But I’m going to take this head-on.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

The Career You’ll Love

Sponsored by Carl Dierschow’s career blog at www.Dierschow.com Welcome to my career tips newsletter! I encourage you to pass this to anyone who might have an interest in revitalizing their career – instructions for subscribing are at the bottom.

Accountability

I’m glad you’re still reading this.  Many people find the word “accountability” so threatening that they don’t even want to think about it.

Let’s start with the basic concept.  When somebody says they’re going to do something, if their word is worth anything, they should follow through to the best of their ability.  The fact that you’re expecting this means that you’re holding them accountable.  If they disappoint you, you’re going to lower your level of trust.  If they meet or exceed the expectations they set, your level of trust will increase.

The reason some of us shy away from “accountability” is that the word has been used in reference to expectations you haven’t intentionally set.  Your boss tells you that an assignment is due Friday, but perhaps there’s no discussion around that deadline.  He holds you accountable for meeting that deadline, but not because you said you could do it – just because that was the stated requirement.

Worse yet, sometimes the requirements aren’t actually stated.  Your boss says she needs the TPS report “ASAP”.  Perhaps her expectation is that it will be done in an hour, while your interpretation is that it needs to be done in a day.

Clearly we have a recipe for disaster.

There’s a reasonably straightforward way to restore the balance in this situation:  Simply state how you are interpreting the requirement, and how you plan to meet it.  Up front.

• “Sure, I’ll have that done by Friday.”
• “I’ll try hard to get it done by Friday, but I can’t guarantee it.  It depends on some information that hasn’t been given to me yet.”
• “Do you mean you need that by the end of the day?”
• “Is tomorrow OK?”

Each response opens up the possibility for a constructive dialog.  If there’s misunderstanding, you’ll probably find out quickly.  If you need help in certain areas, this is the time to ask.

Of course, it’s quite possible you’ll be given an impossible requirement.  In that case, you’ll need to use your best negotiation skills to attempt to arrive at an acceptable compromise.

If you can’t find a compromise, well, at least you know a bit sooner.  If you need to work an all-nighter, you’ll know while you still have a chance to do some adjustment and damage control.

These examples happen to highlight accountability for timing and deadlines, but the same principles apply to any other aspect of your work – quality, thoroughness, depth and breadth.  When there’s room for interpretation, it’s good to give your response in advance of doing the work.

There’s another benefit to giving a timely response, which is that the other person’s anxiety will be reduced.  If I give an assignment to a subordinate, getting no timely response is actually the worst response.  I wonder if the message was received.  I suspect there may be an attempt to avoid the work.  I worry that the assignment may have been misunderstood.

On a related topic, I have had questions about how coaches use the word “accountability.”  Part of the value that a coach can add to the relationship is to hold you accountable to following through on actions you’ve created and decisions you’ve made.

If you think about it, though, it’s a little backward.  You’re paying the coach, so he or she doesn’t really have any leverage over you.  It’s not like there’s a big stick that will beat you up if you fail to follow through.

This is how accountability to a coach works:  When you say you’re going to do something, to someone you have a relationship with, and you know that the person is likely to ask you about it in the future, then you hold yourself more accountable.  It’s really a tool to help you build integrity with yourself, and that you’re making progress in a direction that’s truly useful.

It’s amazing how well it works.  And all based on not wanting to disappoint somebody.

  Carl Dierschow is a Certified Small Fish Business Coach and author of the career management guide, Mondays Stink! 23 Secrets to Rediscover Delight and Fulfillment in Your Work. He is a career coach for those going through interesting transitions, and works with small business owners who need to create breakthroughs in achieving their business goals. Find out more at www.Dierschow.com and www.SmallFish.us.

If you are interested in individual career coaching, group coaching, or other resources which might help you with difficult choices, please contact Carl at carl@dierschow.com.

Connect with Carl on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to get timely updates and connections to a broader range of professionals. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, send an e-mail to newsletter@Dierschow.com

© 2011 Possibilities Partnership LLC ]]> http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/accountability/feed 0 http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/%e2%80%9cthis-problem%e2%80%9d-or-%e2%80%9cthat-problem%e2%80%9d-a-matter-of-perspective http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/%e2%80%9cthis-problem%e2%80%9d-or-%e2%80%9cthat-problem%e2%80%9d-a-matter-of-perspective#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:13:42 +0000 Carl http://dierschow.com/wordpress/?p=788 Let me have you ponder the difference between these two questions:

• “Why is this problem important?”
• “Why is that problem important?”

It’s a pretty subtle distinction, but potentially quite crucial. Perhaps I’m the boss and you work for me. When we talk about “this problem,” it’s quite close – something that is within our grasp. When we speak of “that problem,” it’s a little more distant, something which is perhaps out of reach. We both might have a little more ownership of “this problem”, but perhaps be more objective about “that problem” because it’s more distant.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

That’s an interesting question, actually, because focusing on your life or career goals can be a bit of work. It’s much easier to just exist, to go with the flow, to enjoy things as they come to you – or complain when things don’t work out. This seems to have become the norm in our culture.

Read the rest of this post on my Workbloom blog»

It’s one thing to have a goal that’s practical. Let’s say that I want to save enough money to retire on – that’s very sensible and, hopefully, achievable.

Read the rest on my Workbloom blog»

In a certain sense that’s true, but in another sense it’s misleading. We all have different natural talents, different bodies, and different upbringings. If we were all able to become Supreme Ruler Of The World, we’re going to have a lot of competition – and a lot of unhappy people!

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

What’s wrong with that?

Well, think about this: A problem is something that’s defined by your situation, or by someone else. Working on that problem means that you’re trying to find a solution that is just defined by that problem, and doesn’t usually address anything deeper.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

The Career You’ll Love

Sponsored by Carl Dierschow’s career blog at www.Dierschow.com Welcome to the inaugural edition of my career tips newsletter! I encourage you to pass this to anyone who might have an interest in revitalizing their career – instructions for subscribing are at the bottom.

The way you talk about work

“This is a terrible place to work!” “My boss is an idiot!” “I hate my job!”

We hear these complaints all the time, and we know how it affects us to hear them. We might join the complaint train, we might feel sadness and empathy, or we might even try to argue.

But let’s think for a minute about what it means to the person who SAYS these things.

When I say these negative statements, it takes an idea or feeling that might have been vague, and makes it more concrete. If I am dissatisfied with my job but then declare to someone that I “hate” it, I’ve now created in my own mind the image that is attached to a very strong, powerful emotion.

It then becomes easier to tell more people that I “hate” my job, because I’ve actually started adjusting my internal compass around this concept. Now I more deeply believe what I’ve said, and it becomes harder to change my mind.

Suppose my boss actually does something good for me. If I’ve declared to myself and others that I “hate” my job, I would have a lot of work to convince myself that it actually can be good. It’s inconsistent with my internal view, so I’m just likely to reject this new information, or dismiss it with cynicism.

After I’ve declared to myself and others that I “hate” my job, I’m going to eventually have to do something about it. After all, others will view me as a fool if I stay in a job I hate. So now I’ve created a bunch of tension inside myself because of this inconsistency – especially if I feel trapped in the job.

What am I proposing? That you go around declaring that you’re happy and satisfied, even when you don’t believe it?

That can work sometimes. In fact, if you’re constantly looking for what’s good in your life, you’re more likely to find it. And every time you tell someone else about something good, you’ve given them – and yourself – some positive reinforcement which generates energy.

But it’s not always possible. There’s lots of things to worry about, many ways that things are going wrong. Ignoring the reality creates its own kind of internal tension and even leads you to hiding from the world.

In that case, talk and think positively about what you’re DOING about problems. Get others inspired to make a difference along with you.

Not only will you make a difference in the world, but it will change the way you think about your life.

Wonderful resource

In this first newsletter, I’ll recommend the top professional resource that I suggest to all my clients: LinkedIn. This is the top internet place where people describe who they are, what they’re looking for, and connect up with people who have a similar interest.

If you haven’t created an account there, by all means start checking it out immediately. It’s free, and one of the best ways to network with people who might be able to give you your next job.

I tend to like LinkedIn more than Facebook or Myspace, because it’s focused on your profession rather than just social connections. People tend to carry on more civilized discussions, create job-oriented groups, and not be distracted by games and advertisements.

If you have a LinkedIn page, congratulations! Now is the time to go back and look at the profile you’re displaying to the world, and to look up some colleagues who have fallen out of touch.

You never know where your next job opportunity might come from. Connect!

If you are interested in individual career coaching, group coaching, or other resources which might help you with difficult choices, please contact Carl at carl@dierschow.com.

Connect with Carl on Facebook and LinkedIn to get timely updates and connections to a broader range of professionals. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, send an e-mail to newsletter@Dierschow.com

© 2010 Possibilities Partnership LLC ]]> http://dierschow.com/wordpress/newsletter/the-career-youll-love-newsletter-3-may-2010/feed 0 http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/celebrating-the-past http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/celebrating-the-past#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:59:17 +0000 Carl http://dierschow.com/wordpress/?p=698 Our culture focuses on the future. We seek out what’s new and fresh, always wanting to have novel experiences.

But there’s a lot to be learned from the past.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

In the end, I grabbed a flight home yesterday, which oddly enough wasn’t even full.  I’m still scratching my head over that one.

But here’s the important thing I learned:  The universe handed me a great opportunity through all this.  Rather than focusing on what I had lost, I put my energy into taking advantage of the situation.  I stayed with some colleagues outside London, met some wonderful people, built some relationships, and even tried a number of great local beers.

Last week I was able to give a couple of workshops on Building Your Resilient Career for a bunch of my great former colleagues in HP.  It was challenging for me, but also tremendously rewarding to be able to make such an important difference for so many people.  The energy was quite remarkable.

So here’s my advice for the day:  Surprises happen, things change, and life hands you unexpected challenges.  Within each of those lies an opportunity for responding in a way which will give you some value.  Even if it’s just learning about yourself.