Vicky Farrow, Director of Executive and Work Force Development at Sun Microsystems gives workers the following advice for assuming career responsibility: The overarching principle: Think of yourself as a business. Define your product or service. What is your area of expertise? Know your target market. To whom are you going to sell this? Be …
The focus of most training is to improve organizational effectiveness, efficiency, or performance. Training may involve improving skills, removing hindrances, gaining proficiency, increasing sensitivity, and acquiring competencies. A competency is any knowledge, aptitude, attitude, or ability that distinguishes Brand U’s from average behaviors or me-too deliverables. More often, Brand U’s are induced to learn and …
Remember, there are a number of ways to develop personal competencies and be successful. It’s more than brainpower. More psychologists and others say that IQ is only one and may be the least important characteristic of success. Robert Sternberg, a Yale psychologist, believes that intelligence consists of three factors: 1. analytical skills ensure high standardized …
We do owe a measure of loyalty to our employer and to our customer. However, it’s difficult to engender loyalty and put a human face on a corporation, as we do with friends. It’s easier to be loyal to Jane downstream or Jack upstream of us. We share meals with Jane and play with Jack …
Each person must take full responsibility for his or her career. The old career path no longer exists. Workers will be rewarded for knowledge and adaptability. Teamwork will replace hierarchy as the dominant organizational form. Workers who flourish in the new environment will be so prized by employers that companies will go out of …
How do you differentiate your Brand U from the rest of the consulting herd? The differentiator is what makes you different or adds value. This is your ‘value proposition.’
Know your unique value and abilities. Then price your services accordingly. I differentiate consultants into 4 Brand U categories: 1. how; 2. what; 3. why; and 4. who consultants. How consultants ($100/hr) know how to do something right. What consultants ($200/hr) know what to do right? Why consultants ($300/hr) can distill why the right things …
More Brand U’s are rethinking their work assumptions because of the unpredictable and volatile workplace. It’s not uncommon to see a 35-year-old Brand U having had five or more jobs, many of which were voluntary moves. Five years ago migrating from job to job was a sign of unsuitability, instability, or poor work habits. Now, …
One person recently quipped that project leaders are CEOs in training. Think about it! Within the scope of the project, the leader is responsible for facilitating all project activities that a CEO would have in a company.
In a projectized organization, Brand U work is organized into project teams that form and disband when work is finished. Each Brand U evolves into a self-managed, project professional responsible for getting work done on time, on budget while satisfying stakeholders. Often there are no permanent job titles or permanent job assignments. There are few …