Resources For You to "Get a Good Start"

Preparing for Leadership

This week’s tip is for all of you out there who aspire to lead and manage others. Having been a manager, I learned that continuous self-improvement and education aided in my growth as a leader. So, this week I am outlining some of my “go-to” resources. My tip today is a list to get you started and get you in the right mindset. There are so many resources out there. I wanted to share the ones that have made an impact on my development and success.

The Learning Leader Show: This podcast is for you if you want to study the best leaders, Ryan Hawk does a great job of interviewing leaders who have achieved sustained success. The interviews very engaging and provides entertaining “behind the curtain” anecdotes. I have always taken away something new from each one. After discovering Ryan, I was so impressed, I bought his new book, “Welcome To Management,” and it does not disappoint. This book is a manual for anyone, new to veteran leader, who wants to achieve excellence.

TED Talks: Head over to TED.com, and you can find so many good talks about leadership. However, I have found a couple of good playlists to get started. Check out these playlists: “10 Guiding Principles for Leaders” and “How to Be A Great Leader.” Believe me, once you start listening to these, you will become inspired to learn more.

Mark Sanborn: Mark has authored two of my favorite books for personal development: “The Fred Factor” and “You Don’t Need A Title To Be A Leader.” Both books are easy reads, and I highly recommend them to everyone. From high school students to corporate executives, everyone will walk away with a new perspective on leadership.

Buccino Leadership Institute: When I graduated high school, I did not have the opportunity to enroll in a curriculum that included meaningful leadership development. I was already working in the corporate world when, in 1995, the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University established a leadership development program. If you are a high school student or are a parent of one, Seton Hall University has an exceptional leadership program. Unlike most, this is a four-year program designed to give them a competitive edge after graduation. I cannot say enough about the Buccino Leadership Institute and its leadership team. They go above and beyond to prepare our leaders of tomorrow.

Additional Resources to get off to a "Good Start"

Polish Your Professional Profile

Even though most of us are locked up in our homes, believe it or not, there are HR recruiters out there researching for when this ends. I spoke with a friend of mine yesterday, and he is compiling a list of possible candidates to reach out to once the world returns to “normal.” He also told me he has requests for people with expertise in IT support, video conferencing, and e-commerce support. So, while many of us are not working or working in our new “home office,” the opportunists will prepare a database of the best talent for when we all get back to business.

If you are a student or a professional, you should be opportunistic and take this opportunity to polish your professional profile. Take the time to build out or refine your LinkedIn profile. If you do not have one, make one, if you have one, make it better. The better detailed your profile is, the more likely a recruiter will find the exact person they need. Also, the better and more complete your profile is, the more you will stand out from the crowd. Everyone has a cropped picture of themselves, work experience, and resume on LinkedIn. Make yourself stand out. Take a better headshot, review your introductory paragraph, and make some connections. The following talented folks have already produced great articles about how to polish your LinkedIn profile. Give them a read for some great ideas:

Update and review all of your information. Most of us have not done that in a while, now is a perfect time. Also, start sharing good professional content you find while browsing the internet during this time. The more you share, the more others will get a good sense of who you are and what you like. And lastly, review your connections and give endorsements, it is the best way to get some.

Reach out and see someone

So, earlier this week, I wrote about how to win while quarantined. This week’s tip is similar but less business-oriented and more about mental health. Most likely, you, along with everyone else on the planet, has been locked up or isolated with only the closest of relatives and friends. You may be feeling claustrophobic, stifled, and overall, overwhelmed with the same routine day in and out. I have a tip for you which can help that.

Reach out and see someone. What I mean is to reach out to a friend or family member, and chat, catch up, see how they are doing, talk about something other than what is currently going on outside. Also, do not call them, use FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangouts, or some other video chat so you can see each other. In this time of isolation and restricted personal interaction, we as humans need to socialize. The more we interact and see each other, the better off for our mental health in the long run. In a business senario, a voice call usually is the way to go. But, if you want to dispel the feelings of being penned up, out of touch, and lacking human interaction, try a video call. It will do you, your mental health, and the one you see a world of good.

Be safe, be kind, and reach out. That’s more of a reminder than a tip.

Three Steps To Network Like A Pro

ENTERING CONTACTS. Be better from the start. One of the first things you need to do better is to take the time to enter a contact’s information. Most of us may only enter a name, email, and phone number. Make it a habit to enter all of your new contacts information right after you receive their business card or contact information via email. Make sure to include mailing addresses and additional phone numbers. To make it easier, use one of these apps to help you get that info into your contacts effortlessly: ADOBE SCAN or CAMCARD.
INFORMATION IS POWER. Make sure to ask for alternate phone numbers, personal email addresses, birthdays, anniversaries, and social media handles to fill up all contact fields. Use follow-up communication to reach out again and ask for those additional bits of contact information. Having these extra bits of information can give you tools to reach out in meaningful ways in the future. Use the “Notes” field to add where you first met them, or who introduced you, and what business you discussed. Having this info handy when they call you or before reconnecting with them will give the perception you have a stellar memory. It will also mitigate an awkward silence, trying to remember the person on the other end of a line.
USE YOUR CALENDAR. Set five-minute meetings on your calendar to remind you to reach out and follow up with business contacts at regular intervals. A simple meeting reminder to email or text someone every month or two will keep you top of mind. Timely communication for holidays, anniversaries, or birthdays will provide a “warmer” conversation at future meetings. Having your calendar remind you a week before a peer’s birthday to mail out a birthday card may be the one thing that gives you the edge over the competition being the first one in line.

Here are two items you should have on hand at all times to help you “Network Like A Pro.”

Blank Notecards

Having these ready to mail out whenever you need to drop a thank you or congrats.
Business Card Holder

Always have your card on-hand and place to store cards you get.

The Modern Day "Swiss Army Knife"

This week’s tip of the week is really a part two of last week’s tip. Being a MacGyver means you are the “go to” person of the office, or like I prefer to say, the problem solver. You are the one who anyone can go to and you will either have it, can fix it or know where to get it. You always seem to have that one thing someone needs. Your ability to be “that” person makes you the person others will remark about and can help you rise above your peers faster.

With our reliance on technology today, we always seem to on the panicked “hunt” for a cable or charger when our device runs out of juice. With the multitude of devices, having the right plug or chargers seems to be a roll of the dice. There are a few small, multifunctional products which can keep you up and running and limit downtime, but more importantly, be a helping hand to others. Having a universal charging, connectivity cable, or battery pack can get others out of a jam and make you the hero of the day. Being the person to help others, connect, recharge and stay up and running can make you a the office “Swiss Army Knife.” I provide many ways to socialize yourself in a corporate environment in my seminars and here on the “Tip of the Week,” subscribe below to be alerted when the weekly blog gets updated.

Be the office "MacGyver" and build more relationships.

Last week, I discussed a logical tool for your career toolbox. Today, let me talk about how you can help others, and, as a by-product, build new relationships. Aside from being good at your job, your peers and manager’s peers need to know three things about you: Who you are, who you work for, and what you do. When they know these things, they will know your abilities, where to direct their compliments about your work, and hopefully seek you out for other opportunities. These things can help you move ahead faster in the corporate world.

I provide many ways to socialize yourself in a corporate environment in my seminars and here on the “Tip of the Week,” but let me give you an easy way to get the ball rolling. For some unknown reason, I have always been know as the “MacGyver” in my office. Being known as someone people can turn to for help with things outside of the “typical” office needs gave me a sense of pride. However, you do not need to be a gifted problem solver to have people seek you out. You only need to have a well-stocked bottom desk drawer. I have learned over my thirty years in business is to have aspirin, band-aids, a screwdriver, and stain stick in your bottom desk drawer. Whenever someone has a headache, gets a paper cut, needs a screwdriver or splashes soup on their shirt, you can be the one to help them out. Once a few people know of your bottom drawer stash, they will seek you out for aid. This will begin to build your legacy of helping others, and developing relationships that will assist in moving you up the corporate ladder. And all it takes is lending a helping hand.

Heal their pain

Have aspirin or band aids to give out when needed
Help tighten up

Have a multi-screw driver to solve any issue
Help present well

Having a stain stick to lend will give others the confidence to be their best.

Get a notebook that never runs out of pages!!!

Today, let us talk about a tool for your career toolbox. Note-taking is essential and having your notes accessable, organized and sharable can distinguish you from your peers. I have tried many “efficient” ways of taking notes, typing directly on my computer, using a stylus with tablets, even writing stuff down the old fashion way. However, I either miss a bunch of things or waste a lot of paper. And, none of my written notes are backed up anywhere. If I want to share them, I have to edit and re-type them before sending them off to anyone. Take your note-taking to the next level with this excellent notebook I found called the Rocketbook Everlast. You write just like you would on any paper. Then you use the app to take a photo of that page, and it will automatically send that page of notes to any email or cloud service. Now here is the cool part. Once you snap a photo of the notes, wipe down the paper with a damp microfiber cloth, and you can reuse the notebook again and again, forever. How is that for a renewable resource? The only caveat is you have to use a particular Pilot pen or highlighter.

Get organized. Write stuff down, share your notes, and have digital copies. And never have to purchase another notebook or waste paper again. You can still write your notes the old fashion way but file, share, and organize them with the digital tools of today in a responsible and green way. Click any of the pictures or links to check out the Rocketbook.

Write forever in one notebook.

When you are done, just erase the page to reuse it.
Use a pen or highlighter

Pilot FriXion line of pens and markers make it easy.
Stop wasting paper

This should be the last notebook you ever buy.