Recent Articles

In case you are interested, Northwestern University has posted a number of articles I wrote on their website. Click on the titles below to read whatever interests you.

Creating A Strong Introduction

What It Means to RIFProof Your Career

Another article, "Compelling Cover Letters", will run in mid-June.

The Stories We Tell Without Realizing It

Professional presence can be thought of as a combination of how we carry ourselves, how we dress, and how we come across in general. In other words, presence is the nonverbal and verbal aspects of our presentation working together to create an impression.

Any single component of our presence can change the combination and alter the perception--often beyond the conscious awareness of others. For example, as a psychology major in college I remember hearing about a study in which random people were videotaped walking down the street. The videos were then shown to prisoners who were in jail for mugging. The goal of the study was to help people avoid the behaviors that made them appealing targets for muggers.

As expected, there were certain people who appeared to be easy targets because they were walking with their heads down or were somehow preoccupied. But there were other people every mugger agreed would be a target even though they didn't seem out of the ordinary in any way. Strangely, the muggers were at a loss to describe exactly why these people looked vulnerable. The researchers were confused as well--until they went back and reviewed the tapes. That's when they discovered that these people were doing something subtly different than the average person. Rather than swing their arms the way most people do, left-arm/right leg, right arm/left leg, they were swinging them left arm/left leg, right arm/right leg. As a result, they looked slightly off-balance and therefore more vulnerable.

I mention this study because there are a variety of obvious and not-so-obvious ways we can impact the way we come across personally and professionally. Even if you think the image you project is positive and strong, there may still be opportunities for improvement.

When my clients and colleagues need help with their overall professional presence, which is outside my area of expertise, the person I turn to most is Susan Fignar. In short, Susan teaches people how to improve their image and enhance their personal and professional success. Other benefits of working with Susan include:

• Developing self-confidence and project self-assurance.
• Becoming a better observer of yourself and others.
• Identifying negative body language, facial expressions, and nervous gestures.
• Appearing more polished and professional in your overall appearance.
• Understanding the importance of selecting the appropriate business, business casual, and casual attire for your lifestyle, position, and professional environment.
• Developing poise in business and social situations.

Whether you work with Susan or another equally capable professional, there is a tremendous value in addressing any issues you might have in this area. This is especially true for people in transition who need every possible advantage to get ahead in this market.

Having personally experienced the benefits of Susan's insight, what I appreciate most is her willingness to provide candid, constructive feedback. It's not always easy to hear how we create negative impressions. However, it is so much better to have the opportunity to make mid-course corrections than to fly in the dark, make the same mistakes, and wonder why life isn't going the way we'd like.

Even if you don't think you need it, make an appointment. You might be in for a surprise. Susan can be reached via her website: www.pur-sue.com.

RIFProofing for Companies

When I started doing outplacement workshops almost 10 years ago, I was amazed how many downsized employees had accomplishments that went well beyond the expectations of their company. Unfortunately, the companies weren't aware of the impact because the employees themselves had never taken the time to quantify their accomplishments.

At the time, I was convinced the companies were to blame for not doing a better job tracking employee accomplishments and for eliminating the positions of employees who, in many cases, were contributing far more to the bottom line than they were being paid. While it is true that companies frequently make ill-informed decisions when it comes to layoffs or Reductions in Force (RIFs), it isn't always their fault.

Over the years, I have come to realize that most people make almost no effort to think through how their work impacts the organizations, customers, suppliers, and others with whom they come in contact. That's unfortunate because if employees don't take the time to track their accomplishments, no one else will.

While personal and professional development is the responsibility of the individual, it is also true that companies have an enormous amount to gain by encouraging people to play a more active role in tracking their own accomplishments. As companies continue to downsize and operate with fewer employees, it is more important than ever to make sure the right people are in the right position. That's an important part of what my most recent eBook, RIFProofing Your Career, is all about.

RIFProofing isn't just for individuals. It is a process companies can use internally to gain a deeper appreciation of the depth and breadth of talent within the organization. This can be accomplished through workshops, one-on-one coaching, or by licensing the eBook and encouraging employees to work through the process on their own. For more information about what RIFProofing can offer your company, visit: www.rifproofing.com/rif-proofing-ebook-for-corporations.

RIFProofing for Individuals

Over the past year, we have seen the unemployment rate skyrocket as companies resort to layoffs or Reductions In Force (RIFs), as some companies euphemistically refer to them. To help people avoid becoming yet another statistic, I have written a new eBook called, RIFProofing (sm)Your Career: How to Protect and Keep Your Job in Any Economy.

In my work as a career coach and trainer, I have seen too many clients and workshop participants who didn't do enough to protect their jobs and found themselves unemployed. For example, one woman named Andrea was working at a company that decided to eliminate 40% of the payroll across all departments. As often happens, Andrea's company started with employees who were making the most money. That isn't a smart strategy, but that's what happened. Since Andrea had been at the company for 8 years, she found herself on the list.

Unfortunately, since Andrea had never taken the time to communicate the depth and breadth of her impact, the company viewed her as a highly paid expense. What Andrea didn't realize (and therefore never communicated) was that she had saved the company $1 million over eight years by coming in at or under budget on all of her projects. That worked out to an annual savings of $125,000--$50,000 more than her salary. In other words, she was an INVESTMENT, not an expense.

Considering the fact that 60% of the payroll in every department was RETAINED, there is no question in my mind that Andrea's job would have been spared if the company had known the bottom line impact she had on the organization. But they didn't.

While there are a variety of factors that go into layoff decisions, the fact remains that most companies are clueless about the real impact of their employees. I wish I could say Andrea's case was unusual. But it isn't. Every day, people who shouldn't be losing their jobs are being released by companies who don't truly know the value of the people who are walking out the door.

Given the struggle many people are having from a job search perspective, you owe it to yourself to do everything possible to protect your position. That's what my new eBook, RIFProofing(sm) Your Career: How to Protect and Keep Your Job in Any Economy, is all about.

I'm not going to lie to you. RIFProofing takes work. You have to be willing to make an investment in yourself. And you have to be willing to take steps you may never have considered. While there are no guarantees, you have a much better chance of protecting your job if you know the pitfalls that so many employees encounter when layoffs become a possibility. RIFProofing Your Career can help you navigate and avoid the traps along the way.

If you are one of the many who feels your job may be in danger, I have one question:

What are you willing to do to protect your position?

If you are willing to invest the time and effort it takes to RIFProof Your Career, this eBook could be the best investment you ever make.