Category Archives: Career Advice

Grayson asks: I’m naturally a shy person, and I want to learn how to be confident at work. I know that confidence is key to coming across as a leader, and I definitely want to advance. How can I stop blending into the background and start exuding self-assurance?

Joel answers: Grayson, you’re right to be focusing on building your confidence, as that’s a key trait of great leaders and a cornerstone of executive presence. Without confidence, you won’t increase your visibility at work or have the courage to take risks. And without taking risks and building visibility and influence, you’ll have difficulty reaching the next level. This is an exciting time in your career—you’re launching a new, more confident phase [not “phrase”] that will take you to places you never imagined you could go. Being confident at work takes effort—here’s how to get there.

Prepare What You’ll Say … Continue reading How to be Confident at Work →

Client Malcom Asks: There’s such a grumpy mood in the office. Everyone seems so negative… and with all the news you can’t blame them. What’s one thing I can do to add some positive energy and get us all more upbeat? How can I turn my current job into my dream job.

Coach Joel Answers: If you’re you trying to change your attitude, and feel better both physically and mentally, I have a solution. It sounds simple, but hear me out.

Scientific studies back up what I’m about to tell you. The answer is gratitude.

First, I’m going to tell you what it does for you. Then I’ll tell you how to get it… and more importantly keep it.

You see, the things we focus on, enlarge. The more you… and the office… focus on negative things, the larger and more powerful they are. With that negativity comes Continue reading The Power of Gratitude in the Workplace →

César had just accepted a promotion, and somehow he was always rushing when it came to finishing important projects. He decided to reevaluate his time-management skills. He started keeping a log of his work, and when he forced himself to specify exactly how he spent his time, the results were shocking. He spent the majority of his time on tasks of lower importance, consistently shoving the most crucial ones to the back burner.

He knew he needed to overcome the insidious habit of procrastination if he wanted to succeed in his new role.

Is procrastination negatively affecting your own life and career in these ways?

Robbing you of valuable time. Increasing your anxiety. Causing you to rush on important projects. Decreasing your self-confidence.

The habit of procrastination deserves special attention because it is so widespread and costly. In addition to robbing us of time, procrastination causes us to … Continue reading How to Stop Procrastination and Overcome the Career Limiting Habit →

Client Kevin Asks:  I am so stuck in a rut with my present job—it feels like walking through quicksand. I know what the next step is, the promotion to the job I want but I’m so busy doing what the current job demands that I have no time to even plan a strategy for moving ahead. How can I get out of this swamp?

Coach Joel Answers:  Unfortunately, many companies easily overlook the people who labor in silence, who do what it takes to get the job done, but never manage to get ahead. If you really want your paycheck and your job title to match your capabilities and the amount of work you do, you need to focus on creating visibility—and you need to be happy while you’re doing it. Appearances count for a lot, and you need to love … Continue reading Stuck in a Rut at Work? →

Aaron felt like he was stuck. The job just seemed like a treadmill. The same thing over and over. When he took the job 8 years ago, he had visions of promotions and advancement. Now? Not so much.

As Aaron took stock of his career he decided to combat the stagnation. Surely there was a way to get around it. He just couldn’t figure it out on his own. He hired Joel to be his executive coach.

Part of it involved recording exactly what he was doing so he could be prepared and present it as needed.

Sharing accomplishments.

Words disappear and can’t always be remembered. Aaron saw the value in sharing his accomplishments through writing. He wrote a weekly message updating management on the projects he was working on.He included the challenges he’d overcome and the progress he’d made. The make sure to … Continue reading Four Ways to Break Career Stagnation →

Bill was a middle manager with a large financial institution. He had always felt secure in his job and felt he was making a real contribution to his department. But his last performance review was disappointing. His boss pretty much told him he’d better “kick it up a notch” if he wanted to keep his job.

Now what? Bill felt frustrated and more than a little insecure. Rather than react defensively, Bill decided on the spot to see this as an opportunity. He decided there were three steps he could take immediately to put his career back on track.

Ask the right questions Develop a visibility plan Maintain continuous course correction Step 1: Ask the right questions.

Although he was surprised and frustrated, Bill was smart enough to save the emotions for another time and place. Most bosses would probably even anticipate that Bill could … Continue reading Are You Doing as Well as You Think You Are? →

Do you get the feeling that your boss favors another colleague over you? Well, you’re not alone. Preferential treatment is a pressing topic in the work environment today.

I was recently interviewed by Ruth Mantell, a Washington-based MarketWatch reporter, about preferential treatment in the workplace, which by the way is something that employees report dealing with daily at work.

So is this really a key issue to be concerned about?

Well, let’s take a look at the facts. According to research conducted by Corporate Executive Board, that form of employee misconduct that employees complain about most is preferential treatment, so it quite rightly demands our attention.

Preferential treatment is not always easy to detect but at times it can be obvious.

Either way, the key is to understand how to deal with the issue in the first place. As an employee, it is essential NOT to get angry or resentful, … Continue reading How to Deal with Preferential Treatment in the Workplace →

Why brand yourself as an expert authority? The way you position yourself and your company is critical to your personal and professional success. Most successful leaders intentionally develop a strategy to position themselves as experts. They want to be seen as someone who is an authority and a valued resource for high quality information. Expertise in a particular area will only become more vital in the future workplace; as machines handle more routine tasks, specialized knowledge will be a key way to stay relevant and marketable.

Who are these people of authority?

They are the leaders and pioneers of their industry. They are the people you constantly see pop up in industry-related news and events. They are the ones who are approached for interviews. Their opinions make a difference, and they’re cited as experts or leading authorities on topics currently impacting their industry. You see them giving a lecture from a … Continue reading How to Establish Expert Authority in Your Industry →

There are many methods for finding jobs, but without a doubt, networking is the most effective. It is also the hardest strategy for most people to implement, due to fear and lack of confidence. It can be nerve-wracking to reach out to people you barely know to ask for a favor. That’s why good outplacement career centers provide one-on-one coaching to help displaced employees through the networking process.

Here are six steps downsized employees can use to make effective use of their networks in seeking new jobs:

Start by making a list.

Who do you know that is knowledgeable in your field or well-connected? Who might know someone who could help you? Talk to anyone who is willing to talk. You never know who might have a connection that you don’t know about. Contact the people on your list who you think might be able to help you. … Continue reading Teach Workers to Network Effectively →

Strong team players are the backbone of any team. When others fail, these are the people who venture on with strong resolve and persistence, committed to getting the job done. Most people can list the qualities of bad team members without struggling too hard, but do you know what qualities great team players share?

Here are five qualities that make a good team player great:

Always reliable. A great team player is constantly reliable day in and day out, not just some of the time. You can count on them to get the job done, meet deadlines, keep their word and provide consistent quality work.  With excellent performance, organization and follow-through on tasks they develop positive work relationships with team members and keep the team on track. Communicates with confidence. Good team players might silently get the work … Continue reading 5 Qualities that Make a Good Team Player Great →