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Career Development Articles
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- ***Career or Job? - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2009 from Kevin BurnsI met Wendy years ago when I took a job as a restaurant manager. For me, the management position was a job. It wasn’t my career as I hadn’t prepared myself to become a restaurant manager. Heck, I’d never even worked in a restaurant prior. But I had eaten in plenty of restaurants. I had a good ...
Views: 1659 - ***Did You Know That Voice Training Will Improve Your Diction Automatically? - by Submitted on Jun 01, 2011 from Nancy DanielsWhen I first started my business, I was showing my husband the 'before & after' video clips of my clients. A German-speaking Austrian, he was amazed at how much better he understood their words in the 'after' takes. What is fascinating is that I did not work with my clients on their diction - ...
Views: 4309 - ***Does Your Posture Speak Confidence Or the Lack of It? - by Submitted on Feb 20, 2012 from Nancy DanielsI had an interesting experience recently when I had new photos taken. One of the shots showed my shoulders drawn in – not back and straight. Whether I had liked the smile on my face or not was irrelevant, because the position of my shoulders did not speak of confidence which is something I ...
Views: 3074 - ***Does Your Voice Complete Your Profressional Image or Detract from It? - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2014 from Nancy DanielsAs a people, we are concerned about the image we project. Certainly in business we want to project a professional image. Does your speaking voice complete that image or does it detract? By the way, I’m not talking about the voice you hear in your head. I’m referring to the sound you hear on ...
Views: 1806 - ***Does Your Voice Drop Off at the End of Your Sentences? - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2011 from Nancy DanielsIf you find that your voice drops off at the end of your sentences, you are probably male. While this problem is not confined to the male sex, it is much more common among men than women. Why this happens could be for a few different reasons. 1. Fear of Interruption. You are hoping ...
Views: 6259 - ***Don't Push Your Voice - Empower It! - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2014 from Nancy DanielsOne of the difficulties people have with their speaking voice is that they have no control over it. They push hard from their throat and vocal cords to speak instead of allowing their sound to be powered by their chest cavity. And the difference between these two practices can be quite ...
Views: 1880 - ***Empower Your Employees to Make Decisions and Watch Customer And Employee Satisfaction Surge! - by Submitted on May 27, 2011 from Regina BarrLast month I shared with you several lessons critical to sustained leadership success. One of those lessons was to empower your team to make decisions. According to last month’s Red Ladder poll, 33% of respondents indicated that empowering employees to make decisions was the improvement that ...
Views: 1352 - ***Equip yourself to handle difficult conversations well - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2012 from Regina BarrEffective leaders understand that enhancing relationships is critical to their success. In fact, of all the behaviors attributed to career derailment, a problem with relationship building is cited most often – almost 46 percent of the time. Communicating constructively is key to enhancing ...
Views: 1684 - ***Everything I Need to Know About Success I Learned Through Networking - by Submitted on Jun 03, 2011 from Regina BarrAs a Consultant, I attend a lot of networking events, industry association programs, and one-on-one meetings for breakfast, coffee or other food-related events. Whenever I network or attend events, I always tell people that it was worth my time and money if I gained just one creative idea or ...
Views: 1564 - ***Feeling Overwhelmed? You Are Not Alone - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2014 from Kitty BoitnottOverwhelm. Many of us are feeling it more and more frequently, and it is affecting us more and more everyday. We are clearly overwhelmed with information on a daily basis. News on multiple television channels is delivered to us 24 hours 7 days a week. We have the Internet that is both a servant ...
Views: 1306 - ***Finding Balance in an Unbalanced World - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2012 from Regina BarrEffective leaders understand that enhancing relationships is critical to their success. Imagine this for a moment. Your life is a smooth-running machine. You have plenty of time to do all of the important things: eat breakfast, take the kids to school, arrive at work on time, prepare for your ...
Views: 1656 - ***Five Key Leadership Lessons I learned from Serving on Non-Profit Boards - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2011 from Regina BarrLike many of you, I serve on several non-profit boards in various capacities including chair. And, like many of you, I have had great experiences and frustrating experiences. Here are some of the key leadership lessons I have learned along the way that are critical for success. These lessons can ...
Views: 1498 - ***Five Secrets of Successful Women in Business - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2011 from Regina BarrWe all have those successful women we admire who seem to turn everything they touch into gold. I’ve had the opportunity to interact with a number of women like this during the past month to learn more about why they are so successful. Here are five secrets of success that I have learned from ...
Views: 1980 - ***Five Stress Busters I Learned From Eating Dark Chocolate - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2011 from Regina BarrAs a life-long learner, I am a voracious reader. My husband claims that I will read anything, which is simply not true. I am a serious business professional and am discerning in my choice of reading materials. For example, I would never consider reading the instruction manual for setting up or ...
Views: 1250 - ***Five Tips for How to Think on Your Feet and Become the MacGyver of Your Workplace - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2011 from Regina BarrThinking on your feet is a critical skill for any business leader when it comes to solving unexpected issues that arise on the job. This is the number one reason my clients state for hiring me. No matter what obstacles come my way, I always find a way to work things out. Do you remember the ...
Views: 1617 - ***Five Tips for How to Think on Your Feet and Become the MacGyver of Your Workplace - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2011 from Regina BarrThinking on your feet is a critical skill for any business leader when it comes to solving unexpected issues that arise on the job. This is the number one reason my clients state for hiring me. No matter what obstacles come my way, I always find a way to work things out. Do you remember the ...
Views: 1208 - ***GET CLEAR ON WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IN 5 MIND-BLOWING STEPS - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2013 from Genevieve de LacazeEpisode under Stage 1 (S1) of the Passion Pays journey: Understand Your Passions, Fundamentally Many people don’t know what they want or they want much less than they deserve. But if you don't even allow yourself to find out what you really want, you don't stand much ...
Views: 1703 - ***Getting Started With LinkedIn In Your Job Search - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2012 from Michelle RiklanWhy Get LinkedIn? LinkedIn is the top social networking website for jobseekers. As Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, explains it, “Post a full profile and get connected to the people you trust. Because if you’re connected to those people and you posted a profile, then when other people are ...
Views: 7612 - ***How Fast Is Too Fast in Speaking - Be It in Conversation or at the Lectern? - by Submitted on Sep 17, 2012 from Nancy DanielsSpeaking too quickly is a problem not just for those of us who hail from one of the Mid-Atlantic States, it is a problem as well for many whose 1st language is not English. One of the fastest talkers I’ve encountered in the thousands with whom I have worked was a man from Portugal. But India ...
Views: 2182 - ***How to Motivate Employees Without Breaking Your Budget - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2011 from Regina BarrIt's January and it's the time of year when most people look to make changes, and that includes changes in their jobs. It is also a time when most companies begin posting new positions. Depending on which side of this scenario you are sitting on will determine if that is good news or bad news ...
Views: 1203 - ***How to Motivate Employees Without Breaking Your Budget - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2011 from Regina BarrIt's January and it's the time of year when most people look to make changes, and that includes changes in their jobs. It is also a time when most companies begin posting new positions. Depending on which side of this scenario you are sitting on will determine if that is good news or bad news ...
Views: 1376 - ***If Voice Training Doesn't Cover Volume and Projection, It Isn't Voice Training - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2012 from Nancy DanielsThe other day I received an email from a young man who told me that he was getting a sore throat by speaking loudly at the clubs and wondered if my training dealt with volume. I had to smile when he said that he had read several books on voice and none of them talked about how to increase or ...
Views: 2501 - ***If You Are Looking for a Way to Improve Your Image, Do Not Forget Your Voice - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2011 from Nancy DanielsYou have probably heard the statistics: when you meet someone in a face-to-face situation, 37% of the image you project is attributed to your speaking voice; 55% of your image is the visual and a mere 8% your content. Whether those percentages are true is not the issue. The issue is whether ...
Views: 3311 - ***If Your Voice Is a Monotone, Think Energy - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2013 from Nancy DanielsRecently I was working with one of my clients, describing how to add more color to her voice. Color is the emotion, the life, the animation one expresses in speaking. Her response to me was, “You want me to speak with more energy.” While I certainly want speakers to have an energetic ...
Views: 2225 - ***Improve Your Bottom Line through Executive Coaching - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2011 from Regina BarrIf someone were to ask you whether or not you would consider working with an executive coach, would you feel insulted or exhilarated? Your answer will probably depend on a number of factors including what region of the country you live in, the context in which the question is asked, and your ...
Views: 1173 - ***Is a Voice Improvement Workshop Something You Should Consider? - by Submitted on Sep 24, 2013 from Nancy DanielsToday there are numerous ways you can improve the sound of your speaking voice. There are books, CDs, DVDs, webinars, private sessions, group sessions and even Skype. I find that one of the most effective means of discovering your ‘real’ voice is the 2-day workshop. While voice training ...
Views: 1751 - ***Is Your Diction a Stumbling Block to Your Success? - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2011 from Nancy DanielsWhy does everyone else seem to get the promotion and not you? Is it possible that your diction is getting in the way? Speaking clearly today is now more important than ever because business has become global – from the largest corporations to those who run their own business out of their ...
Views: 3084 - ***Is Your Fear of Public Speaking Hindering Your Advancement? - by Submitted on May 12, 2014 from Nancy DanielsI am amazed at the number of people who confide in me that their fear of speaking at a lectern or even at the head of a boardroom table is jeopardizing their career advancement. This is so unfortunate because their fear is control of them instead of the other way around. Everyone is nervous ...
Views: 3083 - ***Is Your Soft-Spoken Voice Holding You Back? - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2011 from Nancy DanielsWhen you look at your assets and liabilities in the business world, have you ever considered that your soft-spoken voice is not an asset but indeed a liability? If others cannot hear you, your message is not being received. Volume is a very tricky dynamic. A voice that is too loud is ...
Views: 3592 - ***Is your Voice Holding You Back from Landing That Coveted Job? - by Submitted on Mar 19, 2011 from Nancy DanielsWith the high level of unemployment today, landing a job with any company is highly competitive. What is the possibility that your voice is not an asset but indeed a liability? Before pursuing graduate studies, I worked for a company in the Philadelphia area in which we sold pre-arranged ...
Views: 2689 - ***Jobs for Sale - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2009 from John AOVI have never seen an advertisement that said "Great Jobs for Sale," and I bet you haven't either. But if someone offered to sell you a great job, for a reasonable price, wouldn't you say yes? Imagine receiving the additional job benefits of having a new job with a healthy income stream that ...
Views: 900 - ***Keep Your Accent - Just Learn to Speak More Clearly - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2014 from Nancy DanielsWith the world becoming a huge melting pot, we are hearing accents wherever we go and whatever we listen to. This article is not about getting rid of your accent. Accents are part of what makes you, you. I would never advocate trying to eliminate it. The only problem with an accent or even ...
Views: 2167 - ***Leading When You’re NOT the Boss - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2011 from Regina BarrAs an organizational consultant, the leaders that I find that are most in demand today are those that can motivate and engage employees that are outside of the scope of their functional responsibilities. The same holds true for the non-profit organizations I work with. What make these ...
Views: 1190 - ***Lessons from the Sigmoid Curve - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2011 from Mark HarrisonAll things occur in cycles, ebbing and flowing as time goes by. In the west, we often think of things progressing in a linear way, but nature teaches us that this is not the case. Darkness and light, the seasons, the life cycles of plants and animals – all these things rise and fall ...
Views: 3829 - ***Leverage Year-to-Date Results to Establish and Enhance Credibility - by Submitted on Mar 02, 2012 from Regina BarrWhen’s the best time to get some buzz for your accomplishments? If you’re like most people, you probably answered during my annual performance evaluation. But in actuality, that’s the worst time. Why? Because everyone else is trying to do the same thing at the same time, which means your ...
Views: 1547 - ***Manage Small Changes and Builds Your Capacity for Change Management - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2011 from Regina BarrHow often have you heard the statement, the only thing constant is change. No kidding, right? Anyone living on the planet earth can attest to that statement. For most of us, the pace of change seems to have picked up dramatically over the past few years, thanks in part to the increased ...
Views: 1106 - ***Moving the Needle on Employee Engagement and Commitment - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2011 from Regina BarrWhen it comes to employee engagement and commitment to an organization, most companies would agree that they ‘have some, want more.’ Why? These companies have come to recognize that their organization’s long-term success relies on employee performance, which is directly impacted by the level of ...
Views: 1299 - ***Networking for Success - by Submitted on Sep 28, 2011 from Regina BarrNetworking is an art form practiced by many, mastered by few. Like anything, practice makes perfect. Owning my own company, I get to practice a lot. My favorite networking example is from the movie, For Love of Money. There is a classic scene where Michael J. Fox, who plays a hotel ...
Views: 1121 - ***Next Time You Give Your Personal Introduction, Why Not Stand Out From the Crowd? - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2011 from Nancy DanielsOh, how I dislike the business lunch or dinner meeting in which everyone must stand and introduce themselves. What we tend to hear, one after the other, is a name, a profession, and a place of business that becomes sing-song after the 1st introduction. Not only is it spoken in a lilt, but ...
Views: 5091 - ***Nine Nuggets from My Recent Blog Posts and Tweets to Inspire Your Success - by Submitted on Sep 28, 2011 from Regina BarrWhen I attend networking events, participate in seminars, read newsletters and other periodicals, I always feel that my time has been well spent if I take away just one new idea that I can implement immediately or that pushes me to think outside my comfort zone. Maybe you are shaking your head ...
Views: 1271 - ***One Voice Matters -- Yours! - by Submitted on Apr 10, 2009 from Nancy DanielsWhen it comes to improving your presentation skills, only one voice matters – yours! Have you ever considered what your speaking voice is saying about you? Have you ever listened to a recording of yourself? No, I mean listened, truly listened to how others recognize your voice. Most people ...
Views: 3453 - ***Realize Your Dream Job in 2012 - by Submitted on Dec 17, 2012 from Anastasia MontejanoWhere can your dreams take you in 2012 if you allow yourself to take one inspired step at a time? You have a unique gift to share with the world. The question we often grapple with is "how to get that gift out of our hearts and into the world"? Though we're all capable of making the ...
Views: 1329 - ***Reflections and Goals - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2011 from Regina BarrLike most people, you probably took inventory and made plans for the coming year. Some of you probably even took the time to identify one or two New Year's resolutions. Yet, the experts say that 30 percent of the people who make New Year's resolutions have given up by Feb. 1st and over half will ...
Views: 1523 - ***Risk Taking has its Rewards - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2011 from Regina BarrPeople often tell me that they are amazed at how willing I am to take risks. For me, it's less about the risk itself, and more about the opportunity and excitement it generates, which compels me to step out of my comfort zone again and again. So, how do you view risk? Most people I talk to ...
Views: 1171 - ***Self Promotion: How to Promote Yourself Without Looking Like a Self-Serving Idiot - by Submitted on Nov 17, 2011 from Regina BarrWhat is it about the combination of the words "self promotion" that makes most women cringe? And why is it that, in particular, women struggle the most in this arena? Research has shown that there are a number of barriers women must overcome with the concept of ...
Views: 1337 - ***Seven Strategies for Inflating Your Success - by Submitted on Nov 17, 2011 from Regina BarrWhen I ask people to describe characteristics of successful people, they often identify characteristics that they associate with others but not themselves. This never ceases to amaze me. In a recent Red Ladder survey, respondents indicated that the top two drivers for success were 1) having ...
Views: 1293 - ***Six Tips for Managing a Vacation Hangover - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2011 from Regina BarrI have been talking to a number of business professionals who are all suffering from what I refer to as "vacation hangover." What's that you say? Let me illustrate for you. You scrambled to get everything done before taking a much needed and deserved vacation. Like most people, you centered ...
Views: 1192 - ***Speaking Too Softly Does Not Speak Well of You - by Submitted on May 12, 2014 from Nancy DanielsRecently I held a 2-Day Voice & Presentation Skills Workshop in which one of the attendees, named Mohammad, was quite soft-spoken. He came to the seminar not just to work on his presentation skills, but more specifically to learn how to speak in a normal volume of sound. Notice I said ...
Views: 2777 - ***Ten ways to develop resilience - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2011 from Mark HarrisonResilience or the ability to ‘bounce back’ after encountering problems is an essential trait. Inevitably, life will throw up some apparently adverse situations, and being able to deal with such circumstances in a positive and creative way is often a measure of how happy and successful a person ...
Views: 2664 - ***The Art of Saying “No” and Setting Boundaries - by Submitted on Apr 11, 2014 from Kitty Boitnott“No" is a complete sentence.” ~Anne Lamott Anne Lamott is an author who has been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and is known for her wry wit, her political activism, and her sometimes divergent thoughts on faith. The sentence above is a mark of her ability to cut to ...
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