What's Your 2011 Success Plan?

Does it seem a bit early to be talking about 2011 goals? Not really, if you think about it. Once the holidays are underway, you'll be thinking about LOTS of different things. So, why not take some me-time now to begin planning your 2011 Success Plan.

Of course, everyone has their own definition of success -- at work and at home. Our team measures its success by the degree to which we help YOU meet (and exceed) your professional and personal goals. You know we believe in offering POSITIVE, PRACTICAL, and STRATEGIC solutions to help you succeed in today's New Normal.

Let's make a deal -- if you tell me more about your 2011 goals, I'll let you know how I can help. I've created a brief survey to get a better sense of your priorities.

Can you put aside 10 minutes this week to answer 10 questions that will jumpstart your 2011 Success Plan? At the end of the survey, you'll find out how you can arrange an introductory call with me to review your plan and see if it's a right "fit" for us to work together on achieving your goals.

I believe it is possible to create a career and life plan that aligns with your interests, talents and values. It just may not be as linear as you'd originally imagined. I think we're all beginning to learn and accept that lesson as we continue to navigate today's New Normal. What do you think? As always, comment here or tweet me your thoughts, challenges and success stories on Twitter.

Leaders: How Do You Keep Team Members Motivated & Engaged?

How do you keep your team members motivated and engaged? The question is an important one for team leaders and managers to consider, especially since U.S. job satisfaction is apparently at its lowest point in two decades. And, this employee dissatisfaction appears to go beyond the survivor guilt often associated with employees who observe their friends and colleagues lose their jobs.

Source:

I Can’t Get No...Job Satisfaction, That Is: America’s Unhappy Workers

Research Report #1459-09-RR

The Conference Board

I share this information not to alarm you, but to help you consider the potential impact on you and your team.

Here are two questions for you to consider as you refine your goals and priorities for this quarter and during the year:

• Do individual team member objectives align with the overall priorities? Identifying and mapping individual objectives to team/organizational goals can give team members a “line of sight” from their role and responsibilities to the greater purpose of the organization. It also helps to level-set expectations so that everyone is on the same page about what’s being expected.
• How do you reward performance? If your messaging indicates that achieving team goals are important, and yet your incentives tend to reward individual performers more, there could be a disconnect. This isn't to say that you shouldn't reward high-achievers; just make sure you're walking your talk and clearly communicating what are your performance expectations.

As a leader, one of your priorities might be to create the right environment for your members to succeed – and exceed their goals. My priority is to continue sharing compelling ideas and strategies to help you and your team to achieve sustainable results in 2010 and beyond.

I’d love if you would share your 2010 team building intentions with me. I've created a Team Building & Visioning Survey to understand which issues are most important to you as a leader. As a thank you for your input, I'll share a free recording of our last Laser Focus Team Visioning teleseminar. As always, post your comments here or tweet me @Coach_Colette.

How Do You Use the 'Net to Network?

I'm doing this post in response to my pal Diane Danielson with Downtown Women's Club. She and the DWC gals are conducting an online survey to find out how you're using the 'Net and technology to enhance your network.

Since 2008 is truly my year of technology & Web 2.0, I thought I'd give her a hand by encouraging you to participate in the survey. You don't have to be a DWC member (although it's pretty cool if you do decide to join) to complete it. AND, you can earn a discounted DWC+ membership (or renewal) after you're done.

Given the potential career impact of recent Wall Street events, being able to access and leverage one's network efficiently will be critical. After you complete the survey, feel free to share your online networking tools and tips. I was delighted to learn that I've added some NEW online tools to my toolbox since the last DWC Networking Survey (2006), like Twitter. What about you?

How do you use technology/Web 2.0 to your competent advantage TM?

What Do You Want to Accomplish in 2008?

As we approach year-end, the buzz will soon move to discussions about New Year's resolutions. You know that, at InStep Consulting, we believe you will be more successful in achieving your goals if you:

1. Plan ahead
2. Create a roadmap
3. Find tools and resources to support you

To help you begin the process, we've created an online Personal & Professional Growth Survey. And, it's a win-win for both of us. Not only will it help you with goal-setting; it also will help me know what are your priorities. Then, I'll know what types of events, programs and tools to create or recommend in the coming year.

It will only take 5-8 minutes to complete; but, the return on your time investment could be significant!

Coach vs. Mentor: How do you choose?

Happy Monday to all!
I’m doing a little research to learn more about what motivates people to hire coaches as opposed to (or in addition to) seeking advice from mentors.

At the end of the month, I'll be leading a workshop on Coaching & Mentoring at the BlogHer ’07 conference (a cool gathering of bloggers from across the country). To help prepare for the session, I’ve created two brief surveys (no more than 6 questions) to hear from both “sides of the fence,” and I’d love to receive your input!

• If you ARE a coach, then take this survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=URexpjd5p_2fj3S510ZtWvcw_3d_3d
• If you have RECEIVED HELP from a mentor OR a coach, then take this survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=5OvyjyZBWyGvRjJz2hyGPQ_3d_3d

By the way, you can learn more about the session and how to register for BlogHer at: http://blogher.org/node/19422

Thanks, and have a great week!

What's Your Competent Advantage Score?

It's November and we're committed to helping you hit the ground running in 2007! We've created a NEW Competent Advantage TM self-assessment to help you measure your career portability. The tool is based on the concepts we discuss in our workshops and advisory sessions.

In general, assessments can help you track progress towards your goals and make wiser decisions. The Competent Advantage TM self-assessment will help you:

• determine how you're progressing towards your ultimate career goals and
• make informed, competent decisions about activities and skills to keep moving forward

Take the assessment and let us know how you score!

Visit the Resources page of our website to get the self-assessment, access the career goals survey and download other tip sheets from the Competent Advantage TM program.

Top 5 Skills Gained from Volunteer Work

In preparation for today's teleclass with the Downtown Women's Club on Volunteering & Leadership Development, we created an online survey to learn about your volunteer experiences. So, I thought I'd share some initial results from the survey.

Here are the TOP 5 Career Skills you have developed or acquired by getting involved in your community: {online drumroll, please}

1. Communication (72%)
2. Leadership (69%)
3. Teamwork (59%)
4. Fundraising (47%)
5. Problem solving AND Public Speaking (tie at 44%)

In today's session, we talked about how important it is to be clear about your goals for a volunteer experience -- whether they are purely charitable/philanthropic or include a professional component. Either perspective is OK; just be sure you (and the organization) are clear from the beginning about what you hope to achieve.

When both parties are on the same page, it can be a win-win experience for all. This became obvious to me as I read your comments on the recognition and support you've received from organizations for whom you volunteer, including:

• Introductions to executives/senior leaders
• References for work
• Invitations to networking and special events

All are important for taking your career to the next level. There's still time to tell us about your volunteer experiences. Take our brief survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=263272577354. I look forward to hearing from you!

Have 6 Minutes to Plan for 2006?

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and took advantage of the "early-bird" holiday sales. I'm excited about the upcoming season and the tidings it will bring to all of us in the new year.

There are many ways that we can help you discover your competent advantage. Rather than guess at what those strategies might be, I'm asking for your input.

How will you take your career to the next level in 2006?

Take a moment to complete our brief survey (~6 minutes): http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=350101560332

What's Your Next Career Move?

I'm interested in learning more about what's on your career horizon. Are you:

• Looking for a new opportunity?
• Thinking about going to graduate school?
• Vying for an internal promotion at your company?

Take a moment to tell me about your next career move.

Click HERE to take the Competent AdvantageTM online survey. It's really short (only 10 questions).

I look forward to hearing from you!