How does coaching improve new manager transitions?

Coaching - does it improve new manager transitions?

During the course of completing my thesis, ‘Developing a Coaching programme to facilitate transition into a managerial role: A Black African Perspective’ a work-based research project I undertook to earn my Master’s in Coaching from Middlesex University, I reviewed many studies which highlight the benefits of being coached during the transition into a new role. My previous article in […]

5 ways to get past the demand for work experience

If you are returning to the work-force after a long absence, wanting to switch careers or are a first-time job seeker, chances are you will come up against the ‘work experience required’ barrier. It can be incredibly disheartening and frustrating to see the job of your dreams advertised, in which you just know you would do well, and feel that your life circumstances have disqualified you from applying or competing for the position.
However, you are not helpless. Of course, employers are trying to get the most qualified and experienced person they can for a position, and they advertise as such. However, they also know well that those two criteria are not the only qualifiers in searching for the best person.
Here are five strategies to help give you a fair chance of getting the job you want, even if you lack the experience required:

Managing and Motivating a Multigenerational Workforce

Multigenerational Workforce and how to manage tham

Over the last five years, the composition of the workforce has undergone a significant change. For the first time in history – four generations (Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y/Millennial) are present in today’s workforce, each generation with its own perspective, expectations, needs and values. This presents a challenge in that a “one size fits all” approach to managing such a workforce won’t produce a productive and collaborative team. What might work for a Baby Boomer may frustrate a Millennial and vice versa. It is thus important that leaders learn to understand the different generations and what drives them in order to ensure motivated, committed and productive employees.

Thinking twice about the counter-offer

Counter-offer? What should you do

By the time you decide to accept the offer of a new job, you have already put a significant and clear distance between yourself and your current employer. You believe that all that’s left is for you to resign, pack up and say goodbye before entering the new chapter of your career that you have decided would be good for you. When it’s time to resign, you will have probably visualised how you want this last stage to go, thought about what you will say and imagined how you will feel.

How to sail through the probationary period

Probationary Period - How to sail through it.

The probationary period for a new employee, typically 90 days, can often be tense and fraught with misunderstanding. Some experts claim that as many as 1 in 5 don’t make it through their probationary period; a definite and significant lose-lose scenario. It’s an issue that, in some cases, can be addressed by companies adopting better on-boarding practices. But is there anything that a new employee can do to avoid pitfalls and get through this tricky and critical job stage?

What Tips Your Scales – Career Growth or Remuneration?

Career Growth or Remuneration

Once upon a time we simply worked to earn money. Today, an increasing number of people want a lot more from their work. Our careers have become vehicles to get us to the lofty self-actualizing pinnacle of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Our daily jobs have become fields of possibilities where we search for inspiration, exercise our array of talents and play to our personal bests. Of course, compensation is still one of the driving forces of our career decision-making – it impacts not only on our life security but also on our day to day sense of being valued and appreciated.

Why Attitude Matters as much as Skills

Which matters more? Attitude or skill

When Mark Murphy, bestselling author and CEO of Leadership IQ, tracked 20 000 new hires over a three-year period, and then discovered that a whopping 46% of them failed within 18 months, he wasn’t telling us anything new.  After all, as bad as that result sounds, it is consistent with the findings of other similar studies. Murphy, however, did offer something interesting when he went on to explain in his book, Hiring for Attitude, the reasons why those hires failed.  Only 11% of them failed because of a deficiency in skills.  The top four reasons for failure all had to do with a deficiency in attitude – 26% were unresponsive to coaching, 23% had low levels of emotional intelligence, 17% lacked motivation and 15% had temperament issues.

Do You Want Your Career to be Meaningful?

Career, is yours meaningful?

Roman Krznaric, author of “How to Find Fulfilling Work” asks, “What is your current career doing to you as a person—to your mind, character and relationships?” We, too often, get stuck on auto-pilot, going through the daily motions of our jobs without taking the time to ask ourselves whether our jobs serve us and others. […]

Here are 5 ways that your curiosity can put you ahead of the pack:

Curiosity Driving Leadership

Eagerness to learn – Curiosity is expressed in an eagerness for on-going learning.  Constantly tuning into the opportunities to learn more shows how serious you are about making your career a success.  Studying formally, developing new job skills, job shadowing, attending training events, conferences and presentations are all indications of a life-long learner who cares […]

Top Tips to Make a Great Impression at Your New Job

Making a great impressions

There’s no doubt that starting out in a new position is highly stressful. We feel the pressure to make a great impression on colleagues and the bosses at just the time when we are really vulnerable because we are trying to learn the ropes. First off, take a deep breath and focus on being more […]