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Zeroing in on your unique personal brand and communicating it consistently and effectively in your job search is a surefire strategy for attracting employers' attention and landing a new job.

 

Here are four personal branding tactics that will make you irresistible to hiring managers.

1. Brand yourself in a sentence.

Effective brands are defined succinctly and competitively in a single sentence. The sentence should declare what's different about you and why it matters. It should be short enough to write on the back of a business card and definitive enough to describe the brand's purpose. For example, Google defines its brand this way: "Google organizes the world's information and makes it universally accessible and useful."

When you are composing your brand sentence, think of how you can label or position yourself differently. For example, rather than calling myself a career coach like others do, I call myself a "personal brand strategist" and go on to say, "I use the principles and strategies from the commercial world of brands for the most important brand--Brand You."

2. Get feedback on your 30-second elevator speech.

Brands hire experts to create their ads, then test them to get feedback.

There's an easy way for you to get feedback: Just grab a video camera and record yourself giving your elevator speech or your answer to the most popular interview question, Tell me about yourself. Then sit down and evaluate your performance. The only way to get good is to practice, make a video and rate your performance.

Your personal commercial should elaborate on your brand sentence in an interesting way. Take another page from the branding playbook and include a memorable phrase that embodies your brand purpose, like an ad slogan does for a brand.  

Try an analogy: Put two different ideas together to express who you are, such as "I'm a cross between X and Y" or "I'm like A meets B. Tazo Tea, for example, defined itself as "Marco Polo meets Merlin." I sometimes say, "I'm a cross between a P&G brand manager and a career coach."

Even though you've practiced and videotaped your delivery, your elevator pitch shouldn't seem wooden and rehearsed. The key is to practice, but to avoid memorization so you don't sound like you're scripted.

3. Create branded marketing materials that break through the clutter.

Every brand has marketing materials: advertising, a website, brochures, business cards and other collateral that are all designed with a distinctive look and feel and a message focused on the brand vision--the best brand story possible.

You should do the same. Your marketing materials are your business card, cover letter, email address, voicemail message and resume. Later you can expand your brand's marketing materials to include online social networking profiles, a website and a blog. It's easy to do them for free or economically though a service such as VistaPrint. But don't use their free business cards with their logo on the back (that will brand you as cheap!) or use a template design. You are a brand, after all.

Make sure that all your marketing materials have a similar look (they should use the same fonts and colors, for example) and tell your best brand story.

You can take another page from the branding playbook and get "celebrity" endorsements in your marketing materials. Of course, we're not talking about actual celebrities, but getting a quote from a former boss or client about a project where you played a major role. Put together a Resume Addendum that lists key projects in a case study-Challenge-Solution-Results-format. Then put the quote from your boss or client at the top of each case study. You can also use your endorsement quotes in your cover letter, website and your LinkedIn profile.

4. Develop an e-mail "Stalking" campaign.

CNBC "Street Signs" Anchor Erin Burnett got her start on television after writing what she called a "stalker letter" to anchor Willow Bay. Of course, Burnett wasn't literally stalking Bay, but a clever email and letter campaign to companies and hiring managers can brand you as someone with initiative and get you noticed.

Many of my clients have used this technique successfully in today's tough job market. Here's an email a client, a young technologist in transition, sent that got him a series of interviews and eventually a job offer:

Subject line: Looking for ways to keep costs down for your clients?

Body of email: I'm a technologist who recently supplemented my technology training at ABC University's program in xxx. I'm a go-getter who can deliver projects and services at a lower rate for your clients, a key concern during these economic times.

In today's environment, I think it's important to segment tasks that require someone to do a process or a project versus those that require someone with extensive experience to exercise judgment. Today's clients are looking for ways to decrease costs and I can help provide different ways to bill the client at a more cost-effective rate.

I would love to get on your calendar for a phone or in person meeting to discuss how I can add value to your company. I have attached my background and look forward to speaking with you.

When you get into the branding mindset, you'll want to reassess your personal brand regularly just like any brand manager would do--not just when you're in transition. After all, Brand You is a journey that will last your whole lifetime. 

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. 

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
TouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10

Do you have questions for the author?

 
 
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Dr.Shruti Bhat, an Expert in Pharmaceutical industry, brings to you some highlights from current pharma business news-


The most recent figures from March of 2009 indicate Twitter has again nearly doubled, with 8 million unique visitors. Twitter users are primarily adults, and are highly mobile, updating through their laptops, Blackberries, iPhones and other devices. Together, users have created over billions of Tweets to date. Twitter combines components of blogging, Facebook, and other social media and condenses it down to a small but potent task. Members post updates (called Tweets) of up to 140 characters as often as they wish. Ostensibly, the updates are to answer one question: “What are you doing?” Like Facebook and other networks, people can follow each other and their Tweets. Like many social media options, participants can reply to tweets, and begin a whole new conversation. The result is a constant stream of communication. 

What’s all the buzz about? “Is Twitter here to stay? Does it really provide business opportunity?” 

So, the physicians and the patients are using it. What about pharma? 

What are the opportunities? 

What to Tweet? 

Full article...

http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/04/twitter-in-healthcare-and-pharma.html

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS. 
 
 
 
 
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By Dr. Shruti Bhat, Generics Pharmaceutical R&D leader.

There is a disturbing trend in Corporate North America. Despite increased talk about improving corporate culture, there is a civility problem in the workplace. It is wreaking havoc on employee relationships and workplace morale, as well as the bottom line. And few leaders are doing anything to stop it.  

According to The Cost of Bad Behavior by Christine Pearson and Christine Porath, it is far more widespread than people realize—and incivility in the workplace has devastating effects. Here are just a few of the statistics from their research study of 800 employers: 

·         96 percent have experienced incivility at work.
·        48 percent of employees claim they were treated uncivilly at work at least once a week
·        10 percent said they witnessed civility every day.
·         94 percent of workers who are treated uncivilly say they get even with their offenders. 

What is Incivility in the Workplace?

Why Does it Matter?

What Can We Do About it?

Why Bother?

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

 Full article at http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/03/workplace-incivility-on-rise-what-can.html

Http://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
Do you have questions for the author?
 
 
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The global economic crisis has hurt all of us in various ways. If you’ve been laid off in recent months, you're feeling its effects very directly. It’s discouraging to try to get a job while the news reports continue to announce massive new layoffs, and the resumes you send out lie buried in stacks on hiring managers' desks.

However, your job loss can be an opportunity to reassess your career, figure out what you want to do next, and take more control of your future.

Clearly, the days are gone when one company took care of you from graduation through retirement. While you may still meet people who’ve worked for one company for 30 or 40 years, their situation has little in common with ours. In fact, today’s average worker changes jobs every 3 years. Furthermore, hiring managers now prefer the worker who has changed jobs every 3 years. In the manager's eyes, that's the worker with broad experience. The worker who’s stayed with one company for 30 years is now a questionable bet, unless he or she moved around within the company, continuing to learn and grow.

Since you can't rely on a company to manage your career, you have to manage it yourself.

Coz..."If you don't have a plan, someone else will make your plan." And forming that plan for your career is a critical first step in creating the future you want. You need a strategy for the short term and the long term.

In essence, you need to figure out what you want to become, and develop a plan that will get you there. Your plan may change, but you do need one.That's strategy.

Now what about strategy execution? What do you do to get the job you really want? The answer? Marketing.

Marketing yourself, or proactive job searching, starts with identifying (1) what you can offer, (2) what distinguishes you from your competition, and (3) who your target market is. Marketing yourself is no different than marketing a product, but the product is you.

To effectively market yourself, you must develop a good understanding of your assets--your skills and personal traits. If you know your strengths, you can market yourself more effectively and with greater confidence, making your strengths available to companies that are looking for them.

You also need to understand the marketplace for people with your skills. This requires research. You may find that you need to go back to school or that people with your skills are employed in industries you hadn't thought of.

When you know your skill set and your market, your job search should rely on two important techniques: informational interviewing and networking.

One technique to apply to your job search is the informational interview. In the informational interview, you contact people who work in a field or company that interests you, and ask them questions to increase your knowledge and understanding. The interview can be done on the phone or in person. You can take this approach: "I'm exploring the kind of work I want to do, and I’d like to learn more about you and your work."

The informational interview is an extension of the research you’ve already done. These interviews should help you learn more about your field of interest and intelligently craft your career plan. You might make a connection through interviewing that leads to a job, but don't approach it that way. Instead, be a researcher. Always thank your interviewees for taking time to help you. If they’re interested, keep them updated on how things work out.

The second key tactic used by the proactive job searcher is networking. Networking is about meeting people--lots of them--and staying in touch. You should focus your networking on people who are in your field of interest. A good way to do this is to attend professional association meetings in your target field. Attend the meetings of these and similar organizations. Use the meetings to develop relationships with the members, and you will gradually build a powerful professional network.

Why do you need a professional network? Because the people in your network care about your success, just as you hopefully care about theirs. Many of them also recognize that helping each other is far more fruitful than treating others as hostile competitors.  

Read full article ... click...http://www.drshrutibhat.com/2/category/personal%20branding/1.html

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
Do you have questions for the author? 
 
 
What do they do differently from average job seekers?  Three things. Habitually.

Best part: These 3 habits are recession-proof.

Here they are ...

1. Focus on results, not processes-

People who struggle to find work always seem to be in the process of doing something. They can't tell friends exactly what job they seek because they're in the process of deciding. Or they can't improve their Linkedin profile because they're in the process of revising their resume. Highly successful job seekers know that results are what count. So, they just get stuff done.

A job seeker who meets 3 networking contacts with an imperfect resume will get hired faster than one who spends all week revising their resume and zapping out emails. Every time.

2. Pick up the phone and call

I have never met anyone who was hired solely on the strength of their resume or cover letter. You have to talk to and meet employers first. In other words, it takes multiple conversations to get a job. Successful job seekers know this. They stack the odds in their favor by proactively calling, talking to, and asking to meet employers they've sent resumes to.

What's the worst that can happen if you call and ask an employer to meet?

They say no.

But ... if you wait for a phone call that never comes, you're still getting a "No" from that employer, albeit a tacit one that can take weeks to play out.

Make your own luck. Call to verify that employers got the resume and cover letter you emailed.

Better: Print and mail your documents. In your cover letter, say: "I will call your office at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday to answer any questions you may have."

Two very good things can happen when you call at a specific time to follow up:

1. Your call may turn into a phone interview.

2. If you get voicemail, your message will be stamped with the time you called, which should be when you said you would in your cover letter. Congratulations -- you've proven that you're detail-oriented and keep promises. And you're not even on the payroll yet.

3. Contact employers 7 times-

In advertising, it's a rule of thumb that prospects must be exposed to your pitch at least 7 times before they buy. Successful job seekers recognize this. So, create a plan for contacting target employers 7 times in the next 3-4 weeks. Be sure to vary the means of contact and -- this is vital -- always give employers another reason to hire you with every contact.

Here's an example campaign to illustrate:

Day 1: Mail well-researched cover letter and resume to ABC Corp., promising to call in two days to follow up.

Day 3: Call, as promised. Ask for interview.

Day 5: Mail newspaper clipping of interview with company president, underlining comments about strategic plan that I can help achieve.

Day 8: Visit company office, saying I was "in the area." Ask if president got article by mail.

Day 14: Mail hiring manager a white paper, "5 Ways to Save on Purchasing at ABC Corp.," based on research done on days 1-10.

Day 16: Call hiring manager to follow up. Ask for interview.

Day 22: Email company president with 5 news items about ABC Corp. found via www.Google.com/alerts in days 1-21. Offer suggestions for how I could help with each.

Now. Is contacting one employer 7 times a lot of work?

Yes.

Do you think any other job seeker will create and follow such a detailed plan of action?

No.

So, which is better: a little work now, or no work later?

Want more great tips and advice like this? 

Disclaimer- The information posted here is for information purpose only and should not be considered as legal advise.

http://www.drshrutibhat.com

Also at http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/02/three-habits-of-job-seekers-who-get.html
 
 
The average job seeker takes about four months to land a job after searching for openings. During an economic downturn, finding a job becomes even more difficult and so discouragement is a common emotion. While the practical aspects of looking for a job present plenty of challenges, the emotional component cannot be ignored.

For some, the emotions of shock, grief, anger, anxiety, and depression that often accompany job loss can impair a solid action plan. Maybe you don’t even have a plan of action. Or, you are diligently getting your resume out to the world without the results you desire. Everyone feels discouraged at times but you can’t be effective in your job search if you launch into interviews with unchecked emotions popping up.

What can you do to transform discouragement into hope that you will land another job? First, don’t panic. Place post-it notes with the word “Breathe” on them. Engage in activities that will help you move through difficult emotions. Fear and hope make poor roommates because one dispels the other.

You must fight discouragement. Avoid beginning and ending your day with negative television and radio news reports about the economy. News of this sort can only result in negative thinking and feelings. Begin your day early by first making a deposit into your emotional bank account. Write a list of five things you are grateful for each morning. 

If you are starting to give in to discouragement, it is time to tune in for self-care. Prepare a list of 10 self-care items that will help renew your mind, body, and spirit. You may find it difficult to do so, but it is completely worth your time. The items on your list do not even have to cost money. Participate in 2-3 of these self-care activities every day. If you are burned out, experiencing stress or other physical health symptoms, and feelings of discouragement, this situation absolutely requires that you give yourself permission to take an overdue restorative time-out. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity!

Many people work very hard while also attending to the needs of their family, but find it nearly impossible to be especially kind and tender to their selves. In an emergency, you have to put on your own oxygen mask first, and being out of work in an economic downturn qualifies as just such an emergency.

Address discouragement and other emotions by taking the time you need – not by doing what others think you should do. Talk to someone you trust who will help you to get rid of negative feelings. When you are ready, launch into the tangible, practical components of job search.

Take stock of your expectations. Unmet expectations can lead to disappointment and discouragement. You may be very good at the work you have done in the past but your future does not live in your past. Industry changes create opportunities for new job growth. Do you need to take what I refer to as the ’transitional bridge job’ or two part time jobs to pay the bills while you think about seriously re-inventing yourself ?

Do you want to return to a former, similar, or new job title? Research professional association websites in the industry you want to explore. Perform information interviews to help expand or narrow options. New job growth is there. You will bring greater enthusiasm and success to your job hunting when you identify what you want to do. What does your heart desire for employment?

When you are ready, set a structured job search schedule, say between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm daily. No matter what, though, it’s important to keep your work/life balance in the daily mix. Your future work is ahead of you and you must move forward to reach your goals.

Also at http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/01/overcoming-discouragement-from-fired-to.html
 
 
Statistics indicate there are at least six unemployed Americans for every job opening; and this figure does not take into account the employed-but-searching for new job candidates who are also competing for these jobs.

So, what is the difference between job seekers who achieve success and those that keep toiling away day after day, week after week, and month after month without landing a job? It is whether you approach your job search as a Hunter or a Farmer.

When compared to Farmers, Hunters are 87% more likely to find a job in this economy with key differences being in their qualitative approach to pursuing opportunities and their prioritization of using a professional network. So who are the Hunters and who are the Farmers - and which one are you?

Hunters are extremely focused and very selective; they stalk few opportunities and only ones they consider just right for them; and most important they effectively leverage their professional networks to work for them.

Hunters expand and leverage their professional network every day of the week to find opportunities and consider time spend networking exponentially more important to their job search than depending on job sites.

Hunters use online social media and profiles, with references and testimonials, as tools to enable their networks and develop a brand and Subject matter Expertise in their field.

Hunters manage their contacts personally and independently, outside of company systems.

Hunters are more selective and apply for fewer opportunities and only those opportunities considered fulfilling or critical to their career roadmap, and they are twice as likely to follow up interviews – and even after being rejected.

Hunters will tailor their resumes and cover letters for each position to stand out in a crowd, and they will focus on showing not only why they are qualified, but more so why they are the most qualified candidate for that job, and why they want to work specifically for that company and not its competitors.

Hunters cultivate, grow and contribute to their professional networks on an ongoing basis, and they place as much if not more emphasis on helping others rather than only looking to only themselves.

Hunters are more than twice as likely to consult mentors on their job search, and they are likely to seek out and pay for a resume and professional advice and attend paid seminars and networking events, rather than basing their job search exclusively around free advice, services, job fairs and no-fee events.

Farmers are seed-sowers; they cover a lot of ground, exploring numerous opportunities and place more value on broad, rather than qualitative searches.

 

Farmers are more conscious about key-word searches and not whether this is a job they will qualify for and enjoy.

Farmers use job boards to find opportunities and consider jobs sites more important than networking.

Farmers may use online profiles, but primarily to market themselves

Farmers keep address books or contact lists on company servers, making the data vulnerable to loss

Farmers post and pray; apply for many jobs, even those perceived as low matches

Farmers are more likely to use the same all-purpose resume and cover letter for each applied-for position.

Farmers only use their professional networks as needed.

Farmers rarely consult others on their job search or pay for a professional resume or valuable career advice.

Now that you know the facts you choose whether you want to be a farmer or HUNTER.

Also at http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/01/are-you-hunter-of-farmer.html
 
 
Women who lead have the ability to see opportunities in setbacks and the will to make themselves heard, a new book contends-

 Is there a secret formula some women know that propels them to the top? What consistent threads did you find in the success stories that remarkable women tell? 

One of the crucial consistencies is that each of them said they made a commitment early in their career to find personal satisfaction from what they do. About 20 per cent of the women said they knew even when they were children that a career in business would make them happiest 

I came into the study with the preconception that maybe the women who make it big just have an easier time of it, or that maybe they have better luck. But, as it turns out, every one of them had to overcome obstacles and find ways to turn difficult situations around. They all had a turning point that could have made them quit, but they persisted and moved on after adversity struck. When they experienced failure, they were able to see opportunity in the setback.

What was the most common obstacle they had to overcome?
 
More than 60 per cent of the women said they didn't naturally have the confidence to speak up for themselves early in their career, and they had to gain that confidence to succeed. Recurring themes were that, starting out, they held back because they didn't feel they had anything important to say, or they believed that, since they were in a junior position, it was not their place to insist that their viewpoint be heard. 

But most told of a breakthrough moment in which either something they should have said but didn't led to a failure, or they were given the floor by a senior person and made a contribution that led to a success. From then on, they made a conscious decision to make their voice heard - and to insist that others they lead speak up as well. 

For example, Shelly Lazarus [former chief executive officer of ad firm Ogilvy & Mather and now chairwoman of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide], stated that she had that insight early in her career. Another woman she worked with asked her to cover for her while she snuck out of the office to see her child's school play. She told the woman to come right out and tell her manager she was taking off. At that point, she realized that, "if you have to be afraid for who you are, you will be afraid all your life." 

From then on, she said, her motto has been: "Just stand up, do what you need to do and smile about it. Look them in the eye and say, "If you don't like it, fire me, and I'll find another job, because I'm talented enough and I'm committed enough ". 

 You also found that women had to break free of limiting expectations that others may have about what are appropriate occupations for women. Because there were so few women in leadership in previous decades, many of the leaders said they had been regularly advised to give up the dream of reaching senior positions. 

Ann Moore [chief executive officer and chairwoman of Time Inc.] stated that, from childhood, her mother expected her to be a nurse, like every other woman in their family. But her mother was also a great organizer for her church and a local political committee and she [Ms. Moore] realized she really wanted to lead, and that her strength and interests were in guiding teams. 

She said she stuck to her goal of reaching top management, even to the point where early in her career she decided to turn down a promotion to a production function because "it would have been the wrong fit." Her refusal made her superiors furious, and she said the decision kept her stalled in the same job for several years, but ultimately she found her way into the role she really wanted. As for those angry bosses? "They are not here now and I am," she said. 

Is there a process by which women gain the courage to take more risks? 

Another consistent thread in the stories women told is that they were prone to be risk-averse. Psychological research shows that when women are under stress, their brains are more prone than men to dredge up memories of past failures and emotional wounds and they are more likely than men to withdraw, rather than risking another failure. 

The book further mentions that many of the women interviewed said that they had learned to consciously reframe stressful situations by using basic techniques such as talking back to the voice of fear in their head or looking at opportunities to find alternatives and move ahead, rather than remaining frozen in indecision. 

An example is Ellyn McColgan [until recently, president of the wealth management division of Morgan Stanley]. She said her insight came in 1992, when a team she was leading at a previous financial group had a large loss and she was given 90 days to turn the situation around. She was terrified about taking risks but she kept in mind: "What is the worst thing that can happen? ...I might get fired." In that case, she decided: "So what? Go get another job." 

That defiant optimism helped her get over her self-doubt and pull the team together, and they got results back on track. "A natural reaction to failure is to be afraid and to get smaller," but what the experience taught her- "what you should do is get bigger. Failure is an opportunity to grow. ... It might hurt while it's happening, but all things that help you grow hurt."
 

The book amazed me as to how all the top women leaders seemed to see opportunity everywhere. They have learned that when you aren't obsessed about what could go wrong, it's more easy to find opportunities and ideas for making things come out right.
 
Did the women feel they had an advantage over their male colleagues? 

Most women have an inherent strength in a behaviour psychologists call "tend and befriend," a desire to help build community and nurture and reduce the level of anxiety and fear. Virtually all of the women concurred that their ability to maintain connections with people in the organization and not burn bridges along the way not only helped them rise to the top but also gave them higher satisfaction ... .
 

Anne Mulcahy [chairwoman of Xerox Corp.] summed it up by saying, "One of the most important ways to be successful is actually to create an army of people who are rooting for you. It's nice to have the support of the person you work for or a board, but the most important support you can get is from the troops." 

And what do they say about helping others to succeed? 

Many of the women whose rise to the top came in the 1980s and 1990s did not have mentors and they say they wish they did have someone to help open up opportunities and help them through the corporate maze. 

Because of that, many of them talked about taking the effort to help sponsor a young protégé, helping open doors and push them through if they are reluctant to go. They confide that often these are women who they think of as a younger version of themselves.

While it can take a commitment of time to act as the equivalent of a personal trainer, several of the leaders said they have found it very rewarding. 

Is there a magic mantra for women executives of today and future ?? Come, let us find out...

Also at http://www.pharm-education.com/2009/12/how-they-managed-to-rise-to-top.html  
 
 
In a recent meeting, I witnessed an amazing event as a promotional opportunity was lobbed over the net to ten able managers, only to fall and crash upon the conference table with no challenge whatsoever. In this post, I’ll give you the insight into this unfortunate event and a few tips on how to build the courage to take advantage of opportunities.


In a casual lunch setting, 10 managers sat around a conference table awaiting the definition of their fate that would roll of the lips of their General Manager. For the lucky ten, their manager had tendered his resignation and would be leaving the company in two weeks. This meeting would give the managers some idea of who would be the replacement. Would it be someone from inside the group, outside the group or from their parent company?


The GM spoke first, stating that he had already submitted his plan, although the decision would have to be approved by someone in the corporate office. His first question to the group opened the floor to discussion and suggestions on how they would like to see the transition go. Now before I go on with the story, this is what many of us call an opportunity. If you were one of the ten and wanted to be considered, you might ask if the position could be filled from within the group. This would imply that you are willing to step up to a higher level of authority and challenge. Back to the story….


No words were spoken. Everyone sat with a blank stare on their face. Several of these managers had previously expressed concern and even the desire for promotion. Yet, when the opportunity came up, they didn’t seize the chance to influence the direction of the GM’s decision. Without any rebuttal, the lunch discussion turned into a broad sweeping clarification of the company’s bigger issues. The door was closed and the opportunity vanished just as fast it had appeared.


While research suggests that levels of courage are influenced by character traits, particular states of mind and the values, beliefs and social forces acting on a person, it is the states of mind we’ll focus on here. There are four key states that can be used to improve your level of courage; that is, self-efficacy, means efficacy, state hope and resiliency.


Self-efficacy is the confidence you have in yourself and your ability to achieve specific outcomes. Looking back at our ten managers, did they all lack confidence in their own ability to convince the GM that the position should be filled from within? This could explain their silence. To avoid such situations, courage can be improved by mastering two aspects of self-efficacy: skill mastery and situational control. By learning new skills, one can build self confidence. My approach to this is constant personal development, achieved through reading books, taking classes, attending seminars and so on. Over the years, I’ve overcome the fear of the unknown. This allows me to improve my situational control, or how I attach emotions to unique situations. For example, the meeting with the GM should have been a positive experience as it provided an opportunity to improve one’s position. The more you learn to place a positive impression on such situations, the easier it will become for you to engage in them.


Means-efficacy refers to the belief that the tools you have available are sufficient for the task at hand. If you believed your speaking skills were nothing short of excellent, stating your desired position for the replacement of your boss would have been all too easy. You would have avoided offending anyone in the room while ever so gently identifying yourself as the ideal candidate for the position. Building means efficacy is aided by studying yourself to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Once you’ve illuminated your weak spots, you can turn them into strengths by developing them as if they were new skills; thereby, increasing your confidence and self-efficacy.


State hope is the belief that the task is possible and that you can complete it in the required time frame. If those ten managers believed that the manager had already made his decision, since he did state he had already submitted his plan for the replacement, their actions would have been inline with this belief. They would have considered it a waste of time and possibly an opportunity to hurt their career rather than improve it. State hope can be improved by modifying your attributions to such events. It’s similar to the movie with Jim Carey, entitled “Yes Man.” Too often we reduce our state hope to a level that essentially keeps us from developing any confidence. Surely you know a person who always thinks things are impossible and too much trouble to deal with. You can overcome this disability by drinking more Redbull, as Jim Carey does in the movie. This will drive you to action and away from procrastination.

Lastly, Resilience is the ability to bring yourself back from the brink of disaster. Improving reliance is accomplished through happy thoughts or what I call the FDH mindset (Fat, Dumb and Happy). That is, every task is something you need to do so you don’t dwell on whether you achieve success or failure, you just do it and celebrate the sense of accomplishment of having done it.


Success, to me, is the intersection of preparedness and opportunity. When opportunity crosses your path, you need a little courage to grab hold of it. While these four mindsets don’t give you all the answers to growing the courage of a lion, it does give you some specific targets for improvement. Good luck and always remember, if you see an obstacle in the path of your career, run over it.

 

Reference-
http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2009/11/ten-careers-die-from-lack-of-courage.html

http://www.pharm-education.com/2009/12/are-you-leader-take-look-at-yourself.html