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Ziplining through Challenging Times, Part 2

March 25th, 2011

Last week I compared surviving change in today’s workplace to my first ziplining experience. If you missed Part 1, you can find it on my blog at www.jeangatz.com. So… picking up where we left off, here are more strategies you can use to survive change.

Watch your attitude. Flying high above the treetops, suspended by only a thin wire, I felt like I was literally “hanging on by a thread.” Maybe you can relate. When we’re under stress we often revert to the behavior that’s most comfortable for us to get the job done. Without realizing it, we may create stress for coworkers and customers. If you complain because you work with a lot of difficult people, remember that some of them don’t always start out being difficult. They may become difficult after interacting with you when you’re having a bad day.

Today’s economic times have created lots of “bad days” for many companies, their leaders and support staff. To handle stress it helps to maintain a positive attitude, make sure you’re in healthy relationships at work and at home, and keep your life in balance.

Be a strong team player. There were six of us on our ziplining team that day. We all had to watch out for each other and depend on each other to stay safe and get the most from our experience. At the end of the morning we celebrated together as a team because we had learned new skills while supporting each other through a very new and different process. What new and different processes are YOU experiencing these days? Are you a team player others can count on for encouragement and support? Or are you isolating yourself so change won’t find you?

Take time to enjoy the good stuff. As I gained more confidence and took time to look around, I was astounded at the breathtaking views below. Green valleys, rushing rivers and snow-capped hills would have passed me by if I hadn’t taken a moment to look for and appreciate the positive aspects – the good stuff – of this experience. What’s the good stuff happening in your department, your company, and your personal life right now? Take time to appreciate it – wherever and whenever you can find it.

Take pride in a job well done. Once we were safely on the ground (Oh, happy day!) our leader praised us and reminded us that we should be proud of what we had accomplished. Most of us want to be involved in work that is meaningful and worthwhile. It makes the challenges a bit easier to bear. Are you proud of what you’ve accomplished? Do you believe that your attitudes and behaviors, along with your skills and abilities, are making a positive contribution to your team? Are they proud of you?

Without a doubt, there is value in any job done with pride, commitment to quality service, honesty, dependability, integrity and the ability to treat customers and coworkers with dignity and respect. Our economy will improve. Things will turn around. Until then, how are you delivering value? What can you do to STAND OUT from the crowd in a positive way?

Exciting news! My new book, 10 Ways to STAND OUT from the Crowd, has been named a finalist for ForeWord magazine’s 2010 Book of the Year! To celebrate, I’m offering my loyal followers a GIFT! Use this coupon code, STANDOUT20, to order your autographed copy on my website, www.jeangatz.com and save 20%!

Topics: 10 ways to stand out from the crowd, Blog, Business as usual is over, career advancement, change, job security, leadership, life balance, stand out from the crowd, stress, teamwork | No Comments »


Are You “Invisible” at Work?

August 20th, 2010

“Management doesn’t see me as a valuable  team player. What can I do to change that?”

This is the #1 question after my keynotes and workshops on “10 Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd.” Here’s my response. “There’s no doubt that you have value. But HAVING value and DELIVERING value are different. Keep in mind that what you think you’re worth and what others think you’re worth may not be the same. So you must find ways to add value every day.”

Demonstrating added value on the job means using every opportunity to exceed expectations of management, coworkers and customers. Decision makers are often overwhelmed with the demands of their own jobs, so they’re not always aware of every employee’s positive contributions to add value. Unfortunately, it’s the negative things that get their attention.

So it’s up to YOU to make sure that the positive, creative and productive things you do beyond your specific job description are not overlooked. Most employees realize the importance of documenting their accomplishments. But they’re often uncomfortable letting others know about the ideas they’ve generated, the customers they’ve impressed, the great changes they’ve initiated, and the people they’ve helped.

They can still hear those voices from the past saying “Don’t brag. No one will like you if you blow your own horn.” While it’s true that no one likes a braggart, a bit of healthy self-confidence and the ability to “sell yourself” can help position you as a valuable team player.

The time has passed when anyone can come to work, do an average “meeting standards” job, and go home. That simply won’t cut it anymore. A positive attitude, a creative mind, a commitment to high performance, and the willingness to go the extra mile to achieve “standards of excellence” are now expected of every employee at every level.

Adding value doesn’t necessarily mean you must increase your already busy workload, arrive earlier, skip lunch, or stay later. It does mean that you need to see yourself as a total package of skills, talent, personality, work ethic and effort – and commit to using your strengths to their best advantage in each of these areas.

What have you done lately to stand out from the crowd in a positive way? Share your ideas on my blog page at www.jeangatz.com or on my LinkedIn or Facebook pages. For more ideas watch this short video clip.

Topics: 10 ways to stand out from the crowd, Blog, Business as usual is over, career advancement, change, communication, customer service, job security, leadership, teamwork | No Comments »


Pick a Lane to Stand Out from the Crowd

August 4th, 2010

“Change is a huge problem in our company. My head is spinning! How can I keep up when it’s happening every day?”

That’s just one of many questions asked during my keynotes and workshops based on ”10 Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd,”  my new book due out in September. In fact, I’ve been getting so many questions that I’ve decided to address them in future blogs, along with strategies I’m sharing with leaders and support staff in organizations around the country as they struggle to deal with change.

Let’s face it. Change is not a new problem. It’s been around for a long time. The real problem occurs when you’re unwilling to accept change and make it work FOR you. In today’s highly competitive environment you must be prepared to meet the challenges of a world that demands more, expects more, and pushes back harder than ever before.

Adapting to change means learning how to integrate innovative ideas, technology, products and services into your job. It means helping to create new business partnerships and new ways of relating to customers. And that can’t happen if you’re feeling afraid, uncomfortable, inadequate, overwhelmed or just plain indifferent.

Think about the last time you were in a hurry to get somewhere and you got stuck behind a slow driver. Unable to pass for several minutes, you felt frustrated, impatient and irritated. If you’re resisting change while others are forging ahead, you can bet that your boss, your coworkers and your customers are probably feeling the same way about you.

Refusing to adapt to change is like making a conscious decision to remain stuck in “the slow lane.” Others may see you as an obstacle to their progress. While you’re poking along, they are trying to figure out how to get around you and pass you by so they can get things done. Is that how you really want to be perceived? It definitely won’t enhance your image as a valued member of the team!

Sure, the fable about the tortoise and the hare teaches us that “slow and steady wins the race.” Wait… you DO know that’s a fable, right? Does it really make sense to jeopardize your career – and possibly your future – based on advice you got in a fairytale?

If you want to succeed in an environment where dramatic change and new business strategies are the norm, you must be ready to out-perform the competition, out-think old ideas, out-shine past performance and out-maneuver anyone who says it can’t be done. In future blogs I’ll share some ideas on how you can make that happen.

What positive steps are you taking to deal with change in your job?  I welcome your comments on my blog page at www.jeangatz.com, or on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Topics: 10 ways to stand out from the crowd, Blog, Business as usual is over, career advancement, change, communication, customer service, job security, teamwork | No Comments »


Learn from the Pros

July 9th, 2010

As I prepare to meet with 1,500 colleagues of the National Speakers Association at our annual convention next week I’ve been thinking about the first convention I attended over 20 years ago. It didn’t take long to figure out that I had a LOT to learn about building a successful speaking career and I definitely wasn’t going to learn it all in 4 days!

After the convention I wrote to several highly successful speakers I had seen on stage or heard about during the conference. I asked for 30 minutes of their time by phone. Not knowing them personally, I had no idea how they would respond. Gracious and generous, each of them made time for me!

Their advice, suggestions, ideas and insights helped cut my learning curve tremendously. Over the years many NSA colleagues have served as my trusted advisors. I’ve done the same for others. Most successful people are willing to help because they remember the times when someone helped them.

If you’re in need of some career guidance, think of those you trust and respect who might be willing to share their time and expertise. It could be a colleague, coworker, manager, supervisor, customer, client, associate or friend. Email, call or write a short note explaining why you’d like to meet briefly – in person or by phone.

Be prepared, ask specific questions and take good notes. Follow up with a thank you note or phone call. Ask if there’s anything YOU can do to help your mentor in some way…invite them to a networking event… introduce them to a potential (non-compete) client …you get the idea. Show your appreciation by providing value in exchange for the value you’ve received.

Here’s a mentoring experience someone shared with me. It provides valuable tips on what NOT to do when building a mentor relationship.

“Taking time from my busy schedule to meet for lunch, I asked her to bring a list of specific questions to focus our discussion. Instead, she asked me to tell her everything I had done in 25 years to become a success. When I suggested that she take notes, she told me she had a pretty good memory… and if she forgot anything, she could always call me and have me repeat the information. (Seriously?) At the end of the hour she thanked ME for treating HER to lunch! I haven’t heard from her since. That’s OK by me. She doesn’t have a clue about building a relationship with a mentor. And that could impact her career in the long run.”

No matter where you work, what you do and how much you know, there’s always more to learn. A mentor can guide, counsel, advise and coach, be honest with you, stop you when you’re headed in the wrong direction, offer helpful criticism when needed and influence you in a positive way. As the title of my new book reflects, Business As Usual Is Over.™ In today’s competitive and fast-paced work environment having people in your corner to help you reach your goals is a definite advantage.

Topics: Blog, Business as usual is over, career advancement, communication, encouragement, job security, leadership, teamwork | No Comments »


Don't Forget to Breathe!

May 5th, 2010

Staying calm while dealing with change in your workplace is a lot like snorkeling for the first time. It can be unsettling and even scary. My mother always told me that if I put my head under water and tried to breathe, I would drown. Period. I never questioned her advice on this issue, as it made perfect sense to me. Years later a snorkeling instructor gave me the exact opposite advice. Put my head under water, stay calm…and breathe. (Oh, and he told me to have fun, too).

Now I was flooded with doubts. What if this is too hard? What if I can’t learn? What if my mother was right? After several attempts I began to lose my fears, relax, and enjoy the views of the fish and coral reef below. I took a risk, learned a new skill and replaced my fear with a new level of confidence. No one could do it for me. I had to do it myself.

Look around your workplace. What’s different? Maybe your job duties have changed in order to handle a new project, a reduction in staff, or new people coming on board with new ideas and new ways of doing things. If your organization is changing to survive, your job will never be the same. That means YOU will also have to change to survive – by taking a risk, learning new skills and replacing your fears with new levels of confidence. No one can do it for you. You have to do it yourself.

As I talk with people after my keynote, Business As Usual Is Over™ they confess that they really don’t like change. They see change as a problem. But as we know, CHANGE itself is not the problem. It’s been around for a long time. The problem is often our unwillingness to accept and integrate change into our jobs and our lives.

Let’s face it. Most changes, even the good ones, usually involve challenges, inconvenience and hard work. Companies, organizations, CEOs and business owners need employees who willingly CHOOSE to accept change without resisting or handholding. They can’t afford to keep employees who have to be led. They need employees who will lead the way for others.

So… when it comes to dealing with change, you have two choices.

1. You can resist, play it safe, close yourself off, be content with status quo, complain, worry, and spend your time hoping that the world finally comes to its senses, slows down, and gets back to the way things used to be.

OR…

2. You can take action, meet the world head-on, broaden your knowledge base, develop new competencies, sharpen your skills, and learn from every person you meet and every experience you have.

Deciding how to handle change is a choice that will determine your future success. Letting go of fear, being open to new ideas, and learning new skills are all smart choices. Sure, they all involve challenges, inconvenience and hard work. But you get to choose. No one can do it for you. You have to do it yourself. But you know you can! Just take it one step at a time … stay calm… and don’t forget to breathe.

Topics: Blog, Business as usual is over, change, customer service, job security, leadership, stress, teamwork | No Comments »


Business As Usual Is Over™

April 6th, 2010

In a world where change happens at the click of a mouse, one thing is certain: You can’t keep doing what you’ve been doing. The game has changed and the rules are different. To be successful, doing what’s expected is no longer enough. Now, more than ever, you must stand out from the crowd! With the ever-quickening pace of technology, the fluctuating economy, an aging population, an increasingly connected global community, and a new generation that lives and breathes social media, your job will never be the same.

Change is not a choice. To take charge of your career – and your future – you must let go of the safe and predictable, the risk-free and the “way it used to be.” You must embrace the creative and innovative, and the unknown yet powerful possibilities. Why? Because change is not around the corner. It’s here.  And change is not going to wait for you to decide whether to accept it, embrace it, reject it or ignore it.

You may feel like you’re not in charge of all the changes happening in your organization these days. And you’re probably right. But you ARE in charge of the attitudes and behaviors you bring to the change process. Even though you can’t control change, you CAN control how you react to change, deal with change, think about change and partner with change.

So here’s the million-dollar question: Do you deal with change or does change deal with you? Your answer to that question will determine your future.

This article is based on my upcoming book, “Business as Usual Is Over: The Survivor’s Guide for Change” to be released in August 2010.

Topics: Blog, change, job security, leadership, stress, teamwork | No Comments »