Are you an instant expert?

I've found in my recent experience that when challenged with a situation within the workplace, co-workers and peers can sometimes automatically assume expert status when they can do one thing relatively well. If there is a person in an office that has just one special skill, or knows even a little about a software program - they can be automatically be seen as "the expert". Assumed the expert unknowingly, you might have a skill that no one else in the office has. Although you may not know it, and although you may not feel 100% knowledgeable about a certain skill, others will come to you simply because you know even just a little bit more than they do. Don't panic, don't downplay the issue, embrace it! Learn more about the program and enhance your valuable skills. What better way to display your value to the department and company!

A Tip for Hiring Managers: Clarity in Job Descriptions

I have recently read various job descriptions. I was reminded of a time where the descriptions were so vague at a company where I once worked - that most times, the new employees were confused about what it was their jobs actually entailed. Recently, I gave a piece of advice to a former colleague of mine. I advised her to edit the job descriptions by improving the clarity of position description. Also, I urged her to include the day in and day out duties for which the new hire was responsible. Once a new hire is comfortable with the duties they are given, they have guidelines to follow that will increase their sense of self esteem regarding the position; and then, their accuracy with the tasks.

I have seen many job descriptions that are written in more of a "big picture" way and exclude the job duties in detail. The best thing a hiring manager can do to help get their new hire going is this; provide the exact tasks and expected outcomes for the position. This lessens the time needed for employee training. Also, even at the very beginning of the process, the employer will receive inquiries that are more closely fitted to the description since applicants have a clear understanding of the duties involved. All in all, clarity on the part of the employer is key; both in the beginning of a search through the training process.

Make that resolution work!

It's a new year; the time when people select and attempt to create and follow their resolutions for the new year. We've all heard about people who do this. Most, if not all of us have probably attempted it. I've asked a few of my friends and colleagues what they have chosen to be their resolution this new year. Most of them told me that their resolution was "to lose weight". Sometime a few years ago, I have either read a great article from a magazine, watched an inspiring television show, or had a fruitful conversation which brought some wisdom to me regarding changing your habits. Allow me to share.

Looking at this from a communications angle, the statement regarding a New Year's resolution could use a little work.

For example when someone says their resolution is "to lose weight" there is one incredibly narrowing statement that can change the entire outcome of the situation for the better.

Read:
Weak: My resolution is to lose weight.
Strong: My resolution is to increase the number of days I work out, so I can lose weight.

Of course, losing weight is a goal, however when the statement is broken down and you change it to reflect the way in which you will alter your habits - it becomes more of a proactive statement vs. a passive one; and it will become a more attainable goal. In order to obtain your goal, you must change your lifestyle. It's a simple science formula; you cannot possibly obtain different results if you keep doing the same practices. Change your habits and make that resolution work!

Hiring a culturally diverse team, two skill sets in one.

As the first post of the year 2010, I'm inclined to write about something that has come up in conversation several times recently between myself and my colleagues; ethnically diverse staff and the unspoken strengths they bring to business. What most people who do not have a diverse background may not understand, is that people who have a different background culturally or ethnically have an entire other audience they can tap into when it comes to business deals. People who are African American, Italian, Greek, Polish, etc. are at a strong advantage when it comes to reaching and developing business with audiences of people who find that they can relate to the person due to their similar backgrounds. For example, African Americans can speak two types of English. In business, it's the professional, the college educated language they use around co-workers and colleagues. However, if they are entering a potential business situation with a group of people who, at the most have only a partial high school education, they can alter the way they speak English in order to make the audience feel more comfortable. It's still English, only altered with a heavy use of slang which is common for the neighborhood or culture. From what I have learned in my life, people will decide if they like you in merely minutes - if not seconds. For a professional who can reach not only one main market, but can also tap an entirely new market for business, it's a skill that not many understand. An audience of Greek individuals will more likely give their business to someone of Greek decent. It may sound odd, but it's true plain and simple for most culturally diverse groups. As a savvy business professional, you must understand that there are places that someone like that can and will go that others may not. There is an entire market that diverse business people can reach that others cannot. Use this information wisely to advance your business goals.

Communicate. Communicate Often.

I have to say that in business, there is nothing more frustrating to me than a lack of communication. Sometimes it comes from vendors and sometimes from individuals who are supposed to be professionals. I recently had the unpleasant experience of dealing with an individual that I was giving business to that didn't seem to find my account important at all. As a communications professional, I expect people that I work with to communicate with me at every critical point involving the development of my projects. For example, I have a tendency to communicate with people at a high frequency - especially when I am the one providing the business to the person or the company. I move at a quick pace and will call and email the individual several times solely to offer help to them or to find out if there are any other documents or paperwork that I need to provide. I just like to know that the process is moving along. (Here, I'll give a nod to my previous post about keeping your ducks in a row).

Communication is a two-way street. Here's a tip I know all of you reading this are smart enough to know. If someone in your professional life contacts you requesting an update on the progress of their file, you should provide a timely reply. Especially if they are a customer of yours. If you don't know the answer - tell the customer that although you don't have the answer at this point in time - that you will work on getting them the answer. Here's the second most important step - do it. Follow through with your words. Take action and work to provide them the excellent customer service they deserve. People remember good customer service, but generally - they give repeat business to the places that gave them excellent customer service. This is one of the oldest marketing techniques in the world - word of mouth marketing. We all know that bad news travels fast, but great news can help provide residual income to your business for years to come. Don't make the customer who has already given you their time, money, and trust have to chase you down because you're not doing your job.

Ducks in a row; a good practice to follow.

There is something to be said about having your "ducks in a row" when it comes to paper files and electronic documents. In a world of environmentally-conscience consumers, the practice of an efficient electronic filing system is crucial. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to provide documentation from months or years ago regarding an event that took place in another country. Needless to say, I have an extensive MS Outlook filing system. It's always been a practice of mine to keep things incredibly organized in case something terrible happened and I'm not able to make it to the office. I keep things organized so that anyone - literally could quickly search and find any document related to any specific subject. This way, they would also know where I left off in the project and what my next steps would have been. I can't tell you how many times this has come in handy.

When all your documents and projects are in order, it maximizes the efficiency of your work in general because you can quickly access documents. You don't have to spend excess time hunting for past communications or draft number 3 of 6. If you've found yourself in this situation before, take some time at the end of each week and sort through your inbox. File all documents first according to year and then according to project. From there, keep making sub-folders within each of the project folders according to the main topics of each project. Also, take advantage of the keyword rule within Outlook. You can create a rule which states that any emails that come to your inbox containing certain words go straight to a specified folder. This will certainly cut your manual filing time in half!

There are two types of people.

In my young life, I remember several short phrases that my parents would be proud to know I have absorbed. Many of these tokens of wisdom have helped me understand co-workers and people in general. Let me share a token with you, "There are two types of people, people who do things, and people who pay people to do things for them." At my age, I've not had the opportunity to know many born within the same decade as me to be able to "pay people to do things for them" but as I forge ahead in my career, it becomes more apparent that some men and women in their 40s and 50s have this option. For example, I am not an accountant, therefore I have two choices, I can learn how to balance a budget, or I must pay someone who is a professional to do it for me. However, I strongly believe that, a "jack of all trades" really is a master of none. So, of course - I leave important things to the professionals.

So, to the heart of this post. I know a woman who apparently - is so well off financially, that she simply pays people to do quite a bit of what needs to be done in her professional life and in her home life. She, like me - works with a non-profit organization. In her work life, she is appalled at the adjustments staff is willing to do make in order to save the company money. Please note, the tasks are not in any means dangerous, immoral or illegal. But the staff are understanding and they realize that if they chip in a little extra with a project - that it's money the organization can keep for the programs.

In learning more about this woman, I realized that - she has always been one of the "haves." She's always had the money to simply pay for services that others could not have. So, the idea of reusing reusable items, donating perfectly decent objects, completing physical tasks, and stretching a dollar - are all unfamiliar concepts to her.

The danger of her thoughtlessness regarding money? Well, it would be that she is just as careless with the money of the organization when given the opportunity. She would instruct the staff to purchase new equipment to replace the machines that were already there, (which were in good working condition) and would literally throw working items into the garbage if they were not up to her standards.

Once I learned that she was not actually conscience of her actions, it made our interactions clearer. I began to understand that she had no understanding of how to be budget or environmentally conscience. The moral, however is this - be careful that the negative financial habits of your personal life do not make their way into your professional life. Use your head, be aware of the priorities of the organization, and work to practice their good financial habits.