Change Your Life, Manage Your Inner Chimp

Change Your Life, Manage Your Inner Chimp First of all, allow me to introduce you to Marje. She is my inner chimp. She tends to  become dominant when I have had too much coffee, not enough sleep, have a  situation that I feel is out of control or when my kids refuse to do as I ask for the 9th  time.  She drives me mad. She isn’t wanted a lot of the time, and  yet without Marje, I fear I  would have little passion and energy when all else fails me. Are you aware that you too have an inner chimp? I came across the concept of the inner chimp having read the globally renowned,  groundbreaking mind management book, “The Chimp Paradox: The mind  management programme for confidence, success and happiness” by Prof Steve Peters.  I was recommended reading  it by the head teacher at  my girls’ primary school and it was in  relation to the burgeoning feistiness my daughters were starting to develop through  their junior years. So I spent a week reading this book and without sounding  dramatic… It totally changed my life from that moment onwards The book is all about learning to understand and manage your emotions and thoughts, so you can be the person youd really like to be and remove anxiety. I actually read it whilst on holiday and I made loads of scrawlings in the book (I  know, really bad behaviour but it was Marje’s fault, not mine, honest…) I called out  to my husband really interesting anecdotes or tips and before we knew what we were  doing, we sat reading it together realising this was a eureka moment as a family.  No more losing our cool when the kids start to bicker, and anyone with kids will  know that this is a daily occurrence and usually when you are desperate to get out of  the house/finish an email/return an urgent call etc.  We took some great lessons  from the book as a family and in fact, the most poignant  was an exercise which asks you to imagine you are 100 yrs old on your death bed and  your great great nephew asks you what he should  do with life. We wrote down  various insightful wisdoms and fr om that list, we devised our family mottos of “Be  Charitable” and “Be Kind”. Manage your chimp at home and  work Even 2 years later, if my daughters (who are 11 and 9) start to lose their tempers, you  often overhear the other one saying, “manage your chimp!”…. it is contagious once  people can see the benefits.  Within a work context, “The Chimp Paradox” has been invaluable. The ‘Dear John’  texts or emails from rare candidates who fail to be brave enough to pick up the phone  to withdraw from a process and prior to this mindset, I would have gone off my  rocker (abstractedly as I have never shouted at a customer ever). whereas now  I take  a very calm approach. Marje may doodle something nasty on my page but genuinely  other than a frown, I react very calmly and pragmatically now. Cool, calm collected Following a satnav to a client meeting that sends me around the bend literally when  you are already running late for a new client: now Marje stays firmly in her box and I  simply take the view that by calling ahead to my client to explain I may be a few  minutes late, I no longer get stressed out by these marginal events that otherwise can  cumulate into a really horrid feeling.  Managing junior people is something I no longer do (my choice and I am happy for  it!) but those I have  shared the  â€œmanaging your inner chimp” mindset with, who have management responsibility, have taken my advice and read the book  greedily, realising the potential of how this mindset allows them to take a much  calmer approach to the unpredictable and varied issues that they may have to deal  with on a regular basis. Back in the box I refer earlier to the fact that Marje is still needed. Of course she is, very much so. The  expression “flight or fight” refers to us relying totally on our inner chimps when we  face danger.  But I am happy to say that Marje has a box in which I put her most of the time.  Within the parody, I visualise this as a box of safety for her- it is not a punishment; it  is where she feels safe and comfortable until I need her.  I am not a psychologist (although I would love to explore a degree in the future as the  subject fascinates me and I think with 18 yrs in recruitment I could utilise a lot of  experience gained to illustrate how people think, certainly in a work context) however  I recently did a very unscientific post on LinkedIn asking people which management  book they would recommend to others (predominantly recruitment professionals) and  although a few others were mentioned casually, the unanimous winner was “The  Chimp Paradox” with some, like myself, commenting that it had also changed their  lives. Read for yourself Last October, I held a private party to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Qui  Recruitment and during my ‘Thank you’ address to the guests (who were all hiring  decision makers and business owners), I talked about this book and how it had to be  the ‘eureka’ moment for me; the nemesis of those seeking a different way to think and  work.  I am not perfect and Marje still has certain moments which are unpredictable (she is  the moody me) but I hope those who have read the book agree with my synopsis and  those who have not yet read “The Chimp Paradox” will do so.  Thank you for reading this blog and as ever, I look forward to reading your comments and genuinely appreciate the shares. Image: Shutterstock

How to Write a Resume in Canada

How to Write a Resume in CanadaIf you have been employed for some time, then you may already know that it is important to write a well-researched resume. Your resume should match the employer's expectations and the requirements of the position that you are applying for.Most of the employers expect a resume to have some degree of substance. A resume should contain all the relevant information about your experience, qualifications, and achievements. The aim of a resume is to show your potential to the employer. However, a resume is not complete without the date of birth, address, contact number, and telephone numbers of relatives and friends.You need to remember that your resume is going to be used for a last-minute job. This means that you have to work hard to include everything that is required by the employer. You should get used to writing a resume in Canada.The first part of your resume should be in chronological order. This means that you should start with the most recent job you have held. After the most recent position you should go down the list the positions at which you have served.You should then list any new position that you have joined. You should also list any positions you have left or acquired. You should also list any educational training that you have received or completed and any training courses that you have taken.As for any educational training you may have received, it is wise to list any certificates or diplomas that you have received. Even if you have not had any training, you can put this on your resume.Your skills should also be included here, listing such things as your skills as a writer, computer and mathematical skills, and office skills. You should then state that you have been certified in any subject.Educational qualifications, especially if you have been trained in Canada, may be accepted in the United States. However, they will require a reference to your official school transcript. You should also provide copies of certifica tes and diplomas that you have obtained from your educational institution.

Strengths based interviews more top tips!

Strengths based interviews more top tips! Strengths continue to  be a  hot  topic  for  our readers (see our other post on  strength based interviews)  and the number of employers choosing to move away from traditional competency based interview to look instead at Strengths is increasing. Many of you Finalists are now in the midst of   interviews and assessment centres and  you dont want to find that you are suddenly faced with questions for which the STAR format just doesnt seem to work!  I thought it might be timely to  revisit the subject of Strengths from a different  perspective*. This may  help when youre wondering how  to respond to those unexpected interview questions. One way of identifying your strengths is to imagine a sliding scale. In the middle of the scale  sits a quality.  Lets imagine that quality  is  confidence. If the  scale tips too far one way, confidence can become arrogance. If it tips too far the other way, it becomes timidity. The trick of developing the quality of confidence into a strength is to be able to  use it  to the right level, at the  right time and when its right for you. Of course each end of the scale represents the extreme expression of the quality where it could be described as being  off-balance. Most of us dont operate at the extreme ends of the see-saw. However therell be times when you recall doing something really well when your confidence level  was just right and you felt your handling of  a particular situation was spot on. You were demonstrating  confidence as a  strength. In sport, this might be described as hitting the sweet spot. The feeling you get when you  play a ball just right! Here are  two  more examples: Determination, when overdone becomes ruthlessness. When underdone, spinelessness.  When you apply determination  to a long term goal in order to  achieve success,  youre harnessing that value  and illustrating what it looks like as a  strength. Reliability, when overdone becomes indispensability. This can mean others become overly reliant on you.  Sliding to the  other end of the scale, reliability becomes unreliability. You become the flaky person  of whom  people eventually tire. Youre never there when needed!  In the sweet spot your demonstration of reliability means youre likely  be given greater responsibility  in  your role. Understanding qualities in relative rather than absolute terms can help  you explore your approach  and how you might describe yourself and your behaviours in different situations. Try thinking of  your qualities  in more  fluid terms  rather than as absolutes and as a possible spectrum of responses that are content and person-dependent, rather than as innate and  unalterable strengths or weaknesses. How does this work in practice? So when a recruiter asks: Give us an example of a weakness? You might say: Generally I would describe myself as very determined. However when I really want to win at something, then I can become pretty ruthless. I know thats fine on the  hockey pitch but its something I need to pay attention to in a work environment; its not always appropriate. If the recruiter says Tell me a bit more about that, youll need to have an example of a time when you did overplay your determination where the context was  not appropriate.  You can use the  CARE  structure to prepare for questions like these. If youre able to expand on your example you should get  points for demonstrating both credibility and authenticity. (N.B. If youre applying for a job in sales or to be Lord Sugars apprentice dont use this example- ruthlessness can be good!). When you have to field a question about your personal development and what youd like to develop, you can  draw on areas where you genuinely know you need to be more in the middle of the scales. Use examples to qualify your response and to demonstrate your self awareness and willingness to develop. Some examples. If youre invited to give examples  of your  strengths, for example: What are your top  three strengths? or, How would  your friends describe you? Try providing authentic and relevant supporting evidence by selecting qualities you know theyre looking for and considering examples where you can provide evidence of your ability to apply a particular quality in a timely and appropriate way. (i.e. as a strength). For example: My friends would say that  Im an eternal optimist. I can always see a positive side to a situation and that helps me cope fairly well with disappointment. For example, if I dont get the high mark Im expecting for an assignment, Ill take a deep breath and then  find out  how I could have improved it.  Im not unrealistic; there are times when its not helpful to be cheerful, for example if a friend is distressed, but people say I am a generally positive person to be around. Your  ability to go into more detail in order to evidence the under or overdoing of a quality will demonstrate that you understand that  human behaviour  cannot be simply divided into black and white, good or bad. It will  show that you understand that theres a time and place when you can demonstrate a quality effectively, thus  showcasing your ability to  identify times when you have turned a quality into a personal strength. Occasionally there are times where underdoing or overdoing a quality,  (operating from  the far  end of  a scale), may be  the  appropriate thing to do.    For example, the quality of being interested, when overdone, becomes nosiness. For a  tabloid journalist thats a strength which will help to  nail a good story. Obsessive attention to detail in order to ensure the accuracy of end of year accounts will similarly come into its own as a strength at the right time and place. The Quality Spectrum Here are a few more examples on the quality spectrum:  UNDERDONE  QUALITY  OVERDONE  timid courage  foolhardy  boastfulness humility  obsequiousness  unreliable reliable  indispensable  laziness drive  work-aholic  bogged down in detail strategic  out of touch  rigid thinking flexibility  aimless  pessimistic optimistic  impractical/unrealistic You can create your own chart based on the Person Specification for the job role youre applying for in order to identify different ends of the spectrum and then consider  those qualities  you can  illustrate with  Strengths  examples. Have fun using a thesaurus if its not immediately obvious which values should be represented at the far end of the scale. Make use of the recruiters webpages to identify the qualities they consider to be important and add these to your list. These may not always be explicitly stated, but the impression you gain from the kinds of people theyre hoping to attract and the values they express will give you some valuable clues. * ©Sprint Women’s Development Workbook   quoted with permission. The Springboard Consultancy.

Life After Graduation Infographic

Life After Graduation Infographic Congratulations to all the new grads out there. Thanks to staff at the  University of Southern California, School of Social Work’s virtual MSW program, who sent me this infographic  on Life After Graduation for my blog. Im enjoying Memorial Day at the beach and will return to post next Monday. If youre a new graduate, here is a previous  post about the advantage you have in the job market.

Resume Writing Tips - Word Counting, Formatting, And Other Mistakes

Resume Writing Tips - Word Counting, Formatting, And Other MistakesBefore writing your resume, there are a few simple resume writing tips you should consider. These tips will help you impress the hiring manager and make your resume look more professional.As the saying goes, writing a resume is easy if you have all the information before hand. A resume is like an application and should be submitted in writing to the proper personnel or the company. So, make sure you write your resume well, following these resume writing tips:* The first step in writing a resume is to put up appropriate headings for each section. A format that is recommended is to indicate which section the information is related to. For example, if you are applying for a position as a technical writer, the heading should start with your name, followed by the title of the position that you are applying for, followed by a bullet point that lists down your experience, such as, client list management, client analysis, and so on. If you are applying for a technical writer job, the heading should then specify the kind of writer you are applying for.* Make sure that you don't put too much information in the end section of your resume. For example, if you are applying for a higher level of sales job, leave your contact details out of the end section. It's important that the hiring manager can easily get in touch with you. This is just one example of what you should avoid doing.* The most common mistakes that most people commit when writing resumes are: not including the personal background information of their prospective employer, not listing down their educational credentials and many others. If you want to succeed, you must take note of these resume writing tips:* You must be careful not to rush your resume when you write it. Remember that your prospective employer will not have time to look through it. However, they do have time to skim through it, read it, and possibly answer some questions that th e recruiter might have about you.* In addition, you should avoid any possible distractions from your resume. This includes using cell phones while you are writing your resume and talking on the phone with your friends. Avoid doing so will lead to your resume being thrown away as well.* Do not forget that your resume is not the only thing that you need to promote yourself. You need to make other things more appealing to the company. For example, if you are an autodidact, you could include your scholarly publications and other achievements in your resume.

Stepping Through the Employee Lifecycle

Stepping Through the Employee Lifecycle The New Employee Lifecycle: 3 Small Tweaks to Bring Managers Big Change It’s a fact high turnover rates are not only costly to an organization’s bottom line, but also a gut punch to employee morale and company culture. Digital Intelligence Systems, LLC (DISYS), a global managed services and staffing firm with 33 offices around the world, recently launched a new protocol designed to lower turnover rates, provide effective coaching, and continually learn where improvements are needed, through comprehensive employee engagement. DISYS’ Vice President of Global Human Resources, Laura Smith, shared her thoughts and recommendations via e-mail. Her aggressive 2016-2018 goal is to reduce voluntary turnover by 50%. She and her team have spent countless hours dissecting the employee life cycle, carving out touchpoints necessary to enhance the candidate experience, improve the relationship between employee and manager, and further engagement of current and departing employees. “There are key factors that play into the culture within a particular company, and when you are global, these factors are compounded by the influences of local cultural norms. We developed something larger than just another policy. The protocol gives employees every opportunity to be an active participant in crafting their experience so they can shine and advance.” Released in May, The DISYS Employee Life Cycle Protocol (ELC Protocol) encapsulates a strategic, innovative solution to tackling key factors in an employee’s journey: Hiring â€" the candidate experience and internal hiring practices Coaching â€" shifting managers to coaches, introducing a formal mentor program, and a career engagement tool called the Key Impact Success Story or KISS Exit â€" the end-stage of life at DISYS or “What’s NEXT?” Below, Smith shares the key components and strategies behind the ELC Protocol: 1. Hiring “Hiring smarter is a major theme of our new protocol,” Smith said in our e-mail conversation. “Treating candidates the way you would want to be treated is a priority for those involved in the candidate experience.” The candidate’s hiring experience now extends far beyond just a basic interview before selecting a candidate; instead, it’s a high-level initiative Smith recommends any HR team deploy. Hiring managers complete an in-depth job requisition outlining mandatory skills and dependencies. “This forces hiring managers to think beyond the cookie-cutter job description and drill down on what is truly needed for a new employee to hit the ground running,” she said. Next, Smith implements technical and behavioral skills assessments early on in the interview process. Potential candidates are asked to complete one or two assessments, which provides insight into core skills and behaviors. Finalists are also asked to prepare a presentation that helps HR and hiring managers evaluate critical thinking, writing style, and creative approach. She also suggests an interview process that involves multiple team members across disciplines. As candidates move through the behavior-based interview process, feedback is collected that gives a full picture of the candidate’s interview process and creates a data library. 2. Coaching In order to improve retention, coaching is vital! Managers are expected to be honest and transparent with team members. To help develop managers into “Coaching Managers,” Smith employs Situational Leadership II ® theories and training. While this model is new to the company, there are variations on the coaching concept that exist in many companies today. Look into which one is the best fit for your organizations. While coaching is the “soft” approach to employee development, the other critical piece is the creation of performance goals and expectations. Many companies use standard performance appraisals to document and manage expectations. But Smith said, “I wanted to introduce a tool that fosters positive and continuous engagement between manager and employee.” So DISYS joined one of the latest trends in HR and took a bold step to scrap performance appraisals performance improvement plans. Instead, each employee gets a KISS! The “Key Impact Success Story” is completed by employees in tandem with their managers to outline key goals and development paramount to success. Smith said, “KISS encourages a collaborative and engaging approach aimed at success â€" for the employee and for the company.” For peer-to-peer coaching, Smith recommends a Mentor Program. Pairing employees together to facilitate knowledge sharing creates additional avenues for learning and development and fosters company loyalty. 3. Exits or NEXT In many cases, voluntary resignations are a sign the coaching manager has failed at meeting employee expectations or hasn’t acted to correct problems. To combat this, DISYS’ Protocol outlines the steps managers and employees must take when leaving and also includes an extensive exit interview to uncover lurking problems that might need repair. The new formal exit process is called NEXT and includes protocol on treating employees compassionately, fairly, and with transparency. It also includes a formal exit survey. Companies looking to learn more from their mistakes are often well served by an exit interview process that is rooted in empathy and objectivity. In summary, Smith is transforming her HR team to have a stronger customer-service attitude. “We are very proud of the steps taken to ensure we are meeting our business needs and our employee’s needs through this new protocol,” Smith said via e-mail. “The beauty is it remains a living experience and is as nimble as our workforce. As our talent needs change and the culture shifts, so will the protocol. All our people have a voice in how this new program evolves.” Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class now and get the most comprehensive job search system available!

Endorsements on Resumes Stand Out From the Crowd

Endorsements on Resumes Stand Out From the Crowd From time to time I add testimonials or a quote from a letter of recommendation to a clients resume or cover letter to add some extra wow to their presentation and underscore how well respected they are in their field. Recently, two of my clients questioned this practice because they were unsure how the testimonials would be perceived by the reader. I think that sometimes job seekers get caught up in what they think are the rules of resume writing when in fact there are very few rules when it comes to resumes and standing out in a sea of ordinary is often what lands you the interview. One of the reasons that  LinkedIn  has become so popular is that it allows you to get a 360 degree view of the person you are reviewing. The content is not just from the perspective of the owner of that profile. Through endorsements, people can elevate their professional brand and show their audience that others validate their value-add and core strengths. If endorsements work for the 25M+ users on Link edIn, why would one doubt their effectiveness on resumes? Break out of the mold of what you think your resume should beand what probably looks like everyone elses resume and add authentic content that differentiates you.