could get back to the office.

Don’t let the friendship take advantage of you. With friendships in the workplace, you might run into a situation where a friend wants some help with their daily tasks. It’s fine to help them out, but within reason. If they need help with some software, want to bounce an idea off you, need to switch lunch hours so they can leave a little early for a doctor’s appointment, these are examples of when it’s OK to help. But, if they’re wanting you to help cover up a mistake for them, wanting you to give them less constructive feedback, or slacking on their productivity and asking you to take on some of their work, these are examples of no-no’s. Being friends does not mean playing favorites at work. You have a job to do and so do they.

Friends are great to have at work. Just remember that at work, you have to keep your actions professional because you have a job to do first and foremost. Apply these tips to your job to ensure you develop quality relationships with others in the workplace without adding to workplace frustrations.

Things Your Mom Didn’t Tell You About the Work World

Think back to when you were in elementary school and got jitters on the first day back from summer vacation. Maybe it was your mom or another loved one who helped calm your nerves. They probably gave you advice like, “Don’t worry, just be yourself and everyone’s going to love you.” Now, fast forward to today and your working career. Does that advice still apply? To help you gain some perspective and clarity during those times when you need it, here is some advice your mom didn’t tell you about being in the workplace.

Not everyone’s going to love you. In the workplace, everyone has different personalities. Not everyone is always going to want to be your best friend, and that’s OK. You’re going to run into people you don’t get along with. But, be nice and polite with everyone you work with and focus on being a good employee who produces great work.

Be responsible for yourself. In the working world, you are responsible for you. No one else is going to baby you. You have to pick up after yourself and keep your workstation clean and organized. Also, your manager will provide you with direction on your projects, but getting them done is up to you. And, you need to prioritize what’s important as a worker and manage your time wisely to get your work completed on time. Check out these tips on organization and prioritizing. And, remember that It’s OK to talk with your co-workers, but keep the chatting to a minimum so you can be productive throughout the day.

Don’t just do the best you can. Workplaces today are competitive and many are looking for employees who are willing to go the extra mile on projects. Your mom might have been fine with you getting a C on a project or in a class when you were in school, but employers are looking for A+ effort when it comes to work. 

There’s no nap time or recess at work. Gone are the days when you got to take a nap at noon or go outside and climb around on the monkey bars to work off some energy. Your employer pays you to be productive throughout your work day, so make sure you get enough rest prior to coming to work. Set a time each night to be in bed and a time each morning to wake up. When you’re rested, you will have more energy, allowing you to cross more off your to-do list.

Life’s not fair. In your working career, you will probably run into events that aren’t fair, but in some situations, you won’t be able to do anything about them besides just accept them. Titles, raises, salaries – these are a few things in the workplace that sometimes seem unfair. Instead of dwelling on things you don’t have, look for the positive in what you do have. Continue working hard and don’t let “unfair” things slow down your progress or cloud your vision.

Everyone has those days when they wish they could have mom or someone else there to lend some advice when it’s needed. Instead, keep these tips close by for the next time you feel you need a reality check.

Meeting Myths Revealed: Common Mistakes to Avoid

EntryLevelLifeButton_C Meetings are a common occurrence in the workplace. And, they are usually looked upon with the same excitement as a visit to the dentist. If the mention of a meeting makes you cringe or scream out of boredom, you’re not alone. Whatever your thoughts are about meetings, throughout your working career you will definitely sit in or lead your fair share of meetings. But, meetings don’t have to be boring or unproductive. When it’s your turn to lead your next department or team meeting, keep these common mistakes in mind and make sure you do the opposite to save your co-workers from another painfully bad and unproductive meeting wasting their time.  

I don’t need an agenda for every meeting. Don’t bother with an agenda if you want to have an infective meeting that doesn’t stay on track. But, if you want a good meeting, having an agenda is a must. In order to get where you want to go, you have to know where you’re going. Come to the meeting prepared with how it’s going to flow and what topics need to be discussed by the team. This will help keep the meeting focused, give it direction, and help it begin and end on time.

It’s not necessary to schedule a meeting on the calendar. Your co-workers will just remember that you want to meet with them in two weeks, won’t they? Wrong. It’s important that you use Outlook or software your company uses to book your next meeting on every attendee’s calendar. If you just send attendees an e-mail alerting them of the meeting, there’s a good chance it will get lost in their inbox and never added to a calendar. This means you might have co-workers forget to attend the meeting. Always be sure to get the meeting on their calendar so that they can be reminded of it. 

The meeting room is always available. Don’t assume there will be a space available for you and your team when it comes time to meet. When you’re creating the meeting and inviting attendees, be sure to check for conference room availability. Go ahead and reserve that room for the correct day and time. Include yourself as the contact person in case any questions or conflicts arise.

The attendees know what the meeting topic’s about. It’s important to remember that people can’t read your mind, so they don’t know what you’re thinking. No one likes to attend a meeting where they don’t know what will be discussed. When scheduling your meeting and creating the invitation for your co-workers, let them know in advance what the focus of the meeting will be. Also, let them know if they need to bring anything specific to the meeting or if they have a specific task to perform at the meeting or beforehand.

Everyone has to be in attendance. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “the more the merrier,” but in meeting situations this is not always true. When you have too many people attending a meeting it can turn into a nightmare to manage. When you schedule a meeting, keep in mind that not everyone has to or needs to attend. Only invite those individuals who absolutely need to be involved in the discussion. This will help you get the greatest outcome out of your meeting time and your co-workers will appreciate you for valuing their time.

It’s OK to start the meeting a few minutes late. What’s just a few minutes going to matter? Just know that those minutes are valuable. When you’re leading a meeting, always start on time. When someone sets a meeting, it’s important to show up and start on time – not five or 10 minutes late. When meetings don’t start when they’re supposed to, they usually don’t end when they should either. Time is a precious tool for many these days, and there is usually not a lot to spare for late meetings.

Meetings don’t have to be horrible. You can break the “awful meeting” mentality by being great at leading your meetings. Remember, you don’t have to lead a meeting because your boss has always led them a certain way. Everyone leads differently, but follow these tips along with the 5 Ws of Successful Meeting Management to showcase your great leadership abilities and be the meeting manager your workplace can’t live without.

Does Your Boss Respect Your Ideas? How to Pitch Ideas Effectively

EntryLevelLifeButton_E Do you have a great idea for a project or one you think might make your work better, help generate profits, solve an issue, or improve workplace productivity? A brilliant idea that doesn’t go anywhere is a lost cause. That’s why it’s important to know how to pitch your ideas to your boss and co-workers to help get your plans implemented. But, pitching an idea isn’t always an easy process. You have to sell it! To help you amaze your boss with your genius and creativity, here are a few tips to pitch like a pro.

Identify a need. The greatest ideas are the ones that help solve a need or problem. Discover what value your idea has and be able to highlight the benefits in your pitch. An employer wants to know what’s in it for them, their business, and their team, if they were to implement your plan into action. Clearly explaining the advantages and potential impact of your ideas to your boss will definitely help improve your chances of getting the green light on your ideas.

Create a sales pitch. After you’ve identified a need, outline exactly what you want your boss to know about your idea. Take a tip from a reporter – for any story they write, they answer the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how. Outline your answers to these questions for your idea. For example, describe what your idea is and who will benefit from it as well as who will need to be involved to help implement it.

Pitch to trusted colleagues first. Before you run your ideas by your boss, take some time to share them with a few co-workers you know will give you honest feedback. Practice your pitch on them and see what they think. This will allow you to receive tips on what presentation style elements work and what concepts can be tweaked to make your idea more solid. The more solid your idea, the stronger your chances are of seeing it move into action.

Also, think about some possible objections your manager might have, and consider what you would say in return. It’s always better to be over-prepared when pitching your ideas rather than winging it. The better prepared you are, the more confidence you can exude when you meet with your manager.

Pitch to your boss. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, so give it your best effort! Believe in yourself and what you’ve created. If you’re not confident about what you’re trying to sell, why would others believe your project is a winner? Stand tall and let your boss and co-workers see your excitement. And, even if your boss doesn’t think it’s the right time to implement your idea, they will respect you for the time, effort, and thought you put into your idea. They will remember this the next time you have something to pitch.

Don’t oversell. Don’t say your idea will accomplish things it won’t. There’s nothing worse than underperforming on a project that you promoted. From the beginning, be open and honest with what your idea can accomplish.

Accept the outcome. Sometimes your ideas will pass with flying colors and sometimes they won’t.  If you have an idea that your manager doesn’t think will work, see if there’s another solution to help improve it. Sometimes all that needs to be done is a little tweaking. But, if your idea absolutely doesn’t get approved, it’s not the end of the world. Be glad that you gained some experience with pitching your ideas, and head back to the drawing board to come up with your next brilliant idea.

Pitching ideas might be a little more difficult than the actual brainstorming, but you can have your boss saying “eureka” to your new idea with just the right pitch. With these tips in mind, you have a great starting point. You never know what the future holds for you or your ideas until you pitch them.

Looking for New Job Opportunities? Advice to Improve Your Results

How are you looking for new job opportunities? Are you waiting for them to just appear or are you actively seeking them out? Searching for a career is a full-time job in itself, and it’s important to exhaust all your avenues for finding employment. To help you be more proactive with your efforts, here are some tips to improve your job search efforts today.

Attend networking events. If you know what industry you want to work in, try to get plugged into professional meetings in that field. This will give you an opportunity to network with others who work in that field and make valuable connections. Introduce yourself to them and don’t be afraid to tell them what your goals are. When you attend these meetings, always have your résumé and business cards on hand with you and pass them out. You want people to leave that meeting with a good impression of you.

Talk to people. You never know if somebody knows somebody who is looking for a new employee. Make it a point to get out there and just meet new people. When you’re at your local coffee shop, strike up a conversation with those around you. Ask others what they do for a living, and then tell them about yourself and what you want to do in life. Also, keep your friends and family updated about what’s going on with you. It never hurts to share your story with others.

Volunteer for organizations. Seek out volunteer opportunities that would provide you with experience related to what you want in a job. If you like marketing, volunteer to do some writing for a non-profit organization. If you want to do construction, contact Habitat for Humanity to see if they have any projects for you. These are great ways to build your skill set and be able to measure the impact of your results.

Get online. Check out company websites and others like Indeed.com to search for job openings. Submit your résumés online, along with a copy of your cover letter. Be sure your contact information is included. Apply for all the job openings you qualify for. The more you apply, the more your chances go up of hearing from an employer about a possible interview.

Also, set up social media networking accounts such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, if you don’t already have one. This is another great way to make connections with others. You can include information on these profiles about your skills, experiences, and what type of jobs you’re looking for. Again, you never know who could see your online profile and want to meet you.

Instead of waiting for opportunity to knock on the door, it’s important for you to take some initiative and push that door open just a bit and introduce yourself to new possibilities. If you keep approaching the job hunt the same way you always have, you will get the same results. Try these tips to help find the job you want.