15 proven practices to get better relationships

15 proven practices to get better relationships15 proven practices to get better relationshipsYouve probably heard the adage that an organizations greatest assets are its people. Id like to take that one step further and share that, in my experience, its the relationships between those people that create the culture and in the end become an organizations ultimate competitive advantage. In other words, relationships matter nearly everything gets better when we focus on strengthening them. In my new book, Get Better 15 Proven Practices to Build Effective Relationships at Work, I catalogue the 15 best and most effective methods to building an organizations competitive advantage through better relationships.Practice 1 Wear Glasses That WorkOne of the biggest challenges to working with others effectively is being overly invested in yur version of the truth. The glasses we choose to wear each day are the beliefs through which we see ourselves and everything around us. If were too invested in our point of view, we may miss seeing the true potential in ourselves or othersPractice 2 Carry Your Own WeatherIf you believe that external things (like other people or situations) are the source of your unhappiness or happiness, life will always happen to you. If you want to have a more influence in your life, or, remember you have the freedom to choose to carry your own weather.Practice 3 Behave Your Way to CredibilityWe all have a reputation- whether we like it or not. That reputation has been built over the days, weeks, months or years youve been with your employer, your partner, your children and your friends. And it comes with a proven track record of behavior over time.Practice 4 Play Your Roles WellPlaying your roles well is about identifying your most important roles, both professional and personal, and then deciding the meaningful contributions you want to make in each. If those impacted by you in each of your roles were to write a review about you today, what would th ey say?Practice 5 See the Tree, Not Just the SeedlingHave you ever given up on someone prematurely? Maybe it was a coworker who saw things differently than you, or a team member you inherited who didnt seem to do their fair share. When we take time to consider a persons potential, it allows us to see past the seedling and envision the mighty tree it can become.Practice 6 Avoid the Pinball SyndromeBecause urgencies act on you and vie for your immediate attention, with the Pinball Syndrome, you start to confuse whats urgent with whats truly important. When you get a small respite between your urgencies (before the score resets and the next ball ratchets into place), its what you do in that moment between reaching for the plunger in autopilot mode or choosing to step back and reflect on whats truly important- that will make all the difference.Practice 7 Think We, Not MeDo you win at the expense of others? In education, business, sports, or even family life, we are encouraged and reward ed to compete. As a result, many people adopt a win-lose mindset if you get more, that means I get less- so I better get my share first Thinking We, Not Me is based on having an abundant mindset. If you choose an abundance mindset- you will see theres enough for everyone, and will be able to care as much about others wins as you care about your own.Practice 8 Take Stock of Your Emotional Bank AccountsYou probably pay attention to your financial bank accounts- the deposits and withdrawals, the interest and penalties- but are you at risk of being overdrawn in any of your emotional bank accounts? When an emotional bank account balance is high, so is the resulting level of trust. Different from a financial bank account, with the Emotional Bank Account, you never accumulate a high emotional balance in order to make a planned withdrawal.Practice 9 Examine Your Real MotivesMotives are the underlying reasons for the actions you take and the words you say. No one can tell you what your motiv es are. They may try, but you are the only one who can know your real reasons for doing what you do. Are your motives healthy- based on wanting the best for yourself and others? Or do you ever have an unhealthy motive- one that is driven by fear, anger, or an unfulfilled need for acceptance, power, or safety?Practice 10 Talk Less, Listen MoreUnfortunately, when it comes to real-life relationships, our propensity to talk more than we listen works against us. One of the most profound gifts you can give to another human being is your sincere understanding. To do so requires clearing away your mental clutter, suspending (at least temporarily) your agenda, and stopping long enough to focus and hear what someone is really saying.Practice 11 Get Your Volume RightWe all have natural strengths. But sometimes are unaware of how we overuse them and the impact that has on others. Lets say your natural strength is being practical you pride yourself on finding fact-based solutions. But if set too high, this practical volume may turn into pessimism you perpetually find facts or reasons for not doing something. When we inadvertently turn the volume too high on one of our strengths, the negative result can often be a blind spot to us.Practice 12 Extend TrustAre you more inclined to distrust others than to trust them? Or do you give away your trust prematurely and regret it later? Neither extreme is useful when building effective relationships. In my years of coaching others, I find the majority of relationship snags are rarely caused by people trusting too much theyre caused by people trusting too little. Consider both the character and competence of the person to whom youre extending trust. Remember, your always better off to begin with a propensity to trust.Practice 13 Make it Safe to Tell the TruthWhen was the belastung time you asked for feedback? Most of us resist it because we equate it with criticism. It brings to the surface what we dont want to admit- that each of us is a work in progress. But if we avoid creating opportunities to receive feedback, or unknowingly make it unsafe for others to tell us the truth, well miss a huge learning curve and a perfect chance to build high-trust relationships.Practice 14 Align Inputs with OutputsWe all know the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting a different result yet many smart people continue to do just that. Those who successfully break this chain carefully define the output they want, examine their current inputs, test new inputs, and then analyze the result. The next time youre struggling to achieve your desired result- especially in the area of relationships- try applying these steps again and again until you identify inputs that work.Practice 15 Start with HumilityHas your lack of humility ever held you back from getting better- would you even know if it had? People with humility have a secure sense of self because their validation comes from the inside, not the outside. In short, they are not controlled by their ego. If youre serious about getting better- especially at building relationships that work, start with humility. Just the opposite of weak, humility is the greatest strength we can develop.

Different Types of Employment Agencies

Different Types of Employment AgenciesDifferent Types of Employment AgenciesIn todays highly competitive job market, you may decide to enlist the tafelgeschirrs of an employment agency to help you find your next position. Whats an employment agency? There are a variety of different types of employment agencies that help job seekers get hired. The one that is most appropriate for you will depend upon your work history (are you an entry-level candidate or a seasoned professional?), your career field, possibly your geographical location (do you want a local job or are you willing to relocate?), your flexibility (are you able to accept a part-time or a temp-to-hire position?) and your skill set. Types of Employment Agencies Review the information below to learn more about each type of agency and how they operate. Traditional Employment Agency A traditional employment agency assists job seekers in finding work, as well as helping companies to hire staff. Although this is increasin gly unusual, some firms charge the job seeker for their services. Before you sign a contract with them, be sure to clarify, up front, if there will be a fee involved. Other traditional employment agencies are paid by the employer. Many agencies specialize in a particular industry, such as ausverkauf and marketing, accounting, human resources management, legal, sports, or IT career searches.In most cases, we would bedrngnis recommend using an agency that charges the job seeker. Given the number of agencies that are retained by employers to find a talented job candidate pool, most people will do just as well to submit their resumes, free of charge, to these agencies for consideration. Contingency Employment Agency A contingency agency is paid when their candidate is hired by the employer. Some contingency agencies charge the candidate, and you should be careful to clarify who pays their fee before you sign up. These types of firms are most often used for low and mid-level searches , and they often send a large number of resumes to the employer. When applying for a position through a contingency agency, you will likely be competing with candidates who found the job opening from a variety of sources, including the companys HR department, job boards, and possibly other recruiters. Retained Search Firm / Executive Search Firm A retained search firm has an exclusive relationship with the employer. Search firms are typically hired for executive- level and senior-level searches and for a specific period of time to find a candidate to fill a job. These firms specialize in sourcing and contacting the best candidates they can find for an employer, and often will even approach executives who are not actively looking for a new job to see if they can entice them away from their current employer. Sometimes referred to with the slang term, headhunters, retained search firms are paid expenses, plus a percentage of the employees salary, regardless of whether the candidate is hired. Retained agencies will be thorough in reviewing the candidates qualifications before sending them to the hiring manager, as their agreement with the company is to present only the most appropriate applicants for the position. Temporary (Temp) Agency Temporary agenciesare employment agencies that find employees to fill temporary jobs. For example, temps are often hired to work during seasonal increases in business, during tax season, during harvest seasons, or to cover vacations or illnesses. Temp agencies often also help to place professional consultants in short-term assignments. Many temporary agencies have expanded their role in the employment sector to fill temp to perm positions where the position starts out as a temporary job but could become permanent if the employer decides to hire the candidate. Temporary staffing agencies (like, for example, Spherion, which finds temp work for people in the office / administrative, light industrial, non-clinical medical, and customer service sectors) may place job candidates on retainer where they assign them to temp jobs as these arise. The staffing agency is the employees official employer who issues the paycheck. They may also provide benefits like health insurance, child care allowances, or vacation pay. If a temp job turns into a permanent position, then the relationship with the staffing agency ends and they are paid directly by their new employer. Cautionary Words Utilizing employment agencies can be an effective tool in your job search. However, be sure to avoid the pitfall of relying too much on recruiters. Many employers now use job boards like Indeed or Monster as virtual sources of candidates and others rely on internal referrals from staff. Make sure that you employ a balanced set of job search strategies including networking, online job boards, and direct application through the websites of target companies. When using agencies avoid working exclusively with any one recruiter since ea ch agency only serves a limited number of employers.

Saying yes to more work can be the best thing you ever do for your career

Saying yes to mora work can be the best thing you ever do for your careerSaying yes to mora work can be the best thing you ever do for your careerWe have all, at one time or another, felt exasperated when our boss comes to us asking us to do more work. Again? Doesnt anyone see what were already doing, how full our plates are, and how hard were working?The chances are, however, that they do see that. And thats why the boss is asking they think you can handle it, and that you can handle even more than that besides. Its a test for whether you can be trusted with more responsibility, which is the test for more promotions.And its also why you need to say yes to some requests for more work.People only get promoted when they can be trusted with more responsibility. With more work comes less free time, but more power, better skills, and, in the future, salary increases. Coming in and punching a clock - doing only whats in your job description - will not get your career to advance.Recognize that too many blanket nos change managers perception of you. Employeeswith successful careers become known as the people with a solution, not just a complaint. And that means saying yes, even when you have limitedtime, experiences, resources or bandwidth.When it makes sense to say no or wait to more workThere are many good reasons to set firm boundaries and say no. If youre being asked to do something unethical, definitely dont be pressured into a yes.Another reason to speak up If a project is never going to happen with the resources given. Dont just say no, however treat it as a negotiation and make a case for what you need. Saying no marks you as an obstacle to progress. Politely pointing out what resources are necessary to make a project successful marks you as a careful, strategic thinker.How to politely decline If youre a people-pleaser on the verge of burnout, graciously decline with reasons about how your contributions to the kollektiv can be better spent. I know that revenu e is one of our biggest priorities, and I can provide much more value by focusing on client pitches to bring in more revenue rather than taking on these spreadsheets.Another reason to say no if youre on the verge of burnout and you want to make a conscious decision to scale back in your career. Pay attention to signs of burnout, like fatigue and snappishness.But recognize that too many blanket nos change managers perception of you. Employeeswith successful careers become known as the people with a solution, not just a complaint. And that means saying yes, even when you have limitedtime, experiences, resources or bandwidth.Here are key moments in your career when youll need to be a yeasayer.Say yes tolearning a new skill you wantYour boss comes over to you with a promotion. Its not exactly the promotion you wanted. It will mean working with people you dont enjoy during long hours you wont enjoy.But with your increased scope of responsibilities, you will finally get management experie nce and the chance to try out all the ideas in your head. This is a yes-moment. Successful people know they should always take responsibilities that stretch their definition of whats possible in their jobsand make themselves uncomfortable enough to learn.When youre considering a new project or promotion, consider will it teach you some new skill or experiencethat you can carry with you past this job or this boss? Then its worth it.Saying yes means getting used to being uncomfortable. Our brains need new challenges to grow. According to Keith Rollag, the author of What to Do When Youre New, he believes that if we can change what we experience, we can change our brain, and all the things that our brain facilitates, including intelligence, personality, habits, and attitudes. Youll never get that valuable experience if you keep your head down and repeatwhat youve always been doing.Say yes tobeing testedWhen your manager comes over to you with a request for a job outside of your usual re sponsibilities, understand that you might be being tested for a new role or more responsibility. Youre not just saying yes to your managers request, youre saying yes to your future at the company.If you turn down that responsibility, you may think youre holding-gesellschaft out for a better set of responsibilities. In truth, however, when you say no to more work, your boss may hear that youre not ready for any new responsibility and wont come to you again.Media mogul Shonda Rhimes knows this. After being known as a naysayer, Rhimes challenged herself for a year to say yes to challenges she had been to afraid to try. She practiced going out of her comfort zone led her to become a doer and not just a dreamer.You just have to keep doing something, seizing the next opportunity, staying open to trying something new, Rhimes advisesin her book Year of Yes. It doesnt have to fit your vision of the perfect job or the perfect life. Perfect is boring, and dreams are not real. Just . . . DO.Say yes to being a team playerYour colleague asks you for your help on their project. Making yes possible may mean staying at work later and putting off your own projects, but being helpful wont just help the team, it will build your social capital in the office. When you make your own big request for help, your colleagues who have all been the recipients of your help will remember your long hours and will back you up.Of course, if youre being asked to dothe work of three people on ones persons salary,you shouldnt be blindly saying yes. In those cases, you should make sure theres a time limit to the extra scope and update your boss regularly - maybe even weekly- on every major thing you do, so he or she knows the level of your contribution.Part of being a successful person means letting people know how great at your job you are. It means letting them know exactly what youre doing, so they know what you can and cant do. Your job is to communicate that your yes is a measured decision. W hen you agree to a project, it will get done, but on your terms.