Archive for the ‘professional growth’ Category

Attitude, Aptitude & Skill

December 19, 2010 by Anthony Nicoli

Attitude: Manner, disposition, feeling, or position with regard to a person or thing. Tendency or orientation, especially of the mind.

Aptitude: Capability; ability; innate or acquired capacity for something; talent. Special fitness.

Skill: The ability coming from one’s knowledge, practice and aptitude to do something well. Competent excellence in performance; dexterity.

Many of you are working to better prepare yourselves to secure a new position or replace previous employment. As you do so, remember that your potential employer is constantly asking themselves questions related to the three areas cited above as they consider candidates for their role.

They are wondering:

Does this person possess the attitude required to help me succeed in my role?

Do they have the inherent qualities that will allow them to not only contribute to my organization, but also assume initiative and leadership?

Do they possess the skills needed to execute the role successfully?

While we remain in a time when employment is dear, recall that your task in seeking a new role is to find one that is a good match for what you have to offer. Too often, we believe that we must jump at a job simply because it is available or offered. This is particularly difficult to resist when we have been without employment for some time.

It is fine to accept a role temporarily to secure financial stability. However, do not let this distract you from your true purpose in seeking new employment. That is, to identify a role that better ables you to grow your level of contribution to the organization and community you serve, and thereby, grow your personal compensation, abilities and character.

The task of your potential employer and yourself is to find a good match between the objectives of the role and the person who will hold it. So, as you work to prepare to interact with potential employers, take time, perhaps substantial time, to become conscious of the attitude you hold and communicate, the natural aptitudes, or strengths, you possess, and the areas in which you have become skilled.

There are many techniques that can help you bring these aspects of yourself to mind and prepare to communicate them to potential employers. We can consider these later. For now, the important thing is to recognize that you must understand yourself so well in these areas that you can, with confidence:

1-      Communicate them to a potential employer to help them make an informed choice among candidates; and

2-      Hold them up to what you understand about your potential new organization, role and manager to make your own choice as to whether you want this new role.

Anthony Nicoli

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Categories: Differentiating You, career development, professional development, professional growth

Inspiring or Draining?

June 4, 2010 by Scott Olsen

Are you inspiring your customers every time you engage with them? Or are you draining their energy? One company (Creative-Brand Communications) in Portland, OR has a thriving business helping their client organizations in the banking and credit union industry find creative ways to “push the envelope.” They go beyond what customers can see and connect with all of the senses: hearing, touch, smell, taste and sight. They do this in a way that brings their clients’ brand to life in every way possible.

Great companies realize the best way to inspire their customers is to inspire their own employees first. We can’t give what we don’t have. Consistency is the key to a highly motivated and inspired workforce. The most effective organizations make it more than a one time event. However, if you do need an extra shot in the arm, Matt Weinstein is one of best at delivering inspiring and motivating events, that work every time. If your company doesn’t give Matt a standing ovation at the end of the interactive presentation, the event is free!

A very successful SVP of Sales and friend of mine claims he doesn’t motivate sales people, he hires motivated sales people. This is a great first step. However, I think he has it half right, literally. When it comes to motivation, inspiration and attitude, I believe employees bring 50% of this from home, however we can influence the remaining 50%. How? Through the environment, contests, continued education and career coaching/counseling.  Contrary to popular belief, studies show that compensation is not the number one motivating factor for professionals. The number one motivator is the desire to contribute to the success of your organization.

How do you ensure your employees understand how they contribute to the success of your organization? Perhaps even more challenging may be to answer the question, How do you help your employees gain the knowledge and skills to contribute in more ways each year?

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Categories: Engaging Your Customers, Team Building, branding yourself, professional growth

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