How to Encourage Creativity at Work

How to Encourage Creativity at Work We need managers to foster creativity and innovation at work because it is closely linked with productivity and economic growth. Many firms recognise the value of creativity and the imperative to produce ’new and improved’ products, processes, and services is critical. To improve their competitive edge organisations need to build a high level of innovative production. Gerard Puccio at Buffalo State College in New York says it’s never been more important to arm people with the skills for creative thinking. “It’s no longer a luxury. It’s about survival”. He points out that industry thrives when creativity thrives, and fails when it doesn’t and contrasts the growth of Silicon Valley with the decline of Detroit’s automobile industry. As we work our way out of the economic crisis it is essential that business leaders play a culture-enhancing role. An organisation that wants to innovate must cultivate buy-in from the whole workforce, not just senior leaders and RD, but everyone. Creativity is not the preserve of ‘creative types’ or the design department, it can come from anywhere at any time. Effective leadership taps into the collective creativity of the workforce, encouraging new ways of thinking, enabling proactive exploration that unleashes the potential we all have to be creative. Creative problem solving Scientific research supports the idea that some activities can prime the mind to come up with less obvious solutions than would emerge otherwise. Psychologists call it “divergent” thinking. For example, Joydeep Bhattacharya of Goldsmiths University in London has shown that people in a relaxed mood are more likely to arrive at creative solutions when problem-solving. People who are trusted to take risks and try new ways of doing things just may stumble upon the next great business solution. This way of working means that employees need a level autonomy, licence to think outside the box, explore new methods, experiment with novel and creative solutions to problems; to re-imagine existing structures and standards. Research shows that what we value in our most creative experiences is associated with problem solving and making difficult decisions, the expression of autonomy increases a sense of self-identity and self-expression. We value the opportunity to make our own decisions, and this is associated with a strong sense of valuing the ability to express ourselves and develop our identity. The importance of autonomy to a sense of creativity also characterises our least creative experiences. Research subjects described their least creative experiences as being those in which they had limited choices and were expected to produce work or express themselves in particular pre-determined ways. Explore the options A major study published in the Academy of Management Journal reported that managers could assist and encourage employee innovation by: Providing high levels of autonomy Encouraging people to use a variety of skills Enabling people to identify with their job Providing personal feedback and ensuring jobs have built-in feedback The Center for Creative Leadership distinguishes between business thinking and innovative thinking. Business thinking is about removing ambiguity and driving results; innovative thinking is about exploring multiple possibilities. Puccio points out that successful creativity involves ensuring ideas are practical and convincing “creativity is not a licence to be bizarre”. However, it may mean rethinking ideas around making time for creative projects and what constitutes failure. If you want creativity you need to encourage people to ignore convention and hierarchy, to argue the case for their ideas and you may find that you start rewarding failure, not just success; the greatest stumbling block in seeking innovation is inaction!

Why Hard Closes are Bad for Your Business and Your Karma

Why Hard Closes are Bad for Your Business and Your Karma I don’t think profit is a dirty word, I think it’s dirty when it is at the expense of others. The old capitalist rule of someone making a profit means someone is losing is not something I can get behind. I also think that certain things shouldn’t have a profit or free market associated with it at all.  I don’t feel that’s true about our chosen business, that of recruiting. I am offering a service, based on both my expertise and my time put in. The value is an arbitrary number but I know what I offer is intangible, as well, so there you have it. I pride myself on being honest with my clients and candidates, and providing the good, the bad and the ugly; I want to be a Trusted Advisor to all parties. I want to offer what are opportunities not just jobs. I want to offer my clients the best candidates and not just paper with skills listed. One of my best clients has been with me for over 10 years. She started as my candidate. We were working together on a Quality Assurance spot at a mid-level FX house. They made her a great offer, good money and all the other accoutrements. The same day, not through me, she received another offer from an online banking firm. Alice and I went for dinner, and I read her other offer and compared it to mine. I looked her in the eyes, and said, “Alice, you cannot take my offer. You need to take the second one”. She looked at me, amazed. “Jeff, I came here ready to defend why I am not taking your offer. How can you not be pushing your role?” I replied that we both know it was the better offer and we both know why. That, in the words of Greg Savage,  â€œIntegrity is like virginity when you lose it you can’t get it back.” At the end of the day, Alice has hired tons of people from me, more than I ever would have made if I “Hard” sold her on my offer. By: Administrador Galeria Uninter Karma grinds very slow but it grinds very fine. Actions that may cost deals in the short term may end up being much more profitable than you can ever imagine. That isn’t why I told Alice not to take it. That isn’t why I let my manager scream, rant and rave at me about not “Hard” closing. I did it so I could go to sleep at night knowing I did the right thing. It doesn’t hurt that generating good actions like these tend to come back around! Let’s look at it another way. Universal Health Care is a Human Right. The Affordable Care Act barely brings the United States to the standard of the rest of the Industrialized World, let alone to the changes we need to better our society. Yet, the idea has failed to take off in the United States. Many of the arguments against it revolve around cost, taxes and corporations afraid of higher costs. However, all the studies state that healthy workers would be happier workers. Healthier workers would take less sick days, meaning higher productivity. Healthier workers would earn more money, and then they would spend more money. So, now the companies are healthier too, as they make more money. How come Universal Health Care wasn’t sold to America on this, selfish capitalist basis? There is so much for us to learn, as recruiters, from this failure: It isn’t what you say but how you say it. NEVER EVER LIE!!! However, always know your audience and make what you are selling to match the person. Sometimes, you have to spend (or lose) profits in the short term to achieve great successes. It’s an investment. I have seen many unscrupulous things since I began Head Hunting. Sadly, until I matured personally and professionally, I did some of them. I have worked with Managers who encouraged these practices and I have been yelled at for not doing them. Doing the right thing, doing the honest thing, may not pay off immediately. It may never pay off, in fact. That isn’t why you practice good behaviors. You don’t just do it for your reputation either. While reputations last, and they go on forever in our digital age, it isn’t the be-all/end-all. Your ability to be happy with yourself, both personally and professionally, is the reason to be ethical in all your life’s actions.

6 Essential Questions To Ask The Interviewer Before You Leave

6 Essential Questions To Ask The Interviewer Before You Leave 6 Essential Questions To Ask The Interviewer Before You Leave We all know how nerve-wracking job interviews can be, but that doesnt mean that you need to feel like your interviewer is interrogating you. You can create a better impression at your job interview if you turn it into a two-way exchange by asking your interviewer some questions.Many interviewees hand over all of the control to their interviewer. They allow themselves to take a passive role where they will sit and answer question after question. While doing your best to make a good first impression is understandable, know that most employers wont remember these passive candidates. Change your interview perspectiveLook at the interview process from the employers point of view. They may face hours or even days of interviews with prospective job candidates. Which ones are going to stick in their minds more? The ones that sit there quietly and robotically answer their interview questions or those candidates that engage with them one-to-one and have an exchange of information with quest ions and answers coming from both sides?The most memorable of job candidates are those that stick in mind for asking probing and interesting questions. When your interview feels more like a two-way conversation and exchange of information, you will be creating a much better first impression and will have a much higher chance of making the shortlist and being invited back for a second interview.So now you may be wondering what some good questions to ask in an interview are?The best type of questions to ask in an interviewAsking the right kind of questions in your interview is the key here. Your questions should be relevant and also provide you with useful information that you need to know.While you may have done a lot of research on the company history before your interview, you may still have some questions in your mind that you cannot find an answer to. You should ask questions that will allow you to weigh up and evaluate the position on offer fully.A lot of job applicants go into their interviews with a few niggling doubts in the back of their mind. Because they want to do well in their interview, they will often not want to ask too many probing questions just in case this puts off the employer.Shall you have any doubts or reservations about the role on offer, you have a duty to yourself to get answers to your questions. It may save you a lot of heartache and frustration further down the line when you discover the job isnt exactly what you expected and it was the wrong move to take for your career path.General job interview questions to askIt is helpful to be able to break the ice between you and your interviewer early on by having a good exchange of information and asking a few general questions can help the ease and flow of your conversation. Your interviewer will most likely be expecting some general level questions to be asked, so should be well-equipped to answer them for you.Asking some general job-related and company related questions will help you to understand the role on offer and the company ethos better. You will be able to establish whether or not you will feel comfortable working for this company.The answers you receive for your most basic level questions will be able to reassure you that this is a professional company that is well organized and operates fairly. Should your interviewer react oddly or answer your questions with vague answers, then you may want to think again about joining the company. Lets take a look at some general questions to ask in your interview that you should get satisfactory and reassuring answers to:Q: What are the day-to-day responsibilities that come with this role?Obviously, you will want to know how you will be spending your day. Knowing what you will be doing day in and day out will give you a hint whether or not you will become bored with the routine.Q: What do YOU like best about working for this company?Interviewers like these kinds of questions. They are in a good position to tell you what working for the company is like first-hand, but you will also be able to tell if this is a good company to work for by their response and enthusiasm for your question. Happy employees will talk enthusiastically about the company. Unhappy employees wont.Q: Who will I be working with?You will learn about your teammates or co-workers, whether you will be liaising with other departments within the company and who your line managers will be. Understanding how cross-functional the job is will give you an indication of how challenging the role may be.Q: What are the most challenging aspects of this role?A good question to ask, especially if you will be expected to hit set deadlines or reach pre-determined performance goals. If you like a challenge in the workplace to keep you motivated, then it is helpful to know that you will have some challenges thrown your way to keep you on your toes.Q: Is there anything you need to know that wasnt covered on my resume?It doesnt help you to leave your job interview with the employer still having unanswered questions about you. Asking this question allows them to fill in any blanks in their knowledge about your work experience or qualifications, but it also shows them that you are truly honest and transparent about your skills for the role. You seem invested in the role and appear like a potential valuable asset to the company.Important interview questions to ask an employerMany career-minded individuals have taken job offers that have very little or even zero career progression opportunities. The job may have been an initial step up from what they were doing previously, but having landed the job they now realize that they have painted themselves into a corner where there is nowhere to go from here. There is no upward path to focus on.For the ones willing to climb the career ladder, then a pertinent interview question to ask here would be:Q: What are my opportunities for professional advancement? If there are opportunities, what do they look like?This isnt a pushy question and the employer should be able to answer this without hesitation. The answer will indicate whether you do have some opportunities for career progression or not. Should the interviewer not be able to provide you with a clear answer or is a little vague about any in-house training and development programmes, then this should be a concern for you.The last thing you want is moving into a role that will see you stagnate. The employer should also realize that career progression is important and if they want to improve their staff retention levels and keep hold of their most skilled employees, they need to be able to offer good career opportunities for their staff.Remember that you are assessing the employer just as much as they are assessing you for your suitability for the role on offer. Single out your most important career progression related questions to ask towards the end of your interview so that you can leave perfectly satisfied a bout your future with this company.ConclusionThe questions that you ask your interviewer can not only make or break your chances of landing the job, but it also helps you to be one of the most memorable candidates. Because you will stick in the mind of your interviewer for the questions you asked, your chances of landing the job on offer might double.Asking pertinent questions during your job interview will help your application stand head and shoulders above other more generic candidates that simply sat frozen to the spot without making any effort to engage with the interviewer.Make sure you make your interview a two-way street by asking relevant questions to not only make you stand out from the crowd but will also reassure you that this role is a good fit for your career plans.Remember not to sit on your laurels after your interview. If you want this job, take some pro-active action to help boost your profile by writing a thank-you letter to the employer. It can go a long way to m ake your application more memorable.Every job application starts by providing a strong foundation. Your foundation is your resume â€" this is the document that will open the door to your next job opportunity or career move. Make sure you make the right first impression by delivering a well-crafted and detailed resume. You can make the best start by using one of our beautifully designed resume templates to set you off on the right foot. previous article The Efficient Layout Resume Template Freebie next article The Perfect Day Free Resume Template for Word you might also likeWhy Do You Want to Work Here? Best Answers to This Interview Question

6 Ways to Leave Your Job on Good Terms - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

6 Ways to Leave Your Job on Good Terms - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The best way to resign is to leave your boss wishing you will return. And the best way to do that is to be gracious and helpful as you move to a new job or step into self-employment. Even if you’re being ushered out, staying upbeat and professional can mean the difference between a good recommendation and good riddance. “It’s always better to leave a door open than to open a new one,” said Jodi Glickman, president of Great on the Job, a communication training firm. “You always want to leave on a high note so people will want to work for you again.” So as you give your two weeks’ notice, think through the ways you can shine and help ease the transition. “Don’t rush out the door” without tending to relationships and future references you may need, said Barbara Herzog, a career coach in Washington, D.C. Here’s a half dozen ways to build relationships as you’re saying good-bye at the office: 1. Tell Your Most Valued Coworkers First.  The day you give notice, or as soon as possible afterward, call or visit “the four or five people who have been most supportive of you,” said Herzog. These are your mentor, your best friend at work, the person who hired you â€" in short the professionals you want to cultivate for the future. You want to tell them yourself you’re leaving.   Be sure to tell them how valuable their support was. If it seems appropriate, offer your help to them, their families or their nonprofit causes in the future. 2. Show Respect and Appreciation.  â€œThere is some credit due” since your work and development on your current job were a crucial part of why you landed the new one, said Glickman, whose posts appear on the  Harvard Business Review blog. “Be appreciative.” This is important especially if you’re going to work for a competitor. Have a candid conversation with your boss explaining the value you expect to gain from your new job and expressing appreciation for her support and opportunities. Draw the distinction between your personal success and your attachment to the company you’re leaving, said Glickman. 3. Find Your Replacement. “I always encourage people to find their replacement” before they leave, said Glickman. If your boss prefers, tap your network and come up with at least three good prospects. Give your employer “a head start” with people who are pre-vetted, she said 4. Exit Without Negativity. Even if you think your insights may help your colleagues or the next employees, don’t share anything negative or that needs fixing, said Herzog. “It is counterproductive to your career,” she said. Instead, make your comments generic and be sure to say you “appreciated the support of my supervisor and colleagues.” 5. Send a Thank You Note.  Make the effort to send a thank you note to your supervisor and another senior manager who aided your career. “Be specific about one or two things that meant a lot to you,” said Herzog. The thank you should be separate from a very short, two- or three-sentence resignation letter, and may be sent a few weeks after you’ve departed. 6. Follow Up. Set a Google Alert so you stay in touch with news and changes at your former employer. Touch base with some of your contacts there three to six months after you’ve left. Send a ‘thinking of you’ note, article or piece of information, said Glickman. Then schedule a breakfast, lunch or coffee meeting and see if you can bring something valuable to them. These approaches can work equally well for staffers departing or freelancers moving on, Glickman said, and smart employers also understand the value of good relations with their alumni networks. “It makes good business sense to leave on good terms,” she said, since you never know when you will looking for work or someone to hire in the future. Author:   Vickie Elmer writes about consumer issues, careers and workplace subjects for the New York Times, Fortune magazine, the Washington Post and other top tier media outlets. Her articles are filled with actionable insights, compelling stories and inspiring people. The mother of three also co-owns Mity Nice LLC, a small social cart business based in Ann Arbor, Mich., which donates to more than a dozen charities each summer and fall. Her motto changes regularly, but her concentration on careers, kindness, creativity and high quality writing remains constant.

Resume Writing For the 21st Century

Resume Writing For the 21st CenturyFirst of all, there's a difference between resume writing for the college of your choice and resume writing for the 21st century. College graduates these days have a lot of opportunities, and it's just a shame that their resume doesn't measure up. When you write an application for a career in graduate school, you need to have a specific profile and cover letter. However, you shouldn't take this approach in the world of internet marketing.Resume writing for the 21st century is much different than the resume you'll be using to get a job in marketing. It's much easier for an employer to check out your profile online than offline, since everyone is getting access to the internet. However, not all of them will find your profile. This is why they may have trouble checking out your ability to write a resume.In order to ensure that your resume is as great as it can be, you should tailor it to the new way of working. Most employers today want to keep the pac e of the workplace fast paced. They don't want to waste time reading your application.You'll probably be applying to several companies that posting on the internet with a brief description of yourself, as well as a description of what you can do for them. You'll probably even be asked to write a short report that gives some idea of your academic or career goals.Before you begin your application, you should already have a brief list of all the programs you plan to apply for and a brief description of how you are going to answer each of those questions. If you're still in school, then your research should cover the course syllabus, on-campus research, internship experience, and work experience. If you're older and retired, then focus on the job training, exposure to other people in the organization, and certifications you have received.Your resume should highlight any skills that are relevant to the job. These skills should include your ability to do keyword research, be able to craft effective written reports, compose persuasive emails, be knowledgeable in the technologies used by the company, and be able to show other people what skills you have. This list of skills should also include what kind of person you are, including your attitude and personality.Now you need to know what the company requires when it comes to keywords. The easiest way to come up with your keywords is to think about the types of products or services you could offer and match them up with the company name. Start with what you want to do for the company, and then describe the work you've done, as well as how you would handle different challenges in particular fields.While resume writing for the 21st century can be easy enough to understand, it will require a little more attention. Just be sure that your resume is built around a good quality resume example.

The Value of a Brand

The Value of a Brand The Value of a Brand The Value of a Brand March 10, 2010 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas Leave a Comment The art of branding is so critical to success that companies spend millions, even billions of dollars on it. The reason for doing this is simple: branding drives sales. Having a powerful and unique image can translate into billions of sales dollars. So much money is spent on developing a strong and sustainable brand, there is a formula for determining the value of a brand. Every year, Business Week publishes its Top 100 Global Brands showing estimated values in terms of dollars. The list below shows the top 10 brands for 2009. 2009 Rank Company Brand Value in $ (Millions) 1 Coca-Cola 68,734 2 IBM 60,211 3 Microsoft 56,647 4 GE 47,777 5 Nokia 34,864 6 McDonalds 32,275 7 Google 31,980 8 Toyota 31,330 9 Intel 30,636 10 Disney 28,447 Now, let me ask you, if you can form an emotional connection to a car or a soft drink, then do you think you can form an emotional connection to a person? Of course you can!

Personal Finance Is it the right career for you (Guest post with Manisha Thakor)

Personal Finance Is it the right career for you (Guest post with Manisha Thakor) If youve got a knack for numbers and love money, you might like a career in personal finance. To help you decide, I asked personal finance expert Manisha Thakor (guest on my SIRIUSXM radio show tomorrow 7/29/11) to share a day in the life and her experience on the jobQ: How did you find your passion for personal finance?A: My interest in all things personal finance started at an early age. I grew up in a small town in Indiana where cheerleaders and football players ruled. Being nerdy and socially awkward to put it mildly it became VERY clear to me at an early age that a man was not going to be my financial plan. And my real secret weapon has been my parents. My dad has always worked in finance and I can remember being around eleven years old and him teaching me how to use his HP12C calculator to see if I contributed my lawn mowing and babysitting money to an IRA and it grew at 6%, 7%, 8%, etc. what Id have at retirement. When I saw the size of those figures over time, yeesh that su re got me hooked on finance! And my mom has long been a staunch feminist. She used to read me books like Free To Be You And Me and gave me gender neutral toys to play with. So stir all that together and from a young age I had both the (harsh) social realization that not all girls grow up to be princesses and the inspiration and information from my parents to learn how to provide for myself. Being financially independent has completely changed my life for the better and I want to help as many other women achieve this kind of life choice and freedom as well.Q: Is Personal Finance growing as a field?A:Absolutely! During the 1980s, 1990s, and into the early part of the 2000s, as a nation we spent well beyond our means. Its going to to take quite some time for us to recover from that 25 plus year financial party. On top of it, the financial landscape has become so much more complex of late, its essential to get education and help to navigate the financial seas. I see the next couple of d ecades as being excellent ones for individuals interested in financial planning. It may not be as sexy as the investment banking and hedge fund craze of recent years but personally as someone who spent nearly 15 years in the financial services industry in a more corporate role, I find helping real people eliminate financial stress from their lives through financial planning to be incredibly rewarding both emotionally and financially.Q: What does it take to be successful in a Personal Finance career?A: For readers old enough to remember the Weeble Wobble toy it had a motto Weebles wobble but they dont fall down. They were an egg shaped toys weighted at the bottom so no matter how close they came to hitting their heads on the ground and wiping out when someone knocked them over they always bounced back up. Ive found that kind of tenacity in the face of the inevitable road bumps you encounter when trying to build a career or business to be the secret sauce. A close second is to never ever forget that business at the end of the day is about people. Like many women, I spent far too many years thinking hard work alone would move my career forward. Now that Im in my 40s, I realize that so much of success comes from others. It really does take a village so while working hard to hone your skill or craft is important, I see now that to be truly successful you also need to get to know others in your field as well. Besides, it sure makes work more fun to have real, meaningful human connections in your work.Q: What do you recommend for people who want to follow in your footsteps?A: Before going out on your own, be VERY clear on how you are going to monetize your interest or skills. Ive learned the hard way that wanting to do good is a lousy business strategy. Much better to want to earn a fair profit in exchange for providing a truly valuable service or product. In my case I originally thought Id make a living helping women in more of a one-on-one level. But as I got a b etter feel for market demand and my skill set I realized I would hit the sweet spot of doing work that mattered, making a profit, and enjoying life by helping women on a one-to-many basis through my speaking, writing, teaching, and corporate work. Its not the model I started off with but as every good MBA know without cash, your businesses doesnt last! Or said slightly differently, I took something I had a genuine passion for, something Ive long considered almost a hobby (i.e. a deep interest in personal finance) and turned it into a solo career but it wasnt a profitable solo career until I realized that trying to help the women of the world become economically empowered would be a much more impactful if I first demonstrated that through my own actions. Oh and never miss Maggies radio show. A constant stream of career wisdom is to be found there. Thats my other key tip for others ??Thank you Manisha for the insights and radio plug;). For more great personal finance advice includin g Manishas inspiring Womens Financial Literacy Initiative, go to ManishaThakor.com. Through teaching, writing, and speaking about the basics of personal finance, Manisha helps working women who want to put themselves in the financial drivers seat of their lives. As she likes to say when you Own Your Finances you can Own Your Life.(Photo courtesy or Amagill.)