career development

Be an Innovative Leader

June 9, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

Are you an innovative leader?

An interesting notation by Stephanie Castellano, How to Crush Innovation, in Talent Development magazine has bold application to business leaders and job seekers who want to be business leaders.

Looking at what DOES NOT work offers four ideas on how to be successful:

examples of innovative leadership

Install leaders with no track record of innovation. Don’t be one of these folks. Be the leader who encourages ideas to bubble up, the one who shares ideas and applauds risk takers.
Establish vague, confusing goals. Be the leader with plans and process innovations that support business goals. Important innovations often start as ideas and develop into project plans that finish as business changing innovations.
Create a culture of fear. This is much easier than creating a culture of involvement and inclusion where new ideas can be shared and plans for the future can include everyone. This is more than a poster about open door culture. We are talking about walking around listening to the team members interested in creating a culture of involvement. Demonstrate your inclusiveness through the stories you share about past team successes.
Don’t give employees time to work on side projects. The next innovation probably doesn’t come from that 4 inch binder that contains the strategic plan created by executives behind closed doors. The plan is important but the next innovation comes from a tiny idea dreamed up by that quiet lower level employee. You will miss it if you are not careful. Pay attention, listen carefully and encourage team members to work on those tiny ideas in their spare time. Better yet, remove barriers and distractions to free up time for tiny dreams to become ideas that will move the company forward.

Everyone is just one business meeting away from being a job seeker. With that in mind, can you point to stories that demonstrate your track record of innovation with clear goals that arise from a culture of involvement and inclusion? Are you listening? Are you open to ideas that start as germs from the quiet person in the corner?

Pull together those stories that demonstrate your leadership and innovation. These stories are gold for the next company that wants an innovative leader! Most of all, take a close look at the trail you leave to be sure you are the kind of leader you want to be!

I cannot write another word – handling a lack of inspiration

May 19, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

I am sitting here at my desk watching the sun flicker off the newly sprouting leaves outside my window. I am supposed to be writing this big training program. Inspiration is not striking me. I got nothin’.

It is not a lack of motivation. I have plenty of motivation. This training program will be a business game changer for us. I have other projects I could work on too if that one doesn’t strike my fancy.

Ever feel that way? I this happens to us all now and then. What is a person supposed to do to focus? Since I am not working on the big project, I thought it might be fun to do a little research to find a solution. Here are some ideas on how to get that big project done or get the creative juices flowing:

According to Professor Lorenza Colzato of Leiden University in The Netherlands, quoted in an article in The Telegraph in 2013, those who exercised four times a week were able to think more creatively than those with a sedentary lifestyle. Many famous folks who accomplished a great deal started their days with exercise including something as simple as going for a walk.
Get some spice in your life. Maybe the problem with being stuck is I am actually stuck in a rut. According to The Freedom Experiment, unstuck yourself by doing something different and spontaneous, something you have never done before. This could be as simple as cleaning a closet or crafting something with your hands.
Get a big laugh. Even if you fake it, smiling and laughing makes you feel happier. Watch a funny YouTube video or listen to the comedy channel for a few minutes. Get a chuckle and feel better.
Get some nature. Maybe staring out the window at the new leaves on the spring trees is a signal that I need a bit of nature to clear my head.
Understand the resistance. Maybe the reason for your lack of motivation is in the project itself. Take a few minutes to understand why you are not motivated. In my case, as I stop to think about it, I wonder if the importance I have placed on this project is making me a little afraid of moving forward. What if I mess up? If I write down my fears they always look a little more manageable than when I let those fear gremlins wander around in my head.
Fight through the resistance. A writing blogger, Jeff Goins, says “you need to get up every day, expecting resistance, and fight through it.” He quotes Steve Jobs who said, “Real artists ship.” Just get it done and ship it. Your “final” product might not be perfect but when it is done then just ship it. You can always make it perfect later.

This exercise of researching what to do about my lack of motivation has actually helped free me to action. I feel better already. I am putting on my walking shoes and going out to clear my head. I am confident I will tackle that big project with gusto when I return! You should try it!

Volunteering can lead to new Job Opportunities

April 28, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” and an added bonus for job seekers, volunteering can lead to new job opportunities!

In theory we understand that a life worth living is about what we give to others. We nod our heads to this idea. But how can we put this idea into practice when we focus all our attention on our internal struggles? Make a living. Put the kids through school. Transport the kids to this activity or that. Move that stack of paper from one side of the desk to another.

Find a job. Now that is a big one.

What if making a life is interrupted by finding a job? Finding a job takes precedent over most everything, doesn’t it, especially if finding a job undermines our personal security. Then giving back moves to the back burner.

I have been there myself. When I had mouths to feed and a mortgage to pay and a job to find, it was all I could do to muster the energy to network with a smile on my face. I had little energy or interest in giving back. That could wait until life became more settled.

But what if there was a way to combine the idea of giving back and the need to make a living? Intriguing idea isn’t it?

I practice what I preach so I have lots of coffee with lots of interesting people! Yesterday I had coffee with the head of Junior Achievement in our area. A mutual friend introduced us so we met for coffee to explore what we can do for each other. I take this networking business very seriously!

My new friend, Michael Gaffney, came up with an intriguing idea. What if job seekers opened themselves up to volunteer with Junior Achievement? Interesting… Think about it for a moment.

Consider what you need to find a job these days:

Lots of energy… even when you don’t feel energetic
A plan so you don’t wander around aimlessly waiting for the phone to ring
A wide network of people
Creative ideas to get your name out there to people who can help you find what you want
New ideas to think about and talk about to others
A reason to get out of the house

Michael might be on to something here. Junior Achievement’s tagline is “Empowering young people to own their economic success”. JA volunteers teach students a prepared curriculum about the business world, personal finance and economics. Volunteers select the time frame that works best for them. You talk about something you likely know a bit about with students who are interested in what you have to say.

You get more than you give! Here are some of the advantages I can think of off the top of my head:

Be around young people with lots of energy
A chance to focus on something other than yourself
A place to be at certain times of the week
Something to put on your resume and talk about with prospective employers
A way to meet and network with people who can help you find what you want

The list of companies that support Junior Achievement in my community reads like a Who’s Who of desirable employers.

Wouldn’t it be nice to get the energy, information and contacts you can use in your job search and give back at the same time?

I am giving it a try! I volunteered to teach a program on Global Market Place (curriculum and activities all provided to me) at a local elementary school in May. I will report back how it goes. But I am confident that volunteering with Junior Achievement will be a win-win for the community and for me! How about you? Check out Junior Achievement for yourself and find your own win-win!