How does one prepare to deal with his/her Agent Stan Conch?  The strong, the mighty and unflappable remark that when they are faced with the agents’ turmoil, they rely heavily on their greatest strengths.

As a behavioral guru, I thrive in helping others realize their greatest work potential through their core competencies.  You were born with them and carrying them with you your entire life.  Are you however, aware of what they are?

Core competencies are the natural strengths  that you embody, assisting you in all situations, good and bad.  If you know your competencies, you can call upon them in times of turmoil and times of celebration.

Recommended competencies needed to deal with Agent Stan Conch:

While the assortment of competencies range in the hundreds, focusing on your top key strengths are the most important.  Listed below are my TOP 10 picks  to muscle up when the agent arrives.

1. Working through Conflict
2. Dealing with Ambiguity
3. Standing Alone
4. Humor
5. Perspective
6. Personal Learning
7. Dealing with Paradox
8. Learning on the Fly
9. Innovation Leadership
10. Courage

Bouncing back from the agents visit is when the work really begins.  As a proponent of backup plans, getting caught behind the ‘8’ ball has never been easier.  Planning for tomorrow is more than dollars and cents.  It is about have backup contingency plans for employment.

Having more than one backup stream of employment revenue is not longer an option but a requirement.  The courageous see this as a challenge! Those with humor see this as fantastically ironic and funny. Those with an overzealous ability to stand alone see this as the next new mountain to cross without fear of what he/she may have to conquer.  You get the point.

When backed into a corner upon the arrival of the agent, we all have our inner strengths to rely on.  Nothing more is needed.  When properly prepared with a backup plan of generating employment revenue, we sigh a breath of relief.  We have all that we need.

So who is Agent Stan Conch?  Constant change.

The mystery is solved.  Know your competencies, know your plan and be ready to exercise it!

Hint:  anagram

The memories of shopping in retail stores is marked with exceptional service, quality of product and a  superb experience. Shopping in the city was an event.    Display cases always full, sales associates pressed and polished and shopping bags overflowing.  Flip-flip, flip-flip. 

Fast-forward, it is 2010.  Flip-flip, flip-flip, flip-flip, flip-flip, the revolving door continues however, this time, it is the revolving door of corporate retail and the short term leaders.

Where have all the leaders gone?  

Today’s most effective leader is far and few between.  We live in a throw-away world.  While there is merit in making change to grow in a career, today’s leader seems to be changing every 2 years at the executive level in many retail companies.   Is it greed?  Incompetence?  Or is it that these are good leaders working for CEO’s who are inept?

Speaking from my own experience, I had 5 leaders in 6 years in one organization.  All left the company.  Flip-flip, flip-flip.  The human capital left behind paid the price as did the stockholders.  This in only one of thousands of situations where corporations are allowing executives to pass through the doors, pocket their money and move on.   Flip-flip, flip-flip. 

It used to be in the 80’s and 90’s, employees and up and coming retail leaders could without a doubt name the TOP 5 HOT retailers to covet.  Employees were inspired by brands that meant something.  Employees knew the names of executive leaders in competitor companies on a first name basis and respected them.  Sadly, this is no longer the case.   Flip-flip, flip-flip. 

Many junior retailers are grasping at straws, paying gobs of money to pull in alleged executive talent only to turn them  in under two years.   It is no surprise that the most stabilized brands are those which have been around for decades; the classics.  What do these companies have in common?  Quality, brand recognition, realistic price points and consumer friendly engagement. They also have leaders with ethics, integrity, courage and lateral leadership ability.

The goodness coming out of the revolving door leadership trend is that quality leadership is rising to the top and aligning with quality brands.  The classics are finally making a come back!  If you are a flipper, perhaps you need to step aside.  If you are a classic leader, congratulations… it is your time to shine!

A skilled leader with presentation ability is one who can discuss topics 24-7.  This leader likely is a subject matter expert, can engage in controversial topics and maintain a sense of calm.  Presentation skills are fluid and can be changed midstream to support questions being asked. 

So what does a skilled, credible leader  with strong presentation ability look like behaviorally?  Listed below are a few examples to help you identify a polished presenter.

1-      You can answer questions ad hoc, in meetings, hallways, during one-on-one discussions and are seen as a confident subject matter expert.

2-      Peers, bosses and subordinates come to rely on you as a person with an opinion, courage and perspective.  People want to be on your team, involved in your projects and be associated with you as a brand.

3-      Clients seek your expertise because they trust your word and deed.  Titles do not make leaders,  rather presentation skills do!  Have you ever worked with a boss who diverted answers, was passive-aggressive or never had a point-of-view?  Likely, they were fear based and not self assured in having open honest dialogue.  Leaders that lack this ability may answer questions with, “ah…um…” or respond by diverting the answer to speak from another persons point of view; “ah…um…the CEO wants XYZ to be done” instead of answering, “that is a good topic that you brought up.  My experience leads me to the following conclusion.”  Circular reasoning is not leadership nor should it be acceptable as a means of working through issues. 

4-      Presenting with courage eliminates ambiguity.  Straightforward, logic based presentation of information gains team support.  While there is merit in being able to navigate during ambiguous  times, ambiguity as a baseline of presenting can lead to creating hostile work environment with low morale, decreased productivity and confusion.

5-      Presenting with clarity produces a trail of documenting progress and creating historical data.  By offering  team members the opportunity to take notes in an open forum, you are providing engagement and interaction.  Bosses who shy away from presenting are signaling inept skills, dysfunctional business dealings and shady practices.

Remember…titles do not define true leaders.  Presentation skills do!

The top 5 picks that I recommend you have in your Linkedin wardrobe include:

 1 – Complete your profile 100% and be active.  Take an hour and follow teh simple guidelines.  Write your  information in short bite-sized paragraphs  or bullet points.   Lead with an interesting cocktail pitch that will attract others to want to connect with you.  Have you taken Strengths Finder 2.0, DiSC, Lominger or other profile assessement? Post your results!  Let others know who you are and what makes you tick!

There is a reason social/professioanl sites are called NETWORK sites.  Think…NETWORK = NOT WORK.  If you showed up at a networking event, you would likely show up to network.  Do the same on linkedin and be active.  A stagnate profile may be viewed as a stagnate professional. Make new contacts weekly and keep others interested in who you are!

2 –  Your summary should be written in first  person not third person.  This is the reverse of a well written resume.  Linkedin is a social and professional business site so it is best to write in first person drawing others in and engaging in open dialogue, benchmarking and recruiting. 

 Example: 

CORRECT (for Linkedin / Incorrect for resume)

• I excel in leading teams, generating revenue and achieving record breaking results.

INCORRECT (for Linkedin /Correct for resume)

• Consistently excels in leading teams, generating revenue and achieving record breaking results.

3 – Add a photo that represents your personality, character and professionalism.  Leave your pets, spouses, boats and wedding photos for your facebook picture. 

4 – Take advantage of the freebies by joining groups, posting and answering questions and engaging with others.  I like to think of Linkedin as a social professional networking cocktail event where you are mixing, mingling and talking shop!  Write a blog, start a poll, ask others for their opinions when answering questions and engage openly.  The people with the highest success rate in business are those who engage with others on an ongoing basis.  Read posted website links and share them with others.   Post your favorite book reads and share your thoughts and comments with others.  Research book that your linkedin contacts list to gain a new perspective.  Before long, you will have an online active support group that extends from your office.  This is particularly good for professional working  remotely or virtually!

5 – Update your profile with each new accomplishment, promotion and even a daily success!  By staying on top of your personally branded and FREE worldwide marketing campaign, you will be reinforcing all of the excellent components of who you are in business and your capacity of contributions in the workplace. 

 With these 5 recommendations, you have the basic essentials to work the internet much like you would work the room.  Now GET MOVING!

For my retail fans, I am dedicating today’s blog to you!  This includes corporate Product Managers, Buyers, Operations, Merchants, Senior Executives, HR Professionals as well as field District Mangers, Regional Directors and Store Management.  Over the past few months, I have been hit with numerous questions regarding resumes, packaging your pitch for cocktail talk and interview coaching.  

A common theme has surfaced…packaging you as a commodity.

Supposing you are a store…what compelling value do you have to offer?  Would you shop you? 

There are 5 essentials in marketing you that many retail professionals simply overlook.  You pride yourself in knowing what is HOT and NOT in fashion trends however, you may be falling short of what is HOT and NOT is marketing your skills.

 Pull out your resume (or advertising campaign) and examine it thoroughly using the sticking points below as a guide. 

The most common questions that I ask callers are listed below.  To save time, I am sharing these questions in today’s blog so that you can determine how current and relevant your resume or advertising campaign speaks towards shopping (hiring) you.

1-      What VALUE do you offer to a prospective employer on your resume?  Your answer should be comparable to a cocktail pitch that sums up your strengths and value proposition (personal brand).

2-      What position are you seeking?  If your position of interest is not jumping off of you resume in a 5-10 second glance, you need to adjust your marketing strategy.  Objectives are so 1980’s. Lose them OR lose a new opportunity.  What is YOUR story really saying?  What is your strategy in getting called in for an interview?  The most embarrassing situation for any savvy retail executive leader is to be referred for a position by a well respected industry colleague only to show up with a resume that is outdated.

3-      Does your resume offer accomplishments that are value added displaying significant hurdles that you have soared over?  If not, you may be settling for the 1990’s approach of simply listing responsibilities.  Hey…everyone can list responsibilities…however, this does nothing for advertising what you overcame and how you accomplsihed the challenges.  How did you tackle problems and produce  results!

4-      Is you resume current in style, flair and fashion?  You may have an excellent package in your personal branding apparel, always known for being the best dressed in the meeting however,  your resume is screaming last seasons mark-downs from a sample sale.   *Bloggers Note: There is nothing wrong with sample sale attire as I have plenty in my own wardrobe however, you likely would not wear this on a job interview.   If you are going to wear Prada, then your resume must reflect your panache on paper.  If you are more of a Target consumer, then your resume should align.  There is no right or wrong way of showing your personal style however, there is a right and wrong way of having your personal style align with your resume and aesthetic packaging. If you are positioning to take on a position with a classical brand, then reflect this throughout your resume with a splash of color.  A little bit of mild color never hurt any monochromatic outfit.

5-      Is your resume content rich and authentic?  The most common misconception (from middle management and yes, even CEO’s) is “I can just have my admin person type up my resume..it’s only a piece of paper”.  WRONG!  Making this statement is comparable to saying, “the 2010 Fall Fashion line in the store front windows is just wool and denim on mannequins”  OR “oh that stuff? It’s just a bunch of clothes on a table blocking the front of the store”.  You would NEVER say that about your product so why say it about YOU?  Are your authentically branded “core” list of competencies accurately assessed by a certified professional and listed on your resume?

If you sailed through 5-point check list are still feeling great about your resume (advertising campaign), likely you will land your next big opportunity!  Fantastic!  If you did not sail through today’s blog,  congratulations on being honest with yourself.  If you answered, “No” to the question, “Would  you (shop) hire you” it is time to GET MOVING!

Reportedly in recent studies that I have conducted from a cross-section of talent, candidates are going through as many as 8 and 9 interviews without any closure.  Interestingly, this is happening in world-class coveted brands. 

Privately owned companies seem to be gaining momentum in tapping into the lost art of candidate courting!   One candidate reported dedicating as many as 35 hours interviewing for a  position with a well known brand.  This went on for 5 months.  Ultimately, the company decided to go with an internal candidate. 35 hours is significant and nothing to sneeze at.  Interesting enough, the candidate was NOT looking for employment and was approached by a recruiter.  The bait and switch seems to be pervasive in recruiting today.

The company image is now tarnished due to the lack of respect in candidate treatment and the loss of candidate courting.  If this happened with one candidate, surely it has happened with others. 

I sarcastically suggested to the candidate that she call the company and ask for her hourly rate to be reimbursed.  The longer we discussed the issue, the more we realized that companies are taking advantage of candidates.  Perhaps it is time that companies get their ducks in a row and determine their needs before wasting time of interested talent.

The candidate was indeed frustrated at the time however, she was smart enough to have multiple irons in the fire.  \If you or someone you know is currently experiencing a painful recruiting process, listed below are a few tips to put  pressure on the company while you manage your job search. 

Keep in mind, your time is valuable and you are your own commodity…act like one!

Top Tips ~ Questions That Speak Volumes 

Make yourself marketable and valuable when interviewing.  Consider stating the following to the recruiter or company point person:

• “Tell me the length and process that I can expect in speaking with xyz company.”
• “Who is ultimately responsible for the hiring decision?”
• “How will I be notified if I am selected or turned down for the position?”
• “How many individuals are competing for the positions?” 
• “How many candidates are internal and external?”

 Additionally…

Do your homework by conducting your research.  Let the employer know what you know as this will show your degree of engagement and interest.   Suggested research ideas include (but not limited):

• Linkedin.com
• Company web site
• Stock
• Former employees
• Current employees
• Google searches on employee satisfaction
• Excessive turnover or retention
• Current or previous law suits
• Company brand
• Culture
• Leadership
• Previous work history and turnover of leadership

Finally, when being asked to travel for an interview, be sure to ask about compensation of travel especially if traveling long distances by car.  Recently, it has been reported that some companies are asking candidates to drive great distances for an interview instead of footing the bill for a flight.  If this occurs, be sure to talk about mileage reimbursement, tolls, meals, etc. prior to going on the interview. 

 You are your own marketing agent…now get moving!

 Currently, I work in various roles; HR consultant, resume writer, profile assessor and career strategist for my own small business.  While I have seen and heard most everything all over 20+ years, I am still simply amazed at the number of leaders who continue to try to bully employees into quitting their jobs.

While working on an employee engagement project during my corporate tenure, I noticed a trend repeating itself which was an immediate red flag; leaders strong arming employees to sign documents that were incorrect.  As an HR leader, I immediately brought the strong arming technique to the HR department VP during our action plan session.   She was receptive and we immediately determined leadership education was necessary.  Due to an isolated case, we were fortunate to be able to rectify the situation to prevent further liability.  The leader was new to the company and admitted she had a rough approach.   

 In the past 60 days, I have had four women over the age of 45 contact me for career strategy employee relations questions regarding bullying on the job. Two women hold advanced degrees, one holds an associates degree while one holds an on- the- job degree.  Two of the women work in senior level management, one is a middle management leader and one is a dental hygienist.

 I decided to share this information in today’s blog for any employee, supervisor or boss  who may need a few basics necessary in appropriate course correction actions when addressing performance, behavior and allegations at work.

What is an employee to do when the supervisor, leader or boss takes an aggressive stance during this corrective process? 

 With this being an employers market, there are a number of companies and/or leaders who may be taking advantage of situations that could have long term ramifications.  Bullying or forceful leadership NEVER works. 

 Simple Guidelines for the Employee:

 If as an employee you think you are being targeted or inappropriately issued a corrective action form, you have the right to ‘push back’ and speak up without losing your job.  You are in fact better protected by speaking up. 

 If a supervisor or boss tells you that you must sign a corrective action form and the information is incorrect, simply state “I am not signing the document.”  Proceed to inform the supervisor that you will at a later date submit a hand-written account of what you know to be true regarding the allegations which you will issue to your HR department, department head and to your supervisor. 

 Many times, employees think that they must sign everything issued by there supervisor or they will lose their job.  This is not true if the information is false. 

Simple Guidelines for the Leader:

 When course correcting an employee’s performance issue or following up with an employee regarding allegations, be sure you are acting responsibly by taking a neutral and non-emotional disposition.  Accusing, pointing a finger or making wrongful statements puts you and your organization in a liable situation.

 Check for understanding by asking the employee for his/her perception of the alleged action, behavior or performance that may be slipping.    Actively listen by validating your understanding.  Take notes and discuss in a productive manner.

 If the employee states that he/she does not agree with the corrective action form information, allegations or conversation, the employee is entitled to disagree.  Ask the employee to discuss the ‘push back’ and offer supportive dialogue while still maintaining your leadership role.  You may need to revisit the conversation at a later date or conduct a further investigation if need be. 

 If you have all of your ducks in a row and you have facts indicating that your information is accurate, simply write on the corrective action, “employee refuses to sign.”  Date the document and move forward with your day.  In most companies, if an employee does not sign a document, the employee does not receive a copy. 

Protect yourself, your company, your brand, your team and most of all communicate openly and consistently.  We are all in it together! Let’s make a difference.

 Having polled a number of experienced professionals in recent months both gainfully employed and unemployed due to being laid off, I have come to the conclusion that the unemployed seem to be in a better place. 

 Top 5 Reasons to Embrace a Lay-off

 #1  You will no longer be stretched so thin at work that you have lost sight of what your position responsibilities entail. 

 #2  You can start over with a clean slate after a short hiatus which you likely needed.  Let’s be honest…tough times produce compiled challenges in the workplace that can become a pressure cooker.  Even the best supervisor, leader, or CEO eventually starts to “crack” when sales slide. 

 #3  If your environment was dysfunctional, you now have a pressure free opportunity to find something better suited for you.

 #4  You can get back to the basics of living your life with less.  After interviewing a number of executives and professionals, each agreed that they were back to the basics and were happy doing so.  One executive admitted, “I now realize I no longer need that $200K income a year.  I worked so much that I never enjoyed it [my earnings].  Being a conservative spender, I banked my money.  I can actually live on less than I thought!”

 #5  You can work on everything that you put on “hold” because you didn’t have time.  One professional stated, “I am rediscovering my passion for visiting museums as I enjoyed in my 20’s.  I am no longer on airplanes every other week and this if fine by me!”

This person has actually started working part-time at her local art museum. Mary  is thriving. 

 The list is endless and the success stories even longer.  Find your passion, niche, or silver lining in your lay-off and GET MOVING!

 Lesson # 3: Choose a healthy attitude and you will radiate like Old Baldy once did; beckoning ships to it’s shore, leading the way for the lost and reveling in your glory of standing tall during the most tumultuous storms.

 Why then do many business professionals treat themselves and their own career marketing tools with substandard expectations?  As a career strategist and resume writer, pricing of services is one of the top #3 questions asked of clients.  Certainly understandable and always welcome! 

 If you are willing to spend money on high end clothing, hair salon upkeep or high end handbags, perhaps you may want to redistribute where you are investing your hard earned dollars.  Are you buying into someone else’s brand or are you taking care of your own?

 While most professionals realize the time, complexity and strategic writing that goes into developing a solid and effective marketing tool, there are always a few folks who see their resumes as a typeset piece of paper tracking the basics of their work history asking, “Why does it cost so much”?  

Top 5 Reasons Professionally Written Resumes Cost Money

 You are paying for a customized marketing tool reflecting your most important commodity…YOU.  Customized, one-on-one marketing takes time and a specialized set of skills from a writer who has the ability to dig deep into extracting your key skills and accomplishments.

1. A behavioral based trained professional writer has a unique skill set in individualizing and interpreting your core competencies in writing.  This takes credentialed training and years of practice which is more than just being a technical writer.
2. Strategic writing and appropriately targeting a clients goal is factored into a professionally written resume.  When I am asked to write a general resume, I educate potential clients that this is not a service that I offer.  A general resume is as useful as trying to catch a variety of fish using one type of bait. 
3. Researching industry trends, verbiage and current job marketing opportunities takes time.  Behind the scenes, a top notch resume writer is busy collaborating with industry peers, researching web sites and bringing forward new information to support the needs of the client.
4. Credentials cost money.   Most writers have a varied assortment of credentials, education and training to support their writing.   For a writer who is continuing to learn, refine skills, seek out new credentials and advanced exposure to global assessment programs, know that the cost of doing business will be aligned according to skills being offered.

 Lesson:  Invest in your professional brand by having the appropriate tools. If you are going to drive a fancy car, wear high end heels or expensive jeans, become truly authentic and coveted by having a top notch resume in your tool kit.

 Taking charge of your career and disengaging from negative forces, including a jerk of a boss is within your reach.  As a Career Strategist with an organic and practiced track record of problem solving, I am focusing this weeks blog on the employee relations aspect of managing poor leadership, self preservation and maintaining your sanity.

 5 Strategies to Activate NOW

 #1  Document…Document…Document

 Venting is short lived whereas documenting is soothing, has long range positive effects and will set you up for a chronicle of events if you need to take legal action..  Hand write your discontent in a strategy journal.  This is a journal specifically dedicated to you, your work, your accomplishments and your discontent.  Keep it is a safe place and use it daily.  Date, time stamp and openly journal details of what is occurring.  Always be sure to credit yourself for one  or two accomplishments per writing.  When leadership is lacking, you need to start truly leading yourself.  This means crediting your daily accomplishments and cheering for yourself! 

 #2  Keep the Personal Out of Professional

 Remind yourself that you accepted your position to offer professional skills in lieu of pay.  That is it!  Nothing more!  While it is a bonus if you make a friend or two in the workplace, your primary focus must be on your skills and honing them.   If you have a jerk as a boss or a leader who leads you to feel uncomfortable, steer clear.  You are under no obligation to take part.  If you think you can out maneuver the person…perhaps you can but you will be far better served if you develop a strategy focusing on your accomplishments and becoming successful than trying to “play the game”.

 #3  Remove Fear from your Vocabulary

 There is a reason the famous quote “there is nothing to fear but fear itself” has stood the test of time.  Use it.  Get out from behind your fears and exercise your courage.  This does not mean randomly acting out, but rather, put a plan in place on making your move to either sustain the existing workplace dysfunction OR exit the company.  Planning your work and working your plan is powerful.   Have dedicated hobbies outside of work.  This will give you something positive and productive to look forward to and feed your focus on you.

 #4 Stop living above your means NOW

 If you cannot quit your job due to financial restraints, start cutting back on your luxury spending and live beneath your means.  Start paying yourself first by banking as much as you can.  Make a game out of stashing away extra money.  You will gain power over yourself which will bring a heightened sense of confidence into the workplace.  Your boss may be curious about seeing a change in your however, never needs to know why the change.  Remember Rule #2???  Keep personal to yourself.

 #5  Take Action.

 If you have been spoken to inappropriately, asked to divulge personal information, felt emotionally violated to the point of crying or coerced to conform in what may be perceived as a borderline “touchy feely, cultish” environment, stand your ground and exercise your voice.  The EEOC is always available to file charges especially if on the job allegations are not being dealt with.  Environmental harassment is NEVER ok.   Once you speak up, you are protected by the law from any further wrongdoing.  Get Moving!

 For more information:  www.eeoc.gov.