Work Babble

Six Signs of a Professional

There always seems to be background noise regarding what constitutes a professional.  Various groups want certification programs, license programs, certain degrees and the like.

From our perspective, all these programs are fine but do not necessarily define "professionals".  If professionalism isn’t determined by how we dress or the degrees or certifications that we hold, then what is professionalism?

Here we offer six signs of a true professional. Without these characteristics, regardless of one's qualifications, professionalism simply isn’t possible.

A professional is courteous. A true professional may disagree with you, but they will never be rude to you. They will maintain their composure and always speak politely.

A professional is reliable. When you engage a professional to do your work, you can count on the fact that it will be done. A professional takes their work seriously and will not abandon work or a client.

A professional is respectful. Professionals listen attentively to your suggestions and ideas. They will inform you if they think you should do something differently, but they will not belittle or insult you.

A professional is honest. With a professional, you know what you are getting. Their word is good, and they will honestly report all of their actions.

A professional is responsible. Professionals acknowledge and take responsibility for their actions — even though they occasionally make mistakes.

A professional is competent. A professional knows how to get the job done and is up-to-date with the most recent developments in his or her field.

Do you exhibit professionalism? What areas could you work on?

About Glowan

The Glowan Consulting Group was formed in 1993 on the premise that individuals and organizations needed more than just pre-designed, prescripted "training" to meet their human development goals. Organizations and our societies are changing at a rate never seen before in our experience and we need tools, techniques and support systems to meet those new challenges. Glowan has been meeting those needs via our broad and deep offerings of Leadership and Management Development Services and Products. Visit http://www.glowan.com  for more information.

Bringing Calm to the Chaos

We all are suffering the effects of a more chaotic world these days and that world is definitely reflected in our workplaces.  When we are faced with major challenges, some rather simple steps can help to manage the chaos a bit more effectively.

Defining the Challenge:

·     Ask -- What isn’t working?

·     Ask -- What is working well?

·     Ask -- How can we/I do?

·     Ask -- Would this feel like success?”

What isn’t working? This is where you look accurately at the problems  you are facing, neither overstating (it’s all horrible!), nor understating (we’re perfect). You identify the key factors that concern you. It could be, “my company is doing layoffs and I believe I’m at risk,” or “sales are off 20%  over last year.”

What is working well?  Even in the middle of chaos, we do many things well and looking at our successful best practices can help tremendously in solving other problems.  It is all too easy to get caught in "ain't it awful" but avoiding this emotional trap can help bring reason and success to the most difficult situations.  Using Appreciative Inquiry in situations like this can be very helpful!

How can we/I…? Once you’ve looked—clear-eyed and unflinching—at what isn’t working, it’s fairly easy to frame the challenge. We’ve found that it helps to put it in the form of a “how can we” or “how can I” question. That helps you state your desired outcome. So, for the challenges above, it might be, “How can I best prepare myself for job loss?” and “How can we strengthen sales while operating as efficiently as possible?”

Would this feel like success? This is your “checking question.” It gives you a way to make sure you’ve defined the challenge accurately. Just ask yourself, “If I answered my ‘how can we/I’ question, would I feel I had succeeded in addressing this challenge?”

In the first instance above, the answer might actually be “no.” You might decide that answering the question, “How can I best prepare myself for job loss?” would feel too narrow and reactive… wouldn’t feel like success. You might, instead, make your question, “How can I create a strong career path that will serve me even in difficult times?

In the second instance, you could look at alternative methods of promoting and selling your products or services.  In any case, it is important that you answer the questions by building an acceptable success model that will move your situation and your organization forward.

Using these techniques can help to lower the emotional reactions and supplement them with methodical "thinking solutions".

About Glowan

The Glowan Consulting Group was formed in 1993 on the premise that individuals and organizations needed more than just pre-designed, prescripted "training" to meet their human development goals. Organizations and our societies are changing at a rate never seen before in our experience and we need tools, techniques and support systems to meet those new challenges. Glowan has been meeting those needs via our broad and deep offerings of Leadership and Management Development Services and Products. Visit http://www.glowan.com  for more information.

6 Things To Remember When Leading Through Change

As we are all aware, change is the only constant in business and, indeed, in the world today.  Situations change, organizations change, governments change and we are called upon daily to manage and adapt to all this change.   Below are six things to keep in mind in the middle of all this change.

1.     People need valid reasons to change. If they are made to feel that their past efforts were invalid or just not good enough, they will resist. Leaders need to provide context, direction and motivation to help others make the required adjustments.

2.    People need on-going support and direction to implement change that comes from above. The idea that employees will implement a leaders ideas or direction just because they have said it once is naïve.  People need to hear the message many times and they need to internalize it in order to remain aligned with the new direction.

3.    Just changing directions or behaviors isn't enough.  People will need help to "unlearn" behaviors of the past and form new productive habits that align with the new direction.  Coaching is they key!

4.    Constant communication will keep the change effort alive. In these times of continuous change, it is literally impossible to over communicate.

5.    Implementing new strategies is a journey, an intentional journey. Leaders need to paint a picture of the future -- Not simply as an "end state" but also many of the sign posts along the way.  People will get lost without a good road map.

6.    It's all about asking great questions. Leaders need to tap the talent and creativity in their organizations.   Employees will help if they are challenged. Ask BIG questions.  Ask BOLD questions.  Lead in order to uncover the hidden assets in your organization.

 

About Glowan

The Glowan Consulting Group was formed in 1993 on the premise that individuals and organizations needed more than just pre-designed, prescripted "training" to meet their human development goals. Organizations and our societies are changing at a rate never seen before in our experience and we need tools, techniques and support systems to meet those new challenges. Glowan has been meeting those needs via our broad and deep offerings of Leadership and Management Development Services and Products. Visit http://www.glowan.com for more information.

10 Ways Leaders Deceive Themselves

   
I know what customers want. Leaders often think they know what customers want. Actually they don’t. They just know what they want, and they’re usually not even in the target demographic.

We have the best (fill in the blank) technology, marketing, customer service, whatever. Typically self-indulged fantasy, boastfulness, or ego.

It’ll fix itself. When they don’t want to do something that’s a pain in the neck. Leaders often procrastinate.

Our customers love us. Usually a way to keep people from asking questions they don’t want to hear so they don’t have to learn the truth that they don’t want to know.

My employees are loyal to the company and me. The meaning of loyalty has changed dramatically.  Leaders should be looking for employee engagement and self-responsibility -- not loyalty.

Out of sight, out of mind. Also known as solving a problem by ignoring it, firing it, or otherwise making believe it doesn’t exist.

It’s probably for their own good.  Also “they’ll land on their feet.” Usually when they demote or fire somebody, or during a layoff.

The ends justify the means. Comforting themselves when they’ve made a mistake that they knew was wrong from the beginning.

I know what the employees want.  They probably don't; they're just afraid to ask or don't want to know.

It’s my company. In small business, this is often true, but for leaders of corporations, it is frequently seen as dishonest.  Treating the business as if it is yours from a responsibility point of view is good but trying to convince others that you "own" it is frequently misunderstood.

Are you sure you are done deceiving yourself in some ways?

About Glowan

The Glowan Consulting Group was formed in 1993 on the premise that individuals and organizations needed more than just pre-designed, prescripted "training" to meet their human development goals. Organizations and our societies are changing at a rate never seen before in our experience and we need tools, techniques and support systems to meet those new challenges. Glowan has been meeting those needs via our broad and deep offerings of Leadership and Management Development Services and Products. Visit http://www.glowan.com for more information.

Do You Glow?

In a recent article in Business-In.com, Lynda Gratton wrote about the "Nine Facets of Glowing".  When The Glowan Consulting Group was founded in 1993, we searched for a symbol that represented warmth, energy and light and discovered Glowan, the old English spelling of the word Glow.

Nine Facets of Glowing?

1. People who glow have five daily habits of cooperation: they have realistic and positive expectations of others, they are prepared to share valuable information with others, they act with discretion, they use the language of cooperation, and they make and keep commitments.?

2. People who Glow are able to bring emotional authenticity and analytical rigor to their conversations and use the art of great conversation as the bedrock of their cooperation with others.

3. People who glow are astute at acting on the ‘smell of the place’; they know the signs of the Big Freeze and how to avoid it.

4. People who Glow are skilled at increasing the value of their networks and at balancing their networks between people who are similar to them and people who are very different from them.?

5. People who Glow are skilled at escaping the boundaries that constrain them; they allow for serendipity in their lives and are prepared to meet new people and take untrodden paths to broaden their experiences.?

6. People who Glow are adept at finding and moving to ‘boudaryless’ places. They know how to escape from the fortress and connect with teams and places that encourage them to grow by creating opportunities to jump across worlds.?

7. People who Glow are adept at asking the big questions that spark energy, which requires courage and focus.

8. People who Glow are able to create a compelling vision that sparks energy and is so exciting and engaging that others are drawn to it.

9. People who Glow are able to craft meaningful and exciting work that stimulates them and others.

At Glowan, we strive to practice these behaviors and to help our clients do the same.

How are you doing today?  Are you glowing?

About Glowan

The Glowan Consulting Group was formed in 1993 on the premise that individuals and organizations needed more than just pre-designed, prescripted "training" to meet their human development goals. Organizations and our societies are changing at a rate never seen before in our experience and we need tools, techniques and support systems to meet those new challenges. Glowan has been meeting those needs via our broad and deep offerings of Leadership and Management Development Services and Products. Visit http://www.glowan.com for more information.