Career-related New Year's resolutions
L.M. Sixel
When most people focus on New Year's resolutions, they're
thinking about eating better and exercising more. But there is nothing to stop
you from vowing to brush up on your career-related skills, get ready for the
next job opportunity and expand your horizons.
In case you haven't thought of ways you can improve, here
are some suggestions. Hopefully, those you choose will last longer than your
new diet and exercise plan.
Network: Most people don't do enough of it. They
stay inside their small circles, rarely taking advantage of opportunities to
meet their counterparts in other companies.
Vow to go to an industry event at least once a month. Or go
to a meet-and-greet event at a nearby chamber of commerce to get to know folks
outside your industry. I did that a few years ago, and it has become
a habit.
Get personal: When you're expanding that
network, make sure you're doing it in a way that's effective and meaningful.
For Andrea French, executive director of a transit advocacy group, that means
more phone calls and face-to-face meetings over lunch and coffee rather than
relying on e-mails and social media.
"E-mail is great for time constraints and quick
answers," said French. "But to develop relationships - meaningful and
lasting ones - it's better to do it in person or on the phone."
Reach out: When you go to a business event, make
an effort to sit with strangers. And take the opportunity to introduce
yourself. You'll make more valuable contacts than if you just sit with your
car pool.
Read more: Stephen
Newton, area manager for the Houston office of Russell Reynolds Associates,
vows to waste less time scrolling around his iPad and read more
business books.
"I'm not a trade,r so how soon do I have to know the
housing starts?" asked Newton, who is a recruiter for executive and
board-level positions.
The first books on his 2013 list include "The Signal
and the Noise: Why Most Predictions Fail But Some Don't" by polling and
statistical guru Nate
Silver, and "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and
Business" by Charles
Duhigg.
"All of us in our business become way too siloed,"
said Newton. "We need to recharge our intellectual batteries from time
to time."
Socialize: Every organization has celebrations.
Sometimes it's to mark a retirement; sometimes it's to say hello to the new director
of sales.
You're busy. You don't need to eat another piece of cake.
And it's not exactly your idea of a good time to stand around and listen to
speeches. But go anyway. Use the time to meet and greet your co-workers who
work in other departments. When you need a favor in two months, you will thank
me for pushing you out the door to that reception.
Bone up: Think about one skill you can improve
and then make a plan. Maybe you'd like to become a better public speaker. Or
maybe you'd like to write a better business letter.
There are dozens of books about presentation skills, or you
can ask your company to send you to a training program. At a minimum, you'll
end the year with something you didn't have at the beginning. And you can even
put it on your resume as an accomplishment if it's big enough.
Saadat
Syal is planning to brush up on his schmoozing skills. He retired from
his full-time job more than a decade ago, but he's been spending more time as a
mediator, consultant and lecturer on workplace conflict and
cultural issues.
Syal has to learn how to generate business for himself and
the old standby of dividing a business meal into thirds - from the
getting-to-know-you portion, to the meat-and-potatoes why-we're-here segment,
to an agreement to meet again - seems passe in this fast-paced world of social
media and technological language that eclipses many social niceties.
"They're looking for different trigger points,"
said Syal, recalling his surprise when potential business partners break the
ice with questions about technology providers and operating systems. "I'm
not sure I'm delivering them."
Get current: Update your resume to include your
current position. The economy is warming up, and you never know when you'll
hear about an interesting job opening. The inevitable question will come up -
can you send me your resume? Have it ready to go.
