By Gerry Gilpin
How much do you think you communicate to your co-workers and boss through what you say, and how much through how you say it?
The fact is that what you say has less than 10% of an impact on people.
It is, therefore, the non-verbal that makes the real impact.
It is your facial expressions, tone of voice and eye contact, even how you dress, that does most of the 'talking'.
I believe the old advice 'dress for the position you want, not the position you have', still rings true for those interested in advancement, even with today's relaxed dress standards.
Only these days the advice would probably sound more like: "Envision yourself in the position you want, not in the position you have."
If you are interested in advancement within your present company or outside of it, then think about how you present yourself.
Do you shake hands firmly or limply when introducing yourself? Do you make good eye contact? Do you speak too often or too little? Do you mumble or shout?
Believe it or not, all of these are signals to people about how you think about yourself, not to mention how they should think about you.
Who do you think you are?
This is a question that children get asked quite often, and usually when they are behaving badly, or flaunting, or bragging about a particular skill or action that they have taken.
The parent or teacher who asks the question, more often than not, is not in the least bit interested in the answer.
What they are really interested in is in keeping the child within manageable bounds; and the way it is said - their tone of voice - makes this very plain.
The outcome is that little by little, the child learns to look around at his or her fellow students and siblings for the answer to that question - 'Who do I think I am?'
Then it is only a matter of time before the child learns to please by figuring out what others expect him or her to be, and becoming that person - sound familiar?
If you have gone through that experience as a child and I suggest most if not all of us have then you probably already have the skills needed to become whom you want to be in order to advance in your career.
This means, for example, that if you need to be a strong, confident, assertive individual who can think on his/her feet and make hard decisions, it may not be as hard as you first thought.
You see the chances are you may already be this person deep down, and this powerful 'self' has for many years merely been held at bay.
The problem I have found in my own experience and in talking to others is that we, in our culture in Northern Ireland, lack this sense of strong self-belief.
We think that someone with an English or American accent must be more professional, experienced, knowledgeable or a better player than we are.
What is worse is that our non-verbal behaviour communicates this and gives these people an even greater sense, dare I say it, of their superiority.
It is only when we observe their behaviour and see them performing that we realise they are no better than we are; in fact we soon realise we are just as good, if not better than them.
How do I become something I'm not? As confidence comes with knowledge, experience and training, you need to learn all you can about the position you want for your next career step.
Read and study, ask around, talk to others in similar positions; but more importantly, put yourself in the position in your imagination.
Very few people do this, and in today's environment of the 'upwardly mobile', competition for promotion is much more difficult than it was even five years ago.
Remember that every question asked at a job or promotion interview probes one of the following: (a) Can (s)he do the job? (b) Why does (s)he want the job? (c) Can we afford him/her? (d) Will (s)he fit in?
It is this final area that proves most difficult to determine and even with psychological assessments mistakes are made.
Therefore if you can see yourself in that position, and answer any questions from that standpoint, then you will convey an impression of confidence in your ability.
Equally important is that your non-verbal behaviour will communicate this.
One effective way to do it is to volunteer to be on teams and committees outside your functional area. This will broaden your knowledge and the way people think of you.
Don't rein in your natural curiosity - don't be afraid to ask a question simply because you're afraid of sounding stupid; after all, you're not trying to present yourself as knowing everything there is to know, but as someone who wants to know.
Lastly, remember that all those in positions ahead of you are people very much like you - they once sat where you are sitting and who had to take certain steps to advance their careers.
Realise, and never cease realising, that you have what is needed to move ahead.
The better you know this, the more confident you will appear, and the more others will begin to think of you as a candidate for advancement.
I have said it before but I think it is worth repeating, the time to start is now
Monday 2 July 2007
Motivation
By Gerry Gilpin
If a professional golfer completes a hole in par, it is to be expected because that is the number of shots that a player of his/her ability should take for each hole.
The measure of success is the number of times that a hole can be completed in less than par. This can be the difference between winning and losing.
On the other hand, to the handicapped player, a par is an aspiration. When it occurs it is remembered and talked about with great pride, every shot being relived and often explained in great detail.
So a PAR is a measure of skill and success.
Familiar words? There is no doubt that the more you can demonstrate skills and success in your career to date, the more likely it is that you will succeed if you are looking for that career move, or that promotion or that new job.
But it is more than that. It is down to your ability to articulate clearly and concisely each PAR you have had, without boring the listener, and your ability, or lack of it, that can be the critical difference between you winning or losing.
But what then is a PAR? P identifies the 'problem', challenge or circumstance you faced that required special or exceptional performance or talent.
A describes the 'action' or approach that you took to solve the problem, meet the challenge or seize the opportunity.
R describes the 'result' of the action you took and is best expressed in terms of money, percentages, days, headcount, sales, costs or savings.
This simple formula will be very valuable in your career quest.
Since PARs make it easy to describe your accomplishments, you will be able to weave them into interviews and discussions naturally and with ease.
Accomplishments will normally occur when you: - increased sales, reduced costs, improved profitability; - took the initiative to solve a problem; - saw an opportunity for improvement or developed a plan and carried it through to successful completion; - created a new function, service, department or product that filled an important niche; - devised and carried through a complex plan or process, perhaps for the first time; - handled an emergency situation or crisis successfully; - received awards or recognition for your contributions to business or personal life; - helped increase the performance of a team through your ideas or recommendations; - led changes that improved quality, time or customer focus, saving time and money.
Once you have identified your PARs, and you should try to have four to six in each of the positions you have held over the last 10 years or so, the next task is to express each one as a simple and concise statement.
Let us look at a few examples of a PAR statement: n increased production by 25% while saving £250,000 annually in operating costs; - reduced annual selling costs by £70k (20%); - developed a pricing strategy that gained a foothold in the highly competitive French market; - led the due diligence for the successful purchase of a company with assets of £20m; - controlled and implemented the annual salary reviews across all three plants; - introduced a CAD system that yielded 3% savings on materials (£300k per annum); - reorganised the stores department reducing stock held by 15% (£75K per year).
When you have completed this 'soul searching' and time-consuming exercise, you will find yourself using these statements in your CV or as part of your 'personal portfolio'.
This can also impact significantly on the interview.
For example, as your interviewers talk about their business problems, you can respond "that reminds me of how we tackled a similar problem in my company"; then you give them the PAR.
If you have been concentrating on highlighting what your responsibilities were, and not what you have accomplished, there is a real likelihood that you will tell what the prospective employer already knows.
Not only that but the tenor of your conversation will lack a sense of conviction, enthusiasm and pride.
The result could well be that you will perform well below par.
This is something that in today's competitive job market you cannot allow.
If a professional golfer completes a hole in par, it is to be expected because that is the number of shots that a player of his/her ability should take for each hole.
The measure of success is the number of times that a hole can be completed in less than par. This can be the difference between winning and losing.
On the other hand, to the handicapped player, a par is an aspiration. When it occurs it is remembered and talked about with great pride, every shot being relived and often explained in great detail.
So a PAR is a measure of skill and success.
Familiar words? There is no doubt that the more you can demonstrate skills and success in your career to date, the more likely it is that you will succeed if you are looking for that career move, or that promotion or that new job.
But it is more than that. It is down to your ability to articulate clearly and concisely each PAR you have had, without boring the listener, and your ability, or lack of it, that can be the critical difference between you winning or losing.
But what then is a PAR? P identifies the 'problem', challenge or circumstance you faced that required special or exceptional performance or talent.
A describes the 'action' or approach that you took to solve the problem, meet the challenge or seize the opportunity.
R describes the 'result' of the action you took and is best expressed in terms of money, percentages, days, headcount, sales, costs or savings.
This simple formula will be very valuable in your career quest.
Since PARs make it easy to describe your accomplishments, you will be able to weave them into interviews and discussions naturally and with ease.
Accomplishments will normally occur when you: - increased sales, reduced costs, improved profitability; - took the initiative to solve a problem; - saw an opportunity for improvement or developed a plan and carried it through to successful completion; - created a new function, service, department or product that filled an important niche; - devised and carried through a complex plan or process, perhaps for the first time; - handled an emergency situation or crisis successfully; - received awards or recognition for your contributions to business or personal life; - helped increase the performance of a team through your ideas or recommendations; - led changes that improved quality, time or customer focus, saving time and money.
Once you have identified your PARs, and you should try to have four to six in each of the positions you have held over the last 10 years or so, the next task is to express each one as a simple and concise statement.
Let us look at a few examples of a PAR statement: n increased production by 25% while saving £250,000 annually in operating costs; - reduced annual selling costs by £70k (20%); - developed a pricing strategy that gained a foothold in the highly competitive French market; - led the due diligence for the successful purchase of a company with assets of £20m; - controlled and implemented the annual salary reviews across all three plants; - introduced a CAD system that yielded 3% savings on materials (£300k per annum); - reorganised the stores department reducing stock held by 15% (£75K per year).
When you have completed this 'soul searching' and time-consuming exercise, you will find yourself using these statements in your CV or as part of your 'personal portfolio'.
This can also impact significantly on the interview.
For example, as your interviewers talk about their business problems, you can respond "that reminds me of how we tackled a similar problem in my company"; then you give them the PAR.
If you have been concentrating on highlighting what your responsibilities were, and not what you have accomplished, there is a real likelihood that you will tell what the prospective employer already knows.
Not only that but the tenor of your conversation will lack a sense of conviction, enthusiasm and pride.
The result could well be that you will perform well below par.
This is something that in today's competitive job market you cannot allow.
Don't be afraid to negotiate your salary
By Gery Gilpin
Every day we are called upon to use negotiation skills of one sort or another, whether it is buying a new car, planning the family holiday or resolving a credit card dispute.
The same basic skills are used to negotiate job terms, and yet job negotiating requires a level of skill and knowledge above what we might have gleaned from personal experience with the car dealer or carpet fitter.
What is negotiation? Negotiation is a process of making arrangements and setting terms through discussion.
Two parties work out an agreement on the terms and conditions of their working relationship.
In practice there are three phases of the salary negotiation: 1. Receiving The Offer The window of opportunity for negotiating an offer is necessarily narrow. No negotiation can take place unless and until an offer is made.
Once an offer has been accepted, the negotiation ends, and usually no further terms and conditions can be discussed.
So once you have received an offer from a potential employer, you'll need time to evaluate the offer, prioritise your needs and plan your negotiation strategy. Try to resist being pressurised into making a quick decision.
Planning Your Strategy
Planning is the most important part of successful salary negotiation.
First, compare the offer you've been made with your "ideal job preferences".
This is not a description of your "fantasy job" but a list of realistic hopes and desires concerning what you would like from this particular job and employer.
You may be perfectly happy with the deal as it stands but there may be room for movement and indeed the employer may expect you to negotiate.
Remember that you are negotiating your future market value.
You should identify those items on your list that were not a part of the package offered but that you think should be part of your negotiation strategy.
Remember to review any notes you have taken or analyse any discussions that took place that may give you an indication for potential room for manoeuvre. This will form the scope for negotiation.
Then you must formulate an acceptable compromise position for each of these items, ie those you would be willing to settle for if you cannot get what you will be asking for.
Try to look for "win-win" alternatives that benefit both you and the potential employer.
When planning your strategy make sure that you are aware of how much you are worth, both in wider industry terms and also how much you can bring to the offering organisation.
Make a list of those items you will want to discuss during the negotiation session.
Then for each item describe your rationale for asking for this particular item.
Remember you are bringing a great deal of relevant experience to the job so try and not sell yourself short.
Conducting The Negotiation
Having planned your negotiation strategy always remember to negotiate from a reasonable position.
Negotiating through a third party such as an executive recruitment consultant enables the removal of personalities from the negotiating process.
However, this approach is not always available.
Playing hardball in salary negotiations may make you appear arrogant, devious, or mercenary, so even if your negotiation is successful, remember you still have to work with the person that you ground out a deal with! During the negotiation process you should make positive noises about your commitment to the company and put forward a rational argument for your position by referring to the market rate for the position and the value you will add to the company.
Stick to the reasonable plan that you devised earlier and offer alternatives where possible if a request is turned down.
A successful negotiation will be one that has been well prepared for, one in which you are not afraid to ask for what you feel is warranted, but one that shows willingness to be flexible, while maintaining a positive and assertive attitude throughout.
If the employer is not flexible and the offer still isn't something you can accept you should either ask for time to consider or else decline the offer.
If you choose the latter, then you should sign off on as pleasant a note as possible so that the employer will hopefully not hold this against you.
At all times remain positive, cordial and professional without showing emotion.
Northern Ireland is a small place, and you never know when you may be negotiating a similar deal with the same person sometime in the future.
Every day we are called upon to use negotiation skills of one sort or another, whether it is buying a new car, planning the family holiday or resolving a credit card dispute.
The same basic skills are used to negotiate job terms, and yet job negotiating requires a level of skill and knowledge above what we might have gleaned from personal experience with the car dealer or carpet fitter.
What is negotiation? Negotiation is a process of making arrangements and setting terms through discussion.
Two parties work out an agreement on the terms and conditions of their working relationship.
In practice there are three phases of the salary negotiation: 1. Receiving The Offer The window of opportunity for negotiating an offer is necessarily narrow. No negotiation can take place unless and until an offer is made.
Once an offer has been accepted, the negotiation ends, and usually no further terms and conditions can be discussed.
So once you have received an offer from a potential employer, you'll need time to evaluate the offer, prioritise your needs and plan your negotiation strategy. Try to resist being pressurised into making a quick decision.
Planning Your Strategy
Planning is the most important part of successful salary negotiation.
First, compare the offer you've been made with your "ideal job preferences".
This is not a description of your "fantasy job" but a list of realistic hopes and desires concerning what you would like from this particular job and employer.
You may be perfectly happy with the deal as it stands but there may be room for movement and indeed the employer may expect you to negotiate.
Remember that you are negotiating your future market value.
You should identify those items on your list that were not a part of the package offered but that you think should be part of your negotiation strategy.
Remember to review any notes you have taken or analyse any discussions that took place that may give you an indication for potential room for manoeuvre. This will form the scope for negotiation.
Then you must formulate an acceptable compromise position for each of these items, ie those you would be willing to settle for if you cannot get what you will be asking for.
Try to look for "win-win" alternatives that benefit both you and the potential employer.
When planning your strategy make sure that you are aware of how much you are worth, both in wider industry terms and also how much you can bring to the offering organisation.
Make a list of those items you will want to discuss during the negotiation session.
Then for each item describe your rationale for asking for this particular item.
Remember you are bringing a great deal of relevant experience to the job so try and not sell yourself short.
Conducting The Negotiation
Having planned your negotiation strategy always remember to negotiate from a reasonable position.
Negotiating through a third party such as an executive recruitment consultant enables the removal of personalities from the negotiating process.
However, this approach is not always available.
Playing hardball in salary negotiations may make you appear arrogant, devious, or mercenary, so even if your negotiation is successful, remember you still have to work with the person that you ground out a deal with! During the negotiation process you should make positive noises about your commitment to the company and put forward a rational argument for your position by referring to the market rate for the position and the value you will add to the company.
Stick to the reasonable plan that you devised earlier and offer alternatives where possible if a request is turned down.
A successful negotiation will be one that has been well prepared for, one in which you are not afraid to ask for what you feel is warranted, but one that shows willingness to be flexible, while maintaining a positive and assertive attitude throughout.
If the employer is not flexible and the offer still isn't something you can accept you should either ask for time to consider or else decline the offer.
If you choose the latter, then you should sign off on as pleasant a note as possible so that the employer will hopefully not hold this against you.
At all times remain positive, cordial and professional without showing emotion.
Northern Ireland is a small place, and you never know when you may be negotiating a similar deal with the same person sometime in the future.
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