How To Conduct An Effective Informational Interview

How To Conduct An Effective Informational Interview

One thing that will gain you interviews with your target companies is by talking with more people who are “in the know.” Do this by conducting more interviews of your own.

The informational interview is an effective way to build your network and gather information to move your career forward. Informational interviews can actually be quite fun. Meeting for coffee, or briefly in someone’s office, takes the pressure off both parties. The job seeker is simply asking for information, guidance, and advice. The person being interviewed is just providing that information and expertise. No one is saying, “Please give me a job!” And no one is making an offer. It’s just a chat.

That’s right—this is not about asking for a job!

Not right away, at least.

As a job seeker, you should hope to get some questions answered relevant to the industry you are in, the company where your interviewee works, and the company’s competitors. You should ask about good ways to network in the field. Getting names of other professionals to contact for further informational interviews is a great result.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Make A List Of People You’d Like To Meet

Make a detailed list of people you’d like to talk to about the next move in your career. People who have mentored you in the past, people you admire in your field, and people at your target companies are great people to meet with. Anyone who may be able to help you, or knows someone who can help, should go on your list.

2. Find Them On LinkedIn

Man looks something up on his laptop

Look up your target companies on LinkedIn and see who works there. You can find their contact information easily on their LinkedIn profile. If they don’t have a profile, Google them to get their phone number or email address.

3. Call Them Or Send Them A Message

Woman sends a message to a LinkedIn connection with her phone

Phone messages often go unreturned and inboxes are often full for many professionals. Be persistent, try multiple avenues of communication, or go through a contact’s assistant (but don’t harass them). Be clear that you just want a brief meeting to discuss a specific set of questions regarding their job, company, and industry, and that you are not inquiring about a job opportunity.

4. Meet With Several Contacts Each Week

Young woman shakes hands with a man

Be committed to holding 2-3 informational interviews consistently. Stick to the amount of time that you mentioned when setting up the meeting and don’t go beyond it, no matter how tempted you might be! You can always set up another meeting or use additional questions as a reason to stay in touch and build the relationship.

5. Bring Your Resume (Just In Case)

Woman holds a resume during an interview

Don’t offer it. But, if they ask for it, you’ll be prepared. Also, if the topic comes up in conversation, you can ask for advice on how to beef it up. Are there classes you should take? Organizations you might join? Get their feedback on what might make you a stronger candidate.

6. Ask Relevant Questions About The Industry, Company, Or Position

Man smiles during an interview

  • How did you become interested in this field?
  • What brought you to this company?
  • What is a typical day like in your position/department?
  • How much time do you spend doing ______ each day?
  • What types of problems do you solve in your position?
  • What can you tell me about the corporate culture?
  • What are the biggest challenges the company faces right now and in the future?
  • What skills and qualities make someone successful in this field?

7. Give Your Branded Elevator Pitch, And Then Ask…

Women talk at work

  • With the little you know about me, what suggestions do you have that might help me to break into the field or a company like yours?
  • If a position were to become available here, would you keep me in mind?
  • What other companies would you recommend for me to explore?

8. Get More Connections Before The Meeting Is Concluded

Man asks a question during an interview

Ask who they know who might be a good person for you to speak with. Get their contact information. Ask if it’s okay to tell the new connection who referred you.

9. Send A Thank-You Message

Woman types on her laptop

Do this within 24 hours in the format of your choice. Email is convenient and green. You might be perceived as tech-savvy. Or, you might be looked upon as impersonal. A handwritten note is perceived as more personal by some. Or, on the flipside, archaic. It’s up for debate and depends on your industry. Just pick one and thank your interviewee quickly.

10. Stay In Touch

Man checks LinkedIn on his phone

Connect on LinkedIn and send occasional messages updating the contact on your progress. If you come across any articles that might help them, pass them along. Monitor the company and your contact using Google Alerts. When you discover they have gotten a promotion or have spoken at a conference, be sure to send a congratulatory email. Keeping in touch will help the relationship to grow.

Eventually, the informational interviews you conduct will pay off. Word will spread that you are looking for a new position. People will remember your personality and respectfulness. The relationships you are cultivating will result in a network that is keeping you in mind for when their company is ready to hire. Before long, you will be interviewing for real!

Need more help growing your network or navigating the job search?

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you enhance your career.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Why You Need A Data Strategy Before Data Governance (Part 3a)

Why You Need A Data Strategy Before Data Governance (Part 3a)

Part Three A: Standing up the Data Management and Governance Teams: Why CDOs Don’t Have More Impact

As we previously discussed, the final step in our five steps to achieving data governance is to stand up the data management organization, including data governance.

  1. Data Strategy
  2. Stand up the Data Governance Committee (choose the sponsors early on)
  3. Data Management Framework (what, how, who)
  4. Business Case for Data Governance
  5. Stand-up Data Management/Governance Teams: Part 3a and Part 3b.

    Pre-Cursor To Successful Adoption Of The Data Governance Office

    data governance

    As of this writing, I see many industry experts discussing how the chief data officer (CDO) role is struggling to gain traction in many organizations and how the CDO and often the analytics officer have yet to prove the value of the data analytics.

    I believe some reasons for this are:

    1. Strategic Perspective: Many organizations view data governance (DG) as primarily a tech function, not a hybrid or business-aligned one. While having DG report to tech leadership may work, these leaders must be well-versed in bridging gaps to other functions and are open to receiving organizational business input. If DG is part of tech, it can only be well represented across the organization if tech leaders see DG as a strategic enterprise necessity and an operational activity.

    2. Skillsets: In many organizations, with DG and data residing in tech as a siloed vertical, I find the function cared for by only data architects and engineers. While these are essential functions, they cannot drive change, adoption, and business alignment alone. The customers of data governance (e.g. analytics, marketing, etc.) need to be heard by tech leaders with hybrid skills in DG technology and the business applications of data. These leaders with varied skills can drive out an integrated data and data governance strategy and framework.

    [There may be other reasons—please let me know if there are other reasons.]

    What I am about to say may ruffle some feathers, but of all organizational configurations, at least in financial services, and from observing what works and what doesn’t, what works best for any DG program is when the analytics and data functions are under the same leader. This arrangement better aligns the business use of data through analytic insights.

    I have seen centralized, hybrid, and decentralized functions. When analytics and business insights are closely connected to DG, there is a continuously reinforced learning loop. I will expand on this in another post. Still, when business needs and analytics teams drive and participate in data governance, change happens faster, and maturity and adoption rapidly increase. This also assumes a mature and well-governed analytics function with business alignment and linkage.

    Data Governance is a hybrid function among the business, the data, and the technology teams. Said differently, data is the raw material with value added is transformed into information when you take information and combine it with a business need that becomes knowledge that has a business impact. Data governance and business lines all influence the components.

    I’ve written about data management organizations (DMOs) and data governance organizations. What’s the difference? I view data management as the day-to-day work of following the rules and policies set forth by governance by maintaining the data infrastructure. I believe the tight alignment of these functions is achieved if they are in the same team under one head of (HO), either the DMO or HO of data governance. Ideally, have data management (DM) and DG under one HO under the CDAO or have a HO of DG or DMO and HO of data management (a.k.a. HO data analytics platform) as direct reports to the CDAO.

    There is a disturbing trend in some organizations to create ever smaller and smaller departments for data quality and governance that is separate from the DMO and the engineering teams that provide the plumbing and tooling to enable data governance. With such diffuse efforts, no wonder data governance teams and CDOs (in general) are not getting the traction they need. The impact is lessened by breaking the functional components down too finely, more handoffs are created, and additional cross-department efforts are required to align and implement all aspects of data governance.

    Other industry commentators agree—this doesn’t work well in either large or small organizations.

    In my next post, I will offer my take on a data governance organization built for impact.

      Readers: I’d like to hear your thoughts on this post. Let me know about your experiences with data management and data governance.

      #1 Tip For Parents Who Want To Return To The Workforce

      #1 Tip For Parents Who Want To Return To The Workforce

      Usually are you a parent looking to get back into the labor force after being out regarding five years, a 10 years, or longer? Are you currently striving to change careers entirely? Well, I’m here to help you tell you it is possible to come back to your aged career or start a new new one.

      Here’s my greatest tip for parents who wish to return to the staff…

      Start Little!

      @j. to. odonnell intended for parents trying to obtain in the workforce… @workitdaily @j. t. odonnell #careerhacks #careeradvice #careertiktok #learnontiktok #edutok #parents #parentsoftiktok #parentsbelike ♬ original noise – J. T. O’Donnell

      My a single sugestion is to begin small. Go to the local network and see that can hire you. An individual just want to acquire your foot in often the door somewhere. You want to find back out there. Anyone just want to begin working. That alone is proceeding to provide you with some framework, a little pay, together with an opportunity to develop your professional network .

      Once an individual do that, people is going to be far more interested on hiring you for your higher-level positions simply because they may see that you’ve eliminated back to operate at some sort of lower-level position just to get back again into the workforce.

      Keep in mind that, you will not be in that job very long. But obtaining yourself back in the work flow is the very 1st step in the procedure of speeding up your own career growth so you can have the job you want.

      Require more help returning to make sure you the workforce?

      I had created like it if you joined up with my FREE community where professionals just like you are learning to turn out to be empowered in their professions so they can ultimately find career happiness and additionally satisfaction. More importantly, I possess tons of resources inside of this community that could help you get ready for your current next job search.

      Sign upwards for my FREE neighborhood and come to be a Workplace Renegade nowadays! My group and I are searching toward working with anyone soon.

      How To Answer “What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” (Samples)

      How To Answer “What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” (Samples)

      “What is your greatest achievement?” is an interview question that can trick a lot of applicants. On the surface, it seems like an easy opportunity to show off. So why do so many job-seekers answer it so poorly? This guide will teach you the right way to talk about your greatest work accomplishments in a […]

      The post How To Answer “What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” (Samples) appeared first on Career Sherpa.

      4 Ways To Stop Being A Control Freak

      4 Ways To Stop Being A Control Freak

      I’m the first person to admit I’m a control freak. It’s not like I can hide it anyway. If you’ve known me for even a short period of time, chances are you’ve seen me in action. And no, I’m not proud. Being a control freak isn’t a good thing. In fact, some might call it downright annoying.

      I used to make excuses for it: “I can’t help it!” I’d say. “That’s just the way I am!”

      But, ya know what? That’s not altogether true.

      I know when I’m being overly controlling. I feel it. Just like an alcoholic yearns for one more drink, I crave control in any situation. I see myself jumping in, taking charge, directing the flow of traffic. It’s cringe-worthy at times. And yet, I just continue to do it.

      So recently, I decided to take control (release control) of the situation by exploring the causes and creating strategies for how I can improve my behavior. If you’re in a similar boat, I encourage you to do the same. After all, being a control freak is even less likable than it sounds.

      Why Am I Such A Control Freak?

      Man listens to his coworker during a meeting

      So, is there a reason for this kind of character trait? (Note: we’re not going to call it a “flaw.” It’s just a thing that could be improved, okay?) Where does it come from?

      After a little research (and some self-reflection), I’ve discovered that most control issues stem from a few things.

      See if any of the following statements ring true for you:

      • I have incredibly high standards and I don’t trust others to uphold them.
      • I have high anxiety and taking a leadership role makes me feel more comfortable and calm.
      • I have a fear of disorganization, failure, and chaos. If I’m in control and bad things happen, it’s my own fault. And I trust myself more than others to keep the bad stuff away.
      • I have a love of the spotlight. By taking control, I often get all the credit or appreciation for a job well done.
      • I have a big ego. I like to be in a position to show off my skills.
      • I like to feel needed. Being the one in control makes my presence seem more important.

      Obviously, the items on this list aren’t very flattering. Don’t worry; no judgment here.

      It’s also pretty easy to see that these issues might cause some problems.

      What’s Wrong With It?

      Man and woman work together on a project

      I used to tell myself that being a control freak wasn’t such a big deal. Only, it is. And here’s why:

      1. It Can Seriously Damage Your Relationships

      Think about it: When you try to control every situation, even if it’s not your intention, others start to worry that you don’t trust them. They also get sick of following your lead. You may notice friends and family starting to pull away from you, getting irritated or exasperated. Or perhaps they’ve simply given up and accepted you’re the one who gets control. That’s not really fair to them and, ultimately, they could end up resenting you for it.

      2. It Can Cause You Emotional, Mental, And Physical Stress

      And most of the time, it’s completely unnecessary! When we always feel like we have to be in control of the world around us every second of every day, we’re adding a tremendous amount of pressure to our lives. We do it to ourselves and it’s just not healthy.

      So, What Can I Do?

      Woman talks to her colleague at work

      If you’re a control freak (like me), I have a few suggestions. These come from personal experience so trust me when I tell you they work. They’re not all easy to do, but if you’re dedicated to making a change, this is a great place to start.

      1. Let Go Of Your Ego

      Take yourself down a notch. You’re great, but so are others. You have to share the spotlight and let others use their skills. Believe it or not, you’re not the best at everything.

      2. Delegate To Others

      Start small. Train people how to do things if they aren’t familiar. See what it feels like to rely on others to do the work. And enjoy how good it feels to watch them blossom with the added confidence you’ve shown in them.

      3. Acknowledge You Can’t Control Everything

      Give yourself a break and learn to go with the flow now and again. Once you see everything works out just fine without your intervention, you’ll get more comfortable with the idea.

      4. Completely Give Up Control In One Small Area Of Your Life

      Make a conscious decision to completely give up control in one small area of your life. Maybe you’ll let others decide what’s for dinner. Maybe you’ll go on vacation without planning a single excursion. Maybe you’ll just take a walk without knowing where you’re going. Whatever you choose, let the circumstances and people around you take the lead. Bite your tongue, sit back, and relax. You’re a passenger. Enjoy the view.

      Now, it’s worth mentioning control isn’t always a horrible thing. It’s wonderful to take control at times, show off your leadership abilities and your decisive point-of-view. But there’s a point where it goes too far. Put yourself in check regularly.

      And, if you’re constantly being told that you’re a control freak, don’t just write it off as an inescapable character trait. Take a few proactive steps to share the spotlight and hand the reins to someone else. Everyone, even you, will be better for it.

      Do you need help taking control of your career?

      We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you enhance your career.

      It’s time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

      This article was originally published at an earlier date.

      How To Personalize Your LinkedIn URL

      How To Personalize Your LinkedIn URL

      These days it’s not just your resume that’s reviewed for your credentials and experience. LinkedIn is now a critical part of your job search as the majority of employers will look for you there.

      Your LinkedIn profile is also an important tool and an important part of your job search strategy. Your LinkedIn profile may be promoted on the signature of your email address, your website, your blog, and business cards. It should also be added to your resume as an additional resource employers can go to in order to scope out your experience, knowledge, skills, and connections.

      6 Steps To Personalizing Your LinkedIn URL

      One of the most important things you can do for job search success is personalize your LinkedIn URL. By default, when you set up your profile on LinkedIn, you are given a URL for your public profile that may look like this:

      http://www.linkedin.com/pub/firstname-lastname/23654

      This URL above is a temporary LinkedIn ID. A temporary LinkedIn ID typically has /pub/ and numbers that follow it. Personalize your LinkedIn URL to something that is more memorable.

      For instance:

      www.linkedin.com/in/don-goodman-job-expert/

      Changing your default public profile URL to a personalized one is simple and takes only a few clicks of a button.

      Here are the easy steps you can take to personalize your LinkedIn URL:

      1. Sign in to LinkedIn and click “View Profile.”
      2. Click the edit icon to edit your intro.
      3. Scroll down to the contact info section. Click on “Edit contact info” and then click on your profile URL. You’ll be redirected to the settings page where you can change your public profile.
      4. Click the edit icon next to your public profile URL (under “Edit your custom URL”).
      5. In the text box, edit the last part of your public URL.
      6. Click “Save.”

      You now have a personalized LinkedIn URL that can be used to further promote your experience, knowledge, and skills for job opportunities!

      Your new personalized LinkedIn URL should be your name or some variant related to your profession or field of work. If you have a common name, then try to add something that defines you. In my case, there are a number of Don Goodmans so I use “don-goodman-job-expert.”

      Keep in mind when creating your personalized LinkedIn URL to make it something timeless. You know using your name is a safe bet and you likely won’t have to make changes to it in the future. While you are allowed to change your URL at any time, LinkedIn will not redirect anyone clicking on an old URL you have created previously.

      Creating a personalized LinkedIn URL allows you to enhance your personal brand. It is particularly helpful to use on your resume. Resumes have limitations on the type and depth of information you can offer, so when you can include your LinkedIn URL, employers have the opportunity to learn much more about you through recommendations received, skills and expertise, endorsements, and other information that’s available on your LinkedIn profile!

      Need more help optimizing your LinkedIn profile?

      We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you optimize your LinkedIn profile—the right way.

      Join our FREE community to start improving your LinkedIn profile today!

      This article was originally published at an earlier date.

      6 Top Career Choices To Consider

      6 Top Career Choices To Consider

      School guidance and career counselors often urge you to follow your passion when pursuing a career. They emphasize this because you’re more likely to work harder and achieve greater success if you love your job. But while this may sound practical, in reality, it doesn’t always work that way. In this rapidly modernizing world, careers […]

      The post 6 Top Career Choices To Consider appeared first on Jobacle.com.

      Who’s Responsible If You Have an Accident at Work?

      Who’s Responsible If You Have an Accident at Work?

      An employee in the US is entitled to workers’ compensation, apart from a few exclusions. The law dictates that employers need to have workers’ compensation insurance. We cover these duties and rights under the law and how this form of insurance works.  Employer’s Duties Employers will refer workers’ compensation claims to their insurers. An accident […]

      The post Who’s Responsible If You Have an Accident at Work? appeared first on Jobacle.com.

      How To Answer 7 Of The Most Common Interview Questions

      How To Answer 7 Of The Most Common Interview Questions

      Interview questions are not as straightforward as they seem, and answering just one question incorrectly may put you out of the running for a job.

      The takeaway? Be ready to read between the lines.

      Here are seven of the most common interview questions, what the hiring manager is really asking, and how you should respond:

      1. “Tell Me About Yourself.”

      What the hiring manager is really asking…

      “How does your education, work history, and professional aspirations relate to this position?”

      How to respond: Select key work and education information that shows the hiring manager why you are a perfect fit for the job and for the company.

      For example, a recent grad might say something like, “I went to X University where I majored in Y and completed an internship at Z Company. During my internship, I did this and that (name achievements that match the job description), which really solidified my passion for this line of work.”

      2. “Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?”

      Hiring manager asks the job candidate an interview question

      What the hiring manager is really asking…

      “Does this position fit into your long-term career goals? Do you even have long-term career goals?”

      How to respond: Do NOT say you don’t know (even if you don’t) and do not focus on your personal life (it’s nice that you want to get married, but it’s not relevant). Show the employer you’ve thought about your career path and that your professional goals align with the job.

      3. “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?”

      Man listens to an interview question

      What the hiring manager is really asking…

      “Are you self-aware? Do you know where you could stand to improve and are you proactive about getting better?”

      How to respond: A good way to answer this is with real-life feedback that you received in the past. For instance, maybe a former boss told you that you needed to work on your presentation skills.

      Note that fact, then tell the employer how you’ve been proactively improving. Avoid any deal breakers (“I don’t like working with other people.”) or cliché answers (“I’m a perfectionist and I work too hard.”).

      4. “What Motivates You To Perform?”

      Woman listens to a question during her job interview

      What the hiring manager is really asking…

      “Are you a hard worker? Am I going to have to force you to produce quality work?”

      How to respond: Ideal employees are intrinsically motivated, so tell the hiring manager that you find motivation when working toward a goal, contributing to a team effort, and/or developing your skills. Provide a specific example that supports your response.

      Finally, even if it’s true, do not tell an employer that you’re motivated by bragging rights, material things, or the fear of being disciplined.

      5. “Tell Me About A Time That You Failed.”

      Woman smiles before answering an interview question

      What the hiring manager is really asking…

      “How do you respond to failure? Do you learn from your mistakes? Are you resilient?”

      How to respond: Similar to the “greatest weakness” question, you need to demonstrate how you’ve turned a negative experience into a learning experience.

      To do this, acknowledge one of your failures, take responsibility for it, and explain how you improved as a result. Don’t say you’ve never failed (Delusional much?), don’t play the blame game, and don’t bring up something that’s a deal-breaker (“I failed a drug test once…”).

      6. “Why Do You Want To Work Here?”

      Woman shakes hands with the hiring manager during a job interview

      What the hiring manager is really asking…

      “Are you genuinely interested in the job? Are you a good fit for the company?”

      How to respond: Your goal for this response is to demonstrate why you and the company are a great match in terms of philosophy and skill. Discuss what you’ve learned about them, noting how you align with their mission, company culture, and reputation.

      Next, highlight how you would benefit professionally from the job and how the company would benefit professionally from you.

      7. “How Many Couches Are There In America”

      Man answers an interview question

      What the hiring manager is really asking…

      “Can you think on your feet? Can you handle pressure? Can you think critically?”

      How to respond: When faced with a seemingly absurd question like this one, it’s important you’re not caught off guard.

      Resist the urge to tell the interviewer the question is stupid and irrelevant, and instead walk them through your problem-solving thought process. For this particular question, you would talk about how many people are in the U.S., where couches are found (homes, hotels, furniture stores), etc.

      As with other parts of the job application process, it’s a good idea to solicit feedback from family, friends, and former colleagues. Try out your answers to each of these questions with at least two people, then revise based on their feedback.

      The importance of preparation before an interview cannot be stressed enough. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be. If you successfully answer the most common interview questions, you’ll be sure to stand out to employers as a great candidate for the position.

      Need more help preparing for your next job interview?

      We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you prepare for your next job interview.

      It’s time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

      This article was originally published at an earlier date.

      4 Steps To Solving Problems

      4 Steps To Solving Problems

      I used to work with a rapidly expanding start-up.

      Rapidly expanding businesses are like bubbles. The only thing that keeps them together is a very thin skin.

      As the headcount grew, so did the number of people running into problems and needing answers. They looked to their leaders to answer their questions and solve their problems. Their leaders were overwhelmed with more questions and problems than they could possibly handle.

      The answer was to devolve problem-solving and decision-making lower down the chain of command. The staff needed training to think about and solve problems independently. Problem-solving is rarely taught as a skill in itself.

      The 4-Step Coaching/Thinking Approach

      Coworkers in meeting work to solve a problem

      The basic principle of coaching is helping people solve their own problems by asking questions. I revisited my coaching training and identified four basic questions that could be a simple problem-solving framework.

      I trained the lowest level of team leaders to ask their staff these questions when they encountered problems so that later, team members would ask themselves the same questions and work independently and effectively. Here are the questions.

      1. What are you trying to do?

      This is better than “What’s the problem?” because it focuses on the goal. When asking someone, “What’s the problem?” you often find that you have to ask more questions to get the full picture. This tells you where they want to go. You can follow up with other questions:

      • What makes this so important? The initial or “surface” problem often hides something a lot more important. Sometimes an individual may confuse the method of achieving the goal with the goal itself.
      • What will success look like? / How will you know if you have succeeded? When doing something for the first time, people do not always consider what the final result will look like. As a result, they may over-complicate their solution.

      2. What’s stopping you?

      This is what most people think is the “problem.” Sometimes it helps to be like Columbo, the TV detective, and play “dumb.” This gets the other person to explain the challenge in more detail, and as she explains it, she starts to understand it better by thinking aloud.

      Here are some follow-up questions:

      • What’s the situation now? You can use this where someone tells you about a series of events. It helps them concentrate on the current situation instead of “historic” causes that are no longer relevant.
      • What makes this a problem? Frustrated people don’t always think clearly. Asking this helps them to put things in perspective. They may either realize that the obstacle isn’t so massive, or they may stop, think, and understand what makes the problem such a massive obstacle. This may lead to a solution.
      • What do you need? The obstacle may be lack of time, effort, or resources. When they answer, follow up with “How will this help?” This makes them validate their answer and reduce/remove wishful thinking.

      3. What are your options?

      This gets us into brainstorming mode. Brainstorming comes in two stages: idea generation, where there is no such thing as a stupid idea, and idea filtration where we filter the ideas to find what is practical.

      • What other options do you have? Tell me more! Assume you need at least five ideas to get one feasible idea. Inject some urgency to get ideas flowing. Activate your colleague’s unconscious creativity.
      • Now rank these options in order of practicality. Ask this to sort the ideas you can use from the ones you can’t.
      • Why did you reject this one? Most people think conventionally and may reject good ideas because they seem too strange. Take a look at a suitcase from the 1960s. Why did it take someone so long to put wheels on luggage?

      4. What’s your plan?

      Ideas are worth nothing unless they are translated into a concrete plan. Good plans have a start and end date, a concrete objective, and some sort of contingency in case things go wrong. Follow-up questions here include:

      • When are you going to start?
      • When are you going to finish?
      • What are the deliverables?
      • What could go wrong?
      • How are you going to take this into account?

      Ask these, and you will get your plan.

      How Can You Use These Questions?

      Problem, solution

      ​Here are three ways to use these questions. I recommend using them in the order presented to introduce these questions as a framework for thinking.

      1. Coaching-based leadership

      Ask your team members these questions to lead them through the thought process. At first, you may need to tell them answers in the “options” and “plan” phases. Later, they will answer themselves.

      2. Peer coaching

      When your team gets comfortable with these questions, get them to ask each other. At first, you should make it a structured activity. Later, they will start doing it with your prompting them.

      3. Self-coaching

      Encourage your staff to ask themselves these questions when they hit a problem. You can put the questions on the wall as a reminder. When they come to you with a problem, ask them, “Have you asked yourself these questions?”

      If you have the budget, why not put these four questions on posters, mouse pads, coffee mugs, or T-shirts?

      Does this work for you?

      Are you trying to empower your team to work more independently? Try using this method! Let me know how you get on! I’d love to hear about it!

      Is Your Organization Prepared For The Next Disaster?

      Is Your Organization Prepared For The Next Disaster?

      Bad news is seemingly dominating the nightly news headlines. Disasters appear to be everywhere we turn. When a disaster such as a data breach occurs, it’s incredibly stressful and chaotic. Things need to be decided and done quickly or all of the organization’s data could be permanently lost. Note: It’s not IF a disaster will occur, but WHEN a disaster will occur. Does your organization have a written business continuity planning (BCP) plan defining how to handle the disruption?

      Creating a documented, comprehensive, and tested business continuity plan and IT disaster recovery plan before the next disaster occurs is crucial. Otherwise, employees are forced to muscle through the best they can, and there is a good chance that critical tasks will inadvertently not get done or be much harder than normal.

      If your organization doesn’t have a written BCP plan, here is a framework you can use to create a basic BCP plan, and then continue to enhance it.

      How To Create A Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

      Natural disasters

      1. Identify the key risks – incident (i.e. cyberattack, pandemic, active shooter), outage (such as a power failure), and natural disasters (i.e. tornado, wildfire, earthquake). Do a risk assessment to determine the probability of occurrence (high, medium, low) and impact (enterprise-wide, regional, department-specific, etc.)

      2. Take the risk assessment and do a business impact analysis (BIA) to determine how the organization would be impacted. Create a BIA questionnaire for each department to identify things such as potential lost income, outsourcing expenses, regulatory penalties, etc. Additional information can be found here.

      3. Use the BIA information to create the business continuity planning (BCP) plan. There is specific software you can purchase, but if you’re just starting out, I’ve created BCP plans using Microsoft Word. Additional information can be found here.

      1. Create a separate “chapter” for each department, and have IT create a disaster recovery plan.
      2. Identify technology systems/applications and classify them based on quickly they need to be up and running (mission-critical, essential, non-essential).
      3. Identify employees who are critical and non-essential as well as have skills that can be used in other departments and speak different languages.
      4. Identify if there are any critical vendors or VIP customers that need to be notified.
      5. Other resources (e.g. hard copy plan, desktops/laptops, other equipment, forms, supplies, etc.) that will be needed especially if you’re resuming operations at an alternate location.
      6. Don’t forget to create a communication plan.
        • Who can declare a disaster? Talk with the press?
        • Make sure employees know what to do.
        • Have a special phone number employees can call to hear instructions (to report or not); have call info on a business card and distribute to employees; and/or purchase a system (such as Everbridge) to make outgoing calls/texts (will need up-to-date contact info).

      4. The BCP plan should be reviewed at least annually. Departments should update their section of the BCP plan whenever the business changes (a new process or service), there is a new regulation, etc.

      5. Test the plan at least annually and minimally via a tabletop exercise. This gives departments the opportunity to gather lessons learned and update their plan for things they didn’t account for or forgot to update. For example, you didn’t update the team directory and as result had incorrect phone numbers or didn’t realize that one of your critical employees had resigned and wasn’t replaced.

      Additional Resources

      BCP plan, business continuity plan

      Another resource is the Association of Contingency Planners. There is a BCP intro and industry resources.

      Once you create a basic BCP plan, then you can continually enhance it. So, when the next disaster occurs, your organization is better prepared and effective. Employees will benefit from all of that planning and know what to do.

      For more information on having a comprehensive business continuity planning (BCP) plan, follow me on LinkedIn!

      4 Qualities All Great Managers Have

      4 Qualities All Great Managers Have

      Owners of successful business enterprises will be the first ones to tell you that you need to invest in your people. When you are running a business, you need to rely on the efficiency of each person involved in the organization, whether that person is a front liner or is working in the back office.

      Being an owner of a huge corporation entails a lot of responsibilities and that includes hiring and retaining the best people to run your company. You need to look for the best managers who can effectively handle a team of employees.

      If you are in the engineering industry, you probably know by now that completing a certain building project will involve hundreds of people divided into different teams. Having the best managers to handle each team is the best way to ensure the success of your project.

      Here are some qualities all great managers have:

      1. Managers Should Have Strong Interpersonal Skills

      The best engineering managers have a way of dealing with people and making sure that each person in the team feels valued. Look for a manager who knows how to handle the different needs and concerns of their team members. It is the responsibility of the manager to keep their people motivated to come to work every day and to be highly productive.

      Apart from that, a great manager should ensure that the relationship among their team members is harmonious. Should there be any conflict among the members, they have to be able to iron them out effectively without sacrificing the productivity of the entire team.

      2. Managers Should Be Effective In Doing Goal-Setting Activities With Their Team

      Happy team members

      Each member of the team should feel like they are a valued member of the company. This is why great managers should be able to effectively carry out goal-setting activities with their team. They can conduct strategic planning activities and team-building activities to ensure that each member’s goals are streamlined with the entire company’s goals.

      Apart from goal setting in terms of the company’s needs, great managers should also be able to sit down and talk with each team member. Their personal life goals are equally important to the goals that they have for their career. Do they aim to get married in the next few years? Do they aim to migrate with their entire family in the near future? These are things that managers should be aware of. This way, they can prepare ahead of time for sudden changes in the organization and they can ensure proper turnover of responsibilities from one employee to another.

      3. Managers Should Be Able To Properly Assess The Skills Of Each Team Member

      Manager talks to her colleague at work

      Employees have different core competencies, skills, and talents that they can contribute to the company. A great manager will be able to pinpoint these skills so that they can help the employee further harness their potential.

      Managers should be aware of any workshops and seminars that they could send their employees to. Allowing them to have trainings will further enhance their skills and help them to contribute more to the company as a whole. Understanding the skills and goals of each team member will be highly beneficial to the company because each member will feel more valued and more motivated to work even harder.

      4. Managers Should Be Able To Live By Example

      Manager talks to an employee at work

      The best managers always make sure that they are the perfect role models for their team members. They live by the company’s rules and code of conduct. They ensure that they are the perfect shining example of what a model employee is because this is the only way that they can make the rest of the team follow.

      A great leader should start by being a good follower. Excellent managers are those who follow the company’s standards and bend the rules only if it is for the greater good.

      Want to grow your career and become a better manager?

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      This article was originally published at an earlier date.