Social Media as Your Resume and Testimony

Many HR writers and articles are now asserting that your social media profile is your new resume.

It can also be a major boost in your career progression and greatly contribute to how you are commercially and/or professionally perceived.

So what are the positives?

You can demonstrate your technical and commercial competence, skills and knowledge.

You can become a recognised and respected expert in your field for both your social group and the wider community.

What must you have or do?

You must have a squeaky clean Facebook account

Keep a clean Facebook profile, by removing the not so savoury activities you may have been involved in. Also make sure the settings are appropriate and remove the mad moments that may have been photographed.

Set up a LinkedIn profile and keep it updated

This is purely a career or business networking website. Most LinkedIn users are there to connect with other professionals and/or re-connect with former colleagues.

Take advantage of Twitter

Twitter is the best way to promote yourself to a large audience and your tweets should point to your other social media accounts. Follow professionals in your field.

Create a personal website or blog

Use a perusal website as a resume and a blog if you are willing to write an occasional article on your area of expertise. Use Blogger as you are best sticking with Google

Have a 'Professional' avatar or Picture 

Keep away from the silly hats, pictures with your kids or pets and don't use a cartoon. While I'm at it open a gmail account using your own name or a close as you can get to it. "spunkyjohn@htomail just won't cut it.. unless you're a porn star.

Join Google Plus

Google, because of its circles can give you a constant stream of industry or professional updates. It is the serious social media business platform.

Link it all together

All social media sites need to be cross linked.

And this is just a beginning.

Vote for rictownsend on the SMS Best Social Media Blogs

Management: Don't Forget The Real Work

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DON'T FORGET THE "REAL WORK"

A short however critical lesson!

"Real Work" is term coined by Abraham Zaleznik (Professor Harvard Business School) to describe management activities related to producing products and services, offering them to a market and making sure we satisfy our customers. 

He contends that many managers spend too much time focusing on organisational processes and politics (the "rituals of psycho-politics" - roughly defined as "the art and science of asserting and maintaining dominion over the thoughts and loyalties of individuals...") or the pursuit of social expectations in the workplace.

As Zaleznik suggests managers need to exert considerable effort doing the "real work of thinking about and acting on ideas relating to products, markets, and customers". 

Functional and technical competence needs to be developed. This important issue and you should do considerable research on competence modelling as part of your early time in management and this issue will be covered more fully later when I upload "COMPETENCE". The real work of the manger according to Zaleznik should always include 'the thinking that informs and directs action'. 

The next article on management is:

FAMOUS GURUS THOUGHTS ON MANAGEMENT

Main website is at: orglearn

references are at : career_advice/management-lesson-references.html

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Good Management Versus Successful Management

'GOOD' MANAGEMENT IS OK, SUCCESSFUL IS BETTER?!

Many issues are central to our success as managers. To discuss management success at this point is also desirable. 

Most managers I have asked to define success will give an answer that can be generally defined as doing a 'good' job. 

The interpretation of a 'good' job is different for each individual and is so open to personal interpretation that it would inappropriate and impractical to go into it here. Each person, even if acting on their on version of 'good' will be limited in their perspective on management success by only one view, that of their own truth or that which they have been indoctrinated with over time.

To at least give a singular perspective on how we may view success and what we should do to gain success perhaps the view offered by Fred Luthans in the book "Real Managers" is helpful. Luthans looks at speed of promotion as a measuring stick, has analysed how much time managers spend in four areas of management activity and then provides a comparison between average, successful and effective (good job) managers.

The areas Luthans, describes as activities undertaken by managers give us more insights into the nature of managerial work. The areas are; "traditional management", decision making, planning and controlling; "communication", routine information exchange and processing formal communications; "human resource management", inspiring, disciplining, conflict resolution, allocating/hiring competent staff and staff development; "networking", socialising, politicking, and interacting with outside stakeholders (customers, suppliers, government etc).

An interesting point Luthans brings out is that successful managers spend almost half of their time networking and another third of their time communicating whereas effective (or good) managers spend almost half their time communicating and a quarter of their time in human resource management.

Whether you seek success or effectiveness networking and communicating are both competencies you will need to develop.

The next article on management is the all important... DON'T FORGET THE "REAL WORK"

More management at http://www.orglearn.org/

How Does Senior Management Usually Define 'Good' Managers

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WHAT DOES SENIOR MANAGEMENT SAY ABOUT BEING 'GOOD' MANAGERS AND 'GOOD' MANAGEMENT?

How would you know Ric, you don't work here? Its a fair question that you may rightfully ask. Well, in truth I can only make a general observation...OK assumption... however do you know the answer for your company? I have met plenty of managers that didn't!

There is only one way you will find out quickly what is important to the senior management in your company, no not the job description (although it can be somewhat helpful), it is by asking. Asking is hard for some so requesting a discussion of the annual appraisal criteria or performance review form is a great way to get started. The first thing you should do on being appointed as a manager or to a new position is to obtain a copy of the document and discuss with your immediate superior his or her views on the form and its application. Talking to your 'boss's boss' about the appraisal, if to do so is acceptable in your corporate culture, is also extremely helpful.

In all companies you will be set targets and have key responsibility areas (KRA's) and you must pay particular attention to these areas of your role. Yes its easy and I am stating the obvious, however in many companies I have worked in and consulted for this basic fact is not well understood by younger managers. Most new managers particularly can continue on being the technical expert however many straggle with the so called "soft skills" of their role. Yes and some senior managers have the same problem.

Point: When was the last time you read a book on Management written by a senior manager say Jack Welsh for instance... reading important management and leadereship books needs to become a constant activity, forget the novels.

The next management article will be on:

'GOOD' MANAGEMENT IS OK, SUCCESSFUL IS BETTER? YES SO WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?
references are at: career_advice/management-lesson-references.html

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MORE ON MANAGEMENT >  More management articles and tips! < MORE ON MANAGEMENT

Need a resume? Check this resume helper out!

Personal Branding: Is Your Avatar Hurting Your Image?

I recently read that resumes are becoming less necessary as employers are becoming more interested in reviewing you as employee potential based on your online reputation. 

As we all know we tend to make a decision on people within the first few seconds of meeting them. We then look for signals to reinforce our initial opinion. 

I also recently wrote that your email address was important as "spunky1949" on hotmail dot com was just not going to help you get a job interview. 

Bearing in mind what I have said above, if you look at the avatars chosen at random from players of Empire Avenue what emotional responses do they evoke?

I 'know' most of the people represented below and they all seem pretty good people. The point of the exercise is to decide based on the pictures below which one's appeal to you and which one's leave you less than impressed or even stone cold!

The exercise is about technique, cartoons versus real pictures, generic images versus personal portraits, logos versus pets, half naked long shots versus head and shoulders in suit and tie etc.

So if you could comment on one or two using such adjectives as "friendly", "trustworthy", "secretive", "arrogant", "nice", "obscure" or even "a bit dumb looking" it would help my research greatly.

Now this is an important topic for you and I as it effects how we present ourselves online. A company recently used Empire Avenue to research an avatar/logo for a product launch to see which of their proposals had the best impact. From my point of view they were smart to do that. As we are our own best product shouldn't we also think about and take seriously the issue's mentioned as they relate to our reputation and the impression we make online?

Want to be a Great Manager? What do the Staff Want?

WHAT DO THE STAFF SAY ABOUT WHAT MAKES A GREAT MANAGER?

As part of a training exercise I conduct in many countries I ask the participants to tell a two-minute story about their best boss or their worst boss. The stories (some horrifying and some inspiring) show that to be a respected manager and leader we need to develop a particular set of attributes. 

Now you have read lots of stuff about management and leadership in your your textbooks however it could be argued they are just theories. For those theories and their conclusions it is essential for us to listen to what staff, (those we get things done through), say is important to them. 

So to be a respected manager we need to develop and exhibit the following ATTRIBUTES:

Normal - being culturally compatible with the staff under our supervision by understanding and respecting the cultural norms of the group that we are both responsible for... and responsible to.

Organised - being well managed in our own personal work and being able to meet our own deadlines, being on time for meetings and calls and allocating our own time effectively.

Trainer - facilitating the constant growth of expertise and personal development of the staff and by showing them what a 'good' job looks like and helping them to achieve success.

Transparent - letting staff know what is going on with us, why we are acting in a certain way and what is influencing the decisions we are taking.

Reliable - constantly living by the adage of, 'saying what we will do and then doing what we say'... without exception.

Impressive - presenting ourselves as a professional in the way we speak, dress and our general demeanour in public and particularly in the presence of customers and competitors.

Consistent - being reasonably predictable in our habits and work methods and by not changing the 'rules' without consultation and agreement.

Knowledgeable - possessed of some area of technical expertise that the staff can relate to as relevant to the position we are holding, without necessarily being the top expert.

Fair - being equitable in our dealings with those we are managing by avoiding favourites and demonstrating willingness to discipline in private and praise in public.

Accessible - making ourself available to help solve problems, give ideas, act as a coach or mentor, settle disputes and provide support for staff needing resources.

Competent - knowing what needs to be done, by whom, by when and how to bring to bear the necessary resources.

Ethical - placing the interest of the group, the company, the customers and the community ahead of any personal desires and by not operating a personal agenda.

Disciplined - being calm in times of crisis and by remaining focussed on what needs to be done and by constantly working towards the group and organisation goals.

Now I guess to be all these things is a big ask however miss one and your not going to make the grade from the staff's point of view.

Want to see how you do? Why not distribute a questionnaire getting you staff to rank you from one to ten for each? Not game?

The Inner Conflict Between Management and Leadership

REMINDER - TRADITIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON MANAGEMENT

As I said in my last post Henry Mintzberg offers managers three areas of competence or roles central to our responsibilities as a manager that we should also consider. These he calls: “interpersonal”, “informational” and “decisional”. Our “interpersonal” responsibilities include being the figurehead, providing the central liaison point and acting as the leader. “Informational” responsibilities include monitoring activity, disseminating information and acting as spokesperson for the group. Finally “decisional” activities are, being entrepreneurial, handling disruptions, allocating resources and negotiating on behalf of the organisation. These issues will also be expanded in the various other management lessons.

Management is about all the issues that Mintzberg defines and hence the polarities or two head problem, as managers today need to be leaders so perhaps the following will explain the dilemma further…

POLARITIES IN ORGANISATIONAL LIFE (DO WE NEED TWO HEADS)

Traditional management (in the bad/good old days) used to concern itself with; supervision, checking, delegating, controlling, inputs and how to make sure the staff did what they where told. Managers where seen as fitting along a style line somewhere between laissez faire (lax) and autocratic (despotic), with us all being encouraged to be somewhere in the middle as democrats. 

Today the issue is more complex with the newly ‘empowered’ better educated workforce that most of us today manage, our personal style preference is perhaps less relevant and we as managers need to become ‘more things’ to a more demanding workforce. The concept of a manager also fulfilling a leader role is prevalent in most companies. Some even argue managers are no longer required at all and it is only leaders that will drive the companies of the future. This is fine in theory however corporate culture can take a long time to change and for the majority of us the expectation is that we will be required to fulfil the duel roles. This creates inner conflict as the ideals of the two disciplines are at opposite ends of the spectrum. 

The following list gathered from a wide range of sources gives some insights into the problem facing most managers:  

MANAGEMENT is about: CONTROLLING... Don’t leave our department, check what they’re up to, define competence requirements and ‘our title and position give us the authority’ to act within the company procedures and policies. 

V.’s 

LEADERSHIP, which is about: FREEDOM... Finding ways to encourage liberalization, creativity and initiative by letting our ‘followers’ participate in a flexible situation where we share authority and perhaps break the rules

MANAGEMENT is about: SURVIVING... Dealing with short-term operational needs and processes whilst strictly controlling costs and watching the budget, and sweating on the monthly targets. 

V.’s 

LEADERSHIP, which is about: GROWTH... Identifying new and possibly risky ventures that could be the basis for future income (and perhaps losses) and allowing unplanned changes of direction in and attempt to capitalize on fleeting market opportunities

MANAGEMENT is about: MANAGING... Instructing, allocating, delegating, following up, disciplining, organizing and directing. 

V.’s 

LEADERSHIP, which is about: LEADING...Inspiring, helping, encouraging teamwork, coaching, supporting, constant feedback, continuous personal development and goal alignment

MANAGEMENT is about: ADMINISTRATING... Overseeing activities, processes & individual tasks, control, supervision and testing against norms and agreed procedures 

V.’s 

LEADERSHIP, which is about: STRATEGISING... Seeking process improvement, implementing change, agreeing goals and empowering followers whilst constantly questioning the value of the plans in light of unfolding events

MANAGEMENT is about: ORDER & CONSISTENCY... Protecting the existing structure, systems, traditions and ‘the status quo’, belief that past successes give insights into the way forward and relying on accumulated ‘facts’ or ‘truths’ 

V.’s 

LEADERSHIP, which is about: CREATING CHANGE... Vision, direction, values and destruction of ‘the way we’ve always done it’, or as Jack Welsh (ex GE) and others put it engaging in ‘continuos creative destruction’

MANAGEMENT is about: COMPETING... Seeking the winning edge, overcoming those in the way & moving up the ‘ladder’, being your own ‘spin-doctor’ and being heavily involved in corporate politics. 

V.’s 

LEADERSHIP, which is about: COLLABORATING... Showing love and respect for individuals and seeking win-win solutions and actively promoting the success of our team members and presenting them in a good light

MANAGEMENT is about: DOING THINGS RIGHT... Organising, setting the rules and seeing rules are followed (compliance), being the inspector, keeping up with the latest technical advances and controlling information. 

V.’s 

LEADERSHIP, which is about: DOING THE RIGHT THINGS... Developing trust and taking risks (commitment) to ensure all ‘followers’ meet their full potential and know what is the most desirable way forward through full disclosure of operational needs and wants.

MANAGEMENT is about: INPUTS... Amount, type and quality of resources, understanding of cash flow and cash burn rates, effective plant utilisation, staff allocation and efficient use of raw materials.
V.’s 

LEADERSHIP, which is about: OUTPUTS... The level and volume of satisfied customers we can create, the market and how it perceives our organisation and how we can become the best in our field and how to provide more value to our customer.

MANAGEMENT is about: MANAGING THINGS. Being operations focused, having high levels of technical expertise (or at least understanding) and using people as production inputs or resources. 

V.’s 

LEADERSHIP, which is about: LEADING PEOPLE... Our charisma, socialised power, expertise in human relations, superior communication skills, inspiration & motivation and seeing human beings as potentials.

Not sure where the original material above came from as it was part of a training course I inherited, however I found some excellent additional reading with references listed here:

http://www.odnetwork.org/resource/resmgr/2011_conf_ppts/c2_polarities_are_everywhere.pdf

With the conflicting nature of these requirements we really need to be a bit of a two-headed monster if we are to be successful as a manager and the dilemma will continue throughout our working life.