54 tips to advance your career

1 54 Tips To Advance Your Career


Table of Contents6 ways to pursue excellence in your life and career 2

8 ways to achieve work-life balance 4

7 ways to train yourself to be a forward thinker 7

6 tips for negotiating (almost) everything 10

Mastering the 4 levels of listening 11

12 key tips for success in public speaking 13

6 business rules you should break (but only if you want to succeed) 15

The 5 factors you need to successfully implement your strategy 17

54 Tips To Advance Your Career

Look for the LinkedInicon to click & sharedirectly with your network!

https://www.facebook.com/bizjournals

https://twitter.com/bizjournals

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bizjournals


INTRODUCTIONOne shortcut on the path to career advancement is to absorb and build on the expertise

of those who have gone before you. Imagine having a panel of experts at your disposal,

answers at the ready whenever you have a burning question about how to drive your

work life forward.

“54 Tips to Advance Your Career” is such a resource, offering advice from leading

business experts who want to share their knowledge and experience to help you get

ahead.

You’ll learn why there are some rules—such as always eating at your desk or never

disagreeing with your boss—that you simply should break. You’ll hear how you should

view a healthy body as a key tool in achieving work-life balance. You’ll discover the

difference between success and mediocrity in the art of negotiation.

Good business is about the pursuit of excellence. In his article “6 ways to pursue

excellence in your life and career,” contributing writer Harvey Mackay defines

excellence as continued personal and professional growth, job satisfaction and

customer service, clear and reasonable expectations, and a strong sense of

accomplishment.

Insights from Mackay and other experts in “54 Tips to Advance Your Career” will help

you pursue excellence as you further your vocation.






“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

Vince Lombardi

6 WAYS TO PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR LIFE AND CAREER

HARVEY MACKAY, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Trying to attain perfection can cause stress, hinder efficiency and create unnecessary conflicts. Perfectionists are frequently thought of as critical, overwhelmed, unable to see the big picture, stressed-out, anxious, and rarely able to enjoy their accomplishments.

Management guru Stephen Covey put it this way: “Real excellence does not come cheaply. A certain price must be paid in terms of practice, patience and persistence — natural ability notwithstanding.”

Excellence means continued personal and professional growth, job satisfaction and customer service, clear and reasonable expectations, and a strong sense of accomplishment.

To truly keep on the path toward the pursuit of excellence, give these points some consideration:

1 Get real

When you find yourself becoming frantic about a goal, stop and ask, “Is this problem really worth the level of frustration I’m experiencing?” The likelihood that a result can never be good enough is counterproductive to progress.





https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://promo.bizjournals.com/54tipstoadvanceyourcareer/?1&ana=sm_ntl_lidg54tipsshare&title=54%20Tips%20to%20Advance%20Your%20Career%20(free%20to%20download)&summary=%E2%80%9CReal%20excellence%20does%20not%20come%20cheaply.%20A%20certain%20price%20must%20be%20paid%20in%20terms%20of%20practice,%20patience%20and%20persistence%20%E2%80%94%20natural%20ability%20notwithstanding.%E2%80%9D%20-Stephen%20Covey&source=LinkedIn


Even if you can’t achieve perfection, you should never stop trying.MACKAY’S MORAL

2 Establish clear expectations

If you know what’s expected of you, you can better track your progress and draw boundaries when needed, which will help you move forward with a project instead of obsessing on details that may not ultimately make a difference.

3 Identify your triggers

Learn to recognize the factors that lead or contribute to your perfectionist thinking and behaviors — and avoid them. If you can’t figure them out by yourself, ask your colleagues. They will likely be able to tell you what you need to know.

4 Delegate

Many perfectionists mistakenly believe that they — and only they — can complete the task at hand. Allow other people to assist you, which will increase the odds that the group will more easily reach excellence. Then be prepared to be amazed at results that you never imagined might be possible.

5 Know what’s important

Ask yourself, “What’s most important about this project?” Seek input from supervisors, colleagues and employees. Setting your objectives and then identifying key points allows everyone to contribute to the success of the project.

6 Focus on what you can do, not on what you can’t

Do the best job possible within the limits of your resources. Rather than wasting time, energy and money obsessing about how good it could be if you had more to work with, concentrate your efforts on how to get the best result within your limitations.





8 WAYS TO ACHIEVE8 WAYS TO ACHIEVEWORK-LIFE BALANCEDANA MANCIAGLI , CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The idea of a balanced work-life relationship seems totally unachievableto many of us. Either we’re “in balance” or we’re not. However, it would bemuch more useful to think of work-life balance as a spectrum, rather than an absolute.

Chances are, none of us are ever going to feel like we’ve nailed theperfect balance. But if we approach it in a “something-is-better-than-nothing” fashion, we can put small actions into practice and enjoy individual,encouraging successes.

Work-life balance simply boils down to time and what we do with it. Helen Taylor, head of HR at global office broker, Instant Offices, offers a few tips that will hopefully help you to achieve a better, and balanced, year.

1 Prioritize balance

If work-life balance is what you want, you need to make it a priority. If something is a priority, you will be able to make the tough calls and sacrifices that come with the territory. Understand that achieving the elusive work-life balance will be difficult so when you are faced with challenges, you’ll be less likely to throw in the towel.

2 Understand your personal utility curve

The utility curve describes an economic theory whereby the amount of money we spend on a product or service is not always directly proportional to the satisfaction the product or





service provides. Now apply that to your work-life balance strategy. Think carefully about how much you spend and on what. Is working the extra hours worth it to achieve a more luxurious lifestyle? Sometimes shorter workdays and an economical car are part of a more effective recipe for overall success and happiness than a Porsche and 14-hour workdays.

3 Work smarter

In a world where multitasking reigns supreme, it can be difficult to focus on one thing at a time. However, multitasking may actually be detrimental to your overall time management. According to Harvard Business Review, when you divert your attention away from one task in favor of another, it will take you roughly 25 percent longer to complete the initial task as a result of switching focus. Do your best to tackle one task at a time, and be fully present when doing so. This will help things run smoother and faster.

4 Plan, plan, plan

At the beginning of the week, take note of everything that’s happening or needs to happen that week: events, errands you need to run, etc. Looking at the bigger picture will give you a better idea of where you can save time. You’ll be able to group tasks together and shorten the time you spend on things other than your personal life. Put both personal and professional activities on your calendar, including travel time, workout time and blocks of time to get your “think work” done.

5 Save time where you can

Take a moment to assess your daily life. Is there anywhere you could save time? For example, if you spend a long time on your daily commute, investigate alternative routes or modes of transport.

6 Schedule downtime

It may sound crazy, but if you leave relaxing to when you are “done with everything else,” you will never relax. If you consider downtime a priority (and a fundamental aspect of a well- balanced life), it belongs where all your other priorities do — on the calendar.




https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://promo.bizjournals.com/54tipstoadvanceyourcareer/?1&ana=sm_ntl_lidg54tipsshare&title=54%20Tips%20to%20Advance%20Your%20Career%20(free%20to%20download)&summary=If%20you%20consider%20downtime%20a%20priority%20(and%20a%20fundamental%20aspect%20of%20a%20well-balanced%20life),%20%20it%20belongs%20where%20all%20you%20other%20priorities%20do%20%E2%80%93%20on%20the%20calendar.&source=LinkedIn


7 Outsource the small things

Some things just aren’t worth doing yourself. Certain errands like mowing the lawn and cleaning the car can easily be outsourced — costing you less money than the time and effort is worth to you. All these things take up time you could be spending relaxing and ensuring you are as effective as possible at your work.

8 Eat well, sleep well and exercise

It’s a cliché but it’s true. Looking after yourself is key to having a balanced life. Your body is your biggest tool. And if you don’t take care of your tools, getting anything done takes longer, and you’ll put your work-life balance in jeopardy.

Pick one or more of these strategies and change your behavior. Remember, if you keep doing the same thing, you’ll get the same result.





7 WAYS TO TRAIN YOURSELFTO BE A FORWARD THINKERBRAD SMITH, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Forward thinking is preparing to not only avoid pitfalls and failure, but to also achieve growth and success through innovation. Below are tips you can put into action and share with your team.

1. Unify your team around goals tied to one vision

When you make hiring decisions or build a new team, you want a group of individuals who are looking to achieve the same end result. Think of yourself as a trendsetter — leading by example to bring your vision to life. Give your team a chance to bring ideas to the table in order to create a business environment that has forward momentum and excitement. I’ve met and hired a few of the people I’ve worked with at the Consortium, because when you network with great innovators, breakthrough success typically follows.

2. Branch out and learn from other organizations

It’s important to get teams thinking ahead to invest in the future. Not sure where to start? Try looking for an organization outside of your own that is focused on big issues.

A good place to start brainstorming with others is with your local chamber of commerce, industry associations, or Toastmasters International. Investing real time and energy in these organizations





can help build your innovative muscle. You can learn best practices from others and participate in finding solutions to common problems outside your own organization. You can then bring this knowledge back to your own team and discuss what can be learned from it to make your business stronger.

3. Remember the rule of three

Innovation typically requires three tries to get it right. If you try something once and it works perfectly, it probably wasn’t all that innovative. Doing things three times can force you to have a persistent forward-thinking focus. By the third time you practice an idea, you’re able to see how the innovation may develop or unravel down the road and what’s needed to produce sustainable change.

4. Take risks, kick tires, and experiment

Businesses need to put processes into motion in order to see how they’ll turn out. Risk-taking can sometimes be an imperative factor to success. Taking the risk to experiment with a new process or idea for your team allows you to identify new areas for future growth.

One of my mentors was Carol Bartz, the former CEO of Yahoo, and one of her favorite sayings was “Fail fast forward.” You will fail eventually, so just do it quickly, learn from it and then try again.

5. Abandon control

Give up the illusion of control, because it’s deceptive. You can’t control every aspect of a business or project. Working with individuals whose knowledge, experience or potential you trust makes it easier to relinquish control. Remember that all knowledge





workers are volunteers — we can’t force people to give up their knowledge or experience. We only volunteer for things we care about.

6. Read and watch

In order to be a forward thinker, you need to have some substance behind your thoughts. Reading makes it much easier to identify trends and gain perspectives on success and mistakes. Being able to take a look into the mindset of others can benefit your own thought process.

7. Set aside time for forward thinking.

My never-ending daily task list can distract me from putting focus on forward thinking. I know I need to dedicate at least one day each month to planning ahead. By simply scheduling this personal appointment for yourself, you’ll be impressed with how many new ideas you can create. Try setting up time during this specified day to meet with your team or others outside of your team to brainstorm even greater ideas for both the short and long-term.





06 BE READY TOWALK AWAY

TIPS FOR NEGOTIATING[ALMOST] EVERYTHINGGARY COHEN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

No matter what industry you’re in, or how far you go in your career, the ability to effectively negotiate can make the difference between success and mediocrity.Whether it’s a multimillion-dollar contract or a job offer, keep this advice in mind:

6

03 UNDERSTANDWHAT THE OTHER

SIDE WANTS

05 DON’T RUSH

04 DON’T CONCEDE UNILATERALLY

01 KNOW WHATYOU WANT 02 ASK FOR WHAT

YOU WANTDon’t go to the table without a clear, realistic idea of what you want to achieve. It will help you negotiate with confidence.

Let the other person make the first offer, then respond and set the tone for the discussion. That way you’ll know how far you need to go to get what you need.

A successful negotiation should satisfy both sides. Find out what he or she hopes to get, and try to work together toward a solution that works for you both.

Usually one side or the other has to give something up. If you do that, be sure to get a comparable concession from the other person.

Time can be your friend if you are willing to wait for the right deal. Be patient and let the time pressure work against the other side.

Avoid being backed into an agreement you don’t want. Keep an ally in reserve. This can give you an out if you need to turn down a deal, or motivate the other side to make the best offer possible.





MASTERING THE 4 LEVELS OF LISTENINGGARY COHEN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Listening has become a lost art, perhaps because we’ve become so focused on ourselves. We’re used to getting what we want when we want it in this on-demand world. Listening is about others. It’s about giving them what they want and need. It’s about connecting with others on many different levels.

There are four levels of listening: being an attentive presence, clarifying and interpreting meaning, providing empathy and acting generatively.

1 Being an attentive presence

People like to be heard. They look for physical cues that indicate you’re giving them your full attention. Become the sun and allow the one you’re attending to feel your warmth with your S.O.L.E.R. listening skills:

S quarely face the person.

O pen your posture.

L ean toward the speaker.

E ye contact maintained.

R elax while listening.

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

Stephen Covey Management guru






2 Clarifying and interpreting meaning

It’s reassuring and comforting for people to hear what they’ve said. Sometimes they want confirmation that you’ve understood their meaning, and sometimes they need or want help interpreting the meaning of what they’ve said. Here are three ways you can help:

Restatement: Restate exactly what has been said, and ask for clarification if there’s something you don’t fully comprehend.

Paraphrasing: This reflects the essence of what was said. When you paraphrase, you communicate that you’re listening, but you’re also aware that the speaker likely wants to continue speaking.

Interpretation: You move beyond what was actually articulated to the meaning, beliefs, values, assumptions or goals behind the words.

3 Providing empathy

This type of listening demonstrates that you are in it with the speaker. Empathy fuels connection while sympathy drives disconnection, according to Bren Brown. Theresa Wiseman, a nursing scholar, suggests these four attributes are present with empathetic listening:

> See the world as the other sees it. Put yourself away. Be non-judgmental.

> Be in touch with the other person’s feelings. Be aware of how those feelings might differ from your own.

> Communicate your understanding of the speaker’s feelings. Rather than saying, “At least you...” or “It could be worse...” try instead, “I’ve been there, and that really hurts.”

4 Acting generatively

This is when you listen beyond the words and feelings. It is when you forge a connection with the person in such a deep way you become generative with your hearing — adding more, much more than what is being said. You are helping the other person experience hearing themselves. You will need to let go of your self-awareness to be this present with the other. When you’re listening at level four, you experience life as the other. You fully enter their world.





1. The most important key on giving a good speech is room size. You want the excitement and chemistry of a standing-room-only, bumper-to-bumper crowd. Extra space is a killer. Also try to avoid rooms with high ceilings.

2. Have the first row set very close to the stage. Too much space between the speaker and the first row can destroy connection with the audience.

3. Studies show people remember more and laugh more in brightness. Turn the lights up full blast, unless you are showing a presentation.

4. Practice. Don’t ever give another speech without it being entertaining as well as educational.

12 KEY TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN PUBLIC SPEAKINGHARVEY MACKAY, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

From the time you get up in the morning until the time you go to bed at night, you are continually communicating, negotiating, persuading, influencing and selling ideas. When you can get up on your feet and talk extemporaneously on a lot of subjects, this instills confidence, develops poise and breeds conviction. You become more convincing in your meetings and your encounters. And you become a better leader, manager and salesperson.

TOOLS AND TIPS:




https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://promo.bizjournals.com/54tipstoadvanceyourcareer/?1&ana=sm_ntl_lidg54tipsshare&title=54%20Tips%20to%20Advance%20Your%20Career%20(free%20to%20download)&summary=Presenting%20soon?%20Studies%20show%20people%20remember%20more%20and%20laugh%20more%20in%20brightness.%20Turn%20the%20lights%20up%20full%20blast,%20unless%20you%20are%20showing%20a%20presentation.&source=LinkedIn


7. Find out who the group’s last three to five speakers were and how they were received. Ask why they were successful or why they failed.

8. Contact the Chamber of Commerce of any city you are to speak in. It will give you loads of information to familiarize you with the local surroundings and help you personalize your remarks.

9. Stick to your allotted time and don’t go over it.

5. Never mispronounce a person’s name. If you’re not sure, then double check.

10. If you don’t have a smashing “opener” and “closer,” go back to the drawing board. Don’t step up to the microphone until you do.

12. Above all, you must know your audience.

Debrief yourself within 24 hours of a speech, and take 10 minutes to write down what you could do better the next time. Try something new every time you speak and you’ll never become stale.

11.

6. Never end your program with a question and answer session. You cannot control the agenda or the quality of the questions. Start the Q & A five minutes before the end of your talk, then end with an awesome story.




https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://promo.bizjournals.com/54tipstoadvanceyourcareer/?1&ana=sm_ntl_lidg54tipsshare&title=54%20Tips%20to%20Advance%20Your%20Career%20(free%20to%20download)&summary=Presenting%20soon?%20Never%20end%20your%20program%20with%20a%20question%20and%20answer%20session.%20You%20cannot%20control%20your%20agenda%20or%20the%20quality%20of%20questions.%20Always%20end%20with%20an%20awesome%20story.&source=LinkedIn


4

HARVEY MACKAY, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Rules bring order to life. They give us permission to do the things we want to do, and excuses not to do the things we don’t. They are handy. And sometimes very limiting.

Many of us also adhere to rules that jeopardize success at work.Do any of these apply to you?

6 BUSINESS RULESYOU SHOULD BREAK ( BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED )

I ALWAYS EAT LUNCH AT MY DESK TO SAVE MONEY AND GET MORE WORK DONE.

Find another way to economize and jump at the chance to network and hear the latest scoop on what is happening around the company. It needn’t be an everyday event —

but shoot for once or twice a week.

I DON’T NEED TO TALK UP MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

I’m sure my boss and everyone else knows what I’m capable of doing. You can take credit without bragging. Own your work, and be proud of it. Keep your boss, or whomever you are working with, up to date with emails or meeting updates. And on the occasion that someone else takes credit for your efforts, be gracious but firm in reminding that person that you helped create that success.

I NEVER DISAGREE WITH MY BOSS.

I go along with whatever he or she says. If you have information or a different idea that would make a project work better, share it. Your boss may or may not act on your suggestion, but you have demonstrated your willingness to step up when needed.





I wait to be asked to join committees or take on extra work.

Jump on opportunities to stretch your limits or showcase your talents. Volunteer for a new challenge and increase your visibility within your organization.

I take myself very seriously.

You can take your work seriously. You can take problems seriously. You can take your boss seriously. But you have to be able to laugh at yourself. You need to step back and see yourself as others see you. You will do yourself a great favor by maintaining a sense of humor and letting go of the need to be in control.

I never mix business with pleasure.

Your work time is a big part of your life, and it should bring you pleasure. Getting together with co-workers away from the office is a great way to forge stronger relationships. It’s important to have friends outside your work life, but it is also important to see other dimensions of those you spend so many hours with. That’s why many companies schedule regular company outings or volunteer opportunities.

As the old saying goes, rules were made to be broken. Better yet, review the rules you have imposed upon yourself and evaluate whether they are useful or destructive. You could actually be sabotaging your own success by adhering to bad rules.

Let me suggest a few rules for your consideration.

I will take risks and stretch beyond my comfort zone to grow in my profession.

I will accept new challenges & responsibilities that benefit me and my company.

I will never blame anyone but myself if I break these rules.

4

4

4




https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://promo.bizjournals.com/54tipstoadvanceyourcareer/?1&ana=sm_ntl_lidg54tipsshare&title=54%20Tips%20to%20Advance%20Your%20Career%20(free%20to%20download)&summary=Jump%20on%20opportunities%20to%20stretch%20your%20limits%20or%20showcase%20your%20talents.%20Volunteer%20for%20a%20new%20challenge%20and%20increase%20your%20visibility%20within%20your%20organization.&source=LinkedIn


THE 5 FACTORS YOU NEED TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT YOUR STRATEGYJIM SISSON, SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

Every organization has to balance the sophistication and complexity of its strategy with the challenges of implementation. There are several factors that seem to have a major impact on an organization’s ability to implement.

1 Commitment

Commitment starts at the top but it must not end there. Middle management and front line supervisors must have the commitment needed to communicate the plan and enroll the employees in the strategy. If they are not committed, the rest of the organization won’t be either.

2 Ability and willingness to change

Strategy implementation requires change. Some organizations embrace change while others resist to the bitter end. GM has known for years what it needed to do to become more competitive. It simply was unable or unwilling to do it. Apple on the other hand has reinvented itself from a computer company into an entertainment and communications company. If you have been following the same strategy for 50 years, there is a good chance it is time to change.

3 An organizational structure that supports the strategy

One of the most powerful implementation tools available to a company is its organizational structure. A strategy’s priorities are usually reflected in its organizational structure.





A strategy may require centralized control or decentralized flexibility. It may be designed to encourage product development or generate efficiency through standardization. The organizational structure must be designed to support the priorities required by the strategy. A significant change in strategy almost certainly must be accompanied by a change in structure.

4 Ability to measure progress

Every implementation effort has an element of trial and error learning. However, the learning opportunity is missed if you cannot measure your results. A learning organization must be able to define success and measure its progress so it can learn what works and what doesn’t.

5 A clear understanding of priorities

I believe you don’t have a strategy until you are willing to identify who you won’t serve. Management is often distracted from its strategy by opportunities that continually pop up. Opportunity driven is just another way of saying you have no focus. Resources are always limited and if you don’t have clear priorities, you dilute resources chasing the unimportant.




https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://promo.bizjournals.com/54tipstoadvanceyourcareer/?1&ana=sm_ntl_lidg54tipsshare&title=54%20Tips%20to%20Advance%20Your%20Career%20(free%20to%20download)&summary=Every%20implementation%20effort%20has%20an%20element%20of%20trial%20and%20error%20learning.%20A%20learning%20organization%20%20must%20be%20able%20to%20define%20success%20and%20measure%20its%20progress%20so%20it%20can%20learn%20what%20works%20and%20what%20doesn%E2%80%99t.&source=LinkedIn