When the Seattle rain finally tapers off this time of year I love to go running outside in the fresh air. Running gives me time to ponder my life and, inevitably, I end up thinking how grateful I am to have participated in sports while growing up. Why? Because all the lessons I learned in sports I was able to apply to my career and in my personal life.

Being a competitive athlete taught me the importance of always believing in myself, how to be a team player, and that success comes from perseverance. It wasn’t until I had progressed in my career that I fully understood and came to appreciate the importance of the passage of Title IX, a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972 that gave women equal rights to participate in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance… including sports.

In honor of the June 23rd anniversary date of Title IX, I interviewed Olympic gold medalist Megan Jendrick (maiden name Quann) to obtain a professional athlete’s perception of the positive impact sports can have on women’s careers and their personal success.

Megan is a local legend in my hometown of Puyallup, Washington. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics she was the youngest medalist on the U.S. Olympic swim team, earning gold medals in the 100-meter breaststroke and 400-meter medley relay. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Megan earned a silver medal in the 400-meter medley relay. During her swimming career (so far) she won ten U.S. National championships, set twenty-six American and world records and was a featured athlete on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Megan now works as a motivational speaker, spokesperson and is the author of the books Get Wet, Get Fit: The Complete Guide to Getting a Swimmer’s Body and Christmas is Coming, a novel written with husband Nathan Jendrick in which proceeds are donated to Christmas charities.

Q1: You’ve competed in many different sports from swimming to water polo, basketball, soccer, volleyball and even hockey. What are some of the most important lessons you learned from participating in sports that you were able to apply to your career?

Megan: The most important lessons I’ve learned from sports are that, one, hard work really does pay off, and two, setting goals is the key to accomplishment. I learned through my goals in swimming that if I plan things out and do what’s necessary, taking things one step at a time, I’ll achieve my dreams.

Q2: How did you discover your love of sports, and what led to your desire to become an Olympic athlete?

Photo: Courtesy of Megan Jendrick

Megan: I initially didn’t have any desire to be an Olympic swimmer. I actually hated swimming at first because I was so afraid of putting my head underwater. It wasn’t until I tested so badly into the swim team that I was put into a group with kids half my age – all of who were far faster than me – that I decided to set some goals. I didn’t like losing, especially to five-year-olds when I was nine, so I made it a point to work on one thing every practice that would help me get better and be faster. Then, I was so motivated after watching Amanda Beard at the Olympics in 1996 when she was 14 and I was 12, I told my parents, “I’m going to go to the 2000 Olympics.” I felt that if I were willing to put in the work I could be one of the best swimmers in the world, and going to the Olympics would prove that.

Q3: Training for the Olympics is no easy feat. Can you tell us about some of the difficulties you faced and what you did to keep yourself motivated?

Photo: Courtesy of Megan Jendrick

Megan: Swimming competitively is really a unique experience in its own right. The way I went about training for the Olympics is essentially the same way every other club swimmer around the country trains. For many years I put in two practices a day for five-to-six hours in the water, another hour in the gym, and we did it six days a week. Later on, before Beijing, I swam with a club that trained seven days a week.

Doing all of that training, and losing out on most of the social aspects that kids have growing up, was pretty difficult at times. Sometimes I asked myself, “Why am I doing this when I could be going to the mall or the movies with my friends?” But I kept reminding myself of my goals and I realized that I wasn’t really missing out on anything; I was just getting different experiences than other people.

Q4: Now that the summer months are here, what tips do you have on ways to help women become fit and healthy?

Photo: Courtesy of Megan Jendrick

Megan: One of the main reasons people have trouble committing to an active and healthy lifestyle is because there’s this mindset that working out has to be boring. People dread it because they feel like they can’t have fun and be fit at the same time. The truth, of course, is that you absolutely can enjoy yourself and be healthy. Find something you enjoy and just commit to it. Whether it’s walking, playing tennis, anything.

One thing a lot of women have told me is, “I like lifting weights, but I can’t do it because I don’t want to look masculine.” And to that I tell them, “You won’t! If you like lifting weights, lift weights! Have fun with it!” And beyond that, some people just think you have to be in a gym to be fit, which is just not true. My husband, for example, has written two really great books on getting in shape without a gym, and there are countless things you can do right from your own home to live a healthier life.

Q5: As a career coach, I’m always emphasizing the value and importance of having mentors. Please describe your most important mentor(s) and how they helped you achieve success.

Megan: I have had a lot of coaches and trainers who have each taught me different keys to success. It’s good to have people you trust because they help you find your limits. They know when to push you and how far, and their belief in you when you don’t know if you believe in yourself helps you break through barriers and reach even higher goals. My coaches did that for me and helped me realize that if I kept striving to better my best, that I could go to the Olympics and I could win those gold medals.

You can follow Megan on Twitter or to find out about one of her upcoming swim camps/clinics, click here.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photo credits: Photos courtesy of Megan Jendrick (Quann)

I immediately imagined they were probably the type of person who waited until the last minute to get things done, who didn’t complete adequate research or analysis for projects, who didn’t anticipate questions that could be asked when presenting in front of groups, etc. My mind began conjuring up all kinds of ideas about the type of employee they might be, if hired. Needless to say, that person didn’t get the job.

Why is analyzing and understanding the job requirements such a big deal? Because when you fully understand these you can position yourself much better as the candidate that should be hired. So if you’re going to a lot of job interviews but not getting the job, you might not be doing enough of the right preparation work.

To improve your odds of obtaining a job, complete these six actions before you even apply:

Download and examine the job description. Carefully read it several times and make sure you fully understand it.

Find the gaps. Analyze your knowledge, skills, experience, education and attitude against the job requirements to see how you compare and to look for gaps.

Highlight key words. Read through the job description again and highlight the key words used to describe the job and requirements.

Customize your résumé. Using the highlighted key words, tailor your résumé to that specific job in a way that showcases your skills and accomplishments that are most relevant to the requirements.

Brainstorm interview questions. Look at the job description again and brainstorm questions the interviewer might ask to find out how your background fits the job requirements. Then practice your answers out loud.

Determine clarifying questions. If you find you don’t understand something listed on the job description or requirements, think about questions you could ask the hiring manager to obtain clarification once you’re in the interview.

As a hiring manager, I always take time during the interview to review the job description and requirements with the candidate. Then I go through each job requirement one by one and ask the candidate to tell me how they believe they meet the requirement, based on their knowledge, skills, experience or education.

As a job candidate, it’s much easier to have this discussion with a hiring manager if you’ve already completed the six actions (listed above) at home. You can then easily point to the areas on your résumé that demonstrate your experience in each required area (because you’ve already made sure to include the relevant pieces of information on your résumé).

There are usually way more job applicants than available open positions. The key is to determine all the ways you can make yourself stand out from others. Taking the time to review and understand the job description, analyzing the job requirements against your knowledge, skills, experience and education, making sure you address these areas on your résumé and using your analysis to prepare for interviews is a great way to differentiate yourself.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photo credit: Microsoft Free Clip Art

Due to living on a tight budget through the start of her company, Tracy recognizes the importance of being able to build a great wardrobe on a tight budget. This is exactly what Tradesy does for its customers. Similar to a fancy online consignment shop, Tradesy makes it easy for women to buy and sell used clothing by handling all of the possible headaches like payment, shipping and returns.

Tracy’s path to success wasn’t an easy one, but it’s incredibly inspiring. In this interview, she gives us the inside story on what it took to grow Tradesy from a 1-person company run at her kitchen table to a 22-person operation with millions of customers in just three years.

Q1: Online consignment is a rapidly growing trend, which you tuned into before most. What tips can you share with other entrepreneurs for identifying and tapping into future trends?

Tracy: The first step is to identify your personal strengths and passions, then look for the big problems to solve and large market opportunities that exist in the area that you love. Before I even began to understand the fashion resale market, I knew that I felt inspired to do something that would help women like me look and feel great without overspending. I knew how it felt to have an overflowing closet but nothing to wear, and I wanted to do something that would enable women to build better wardrobes and a healthier relationship with shopping and spending. I started researching ways to solve the problems I saw, and identify deficiencies in the market.

For the quantitative research, you’ll need to spend a lot of time Googling! It’s important to answer questions such as, “How big is my target market?” and “How much do they spend or might they spend on the area that I’m interested?” Huge numbers in those areas can help you identify trends and opportunities. But the qualitative research is just as important.

Get out and talk to people in your target market! I hung around at resale and consignment shops and spoke to customers to understand what they wanted and how the existing system might not be meeting their needs. When you begin hearing the same grievances from many customers in your market, it will allow you to identify an emerging solution, or create one yourself! I think it’s really important to not get caught up in “bubble” trends and do whatever the hot new thing is. Instead, combine your own passions with dedicated research to stay ahead of the trend curve.

Q2: You grew Tradesy from almost nothing to a $10 million company in just three years. That is truly inspiring! To what do you attribute this success?

Tracy: There is simply no substitute for hard work. We often hear stories of successful entrepreneurs for whom the stars magically aligned, but we rarely get a window into how much effort went into creating that momentum. Luck favors the prepared and the tenacious. When I started Tradesy, I had no technology experience, so I worked 18-hour days, spending at least half of my time diligently learning every aspect of running an online business, including website design, marketing and customer service.

And, to manage my start-up costs, I even slept on my couch and rented out my bedroom to keep the lights on!

If you’re doing something you feel truly passionate about, starting up will be challenging and overwhelming, but it won’t feel like work – at least not in the traditional sense. It will feel like an exhilarating, challenging, scary, amazing roller coaster ride that you never want to get off of. And you will work gladly and humbly with dedication every day, because that’s what it takes to earn the success that lets you keep doing what you love.

Q3: What were your most significant challenges in achieving this success? Please share your strategies for overcoming them.

Tracy: The internal challenge was self-doubt (“Can I do this?” “Am I good enough?” “What if I fail?”). If you’re not having those thoughts, you may not be trying hard enough or risking enough as it’s a natural response to putting everything on the line for something you believe in. The external challenge was money. Deciding how to allocate my constrained resources was a daily exercise in prioritization.

For the internal challenges, it’s about cultivating mental discipline to counteract self-doubt. Every moment you spend questioning yourself is a moment you’re not dedicating to growing your company. I like to re-channel that natural fear into productivity by setting small, achievable goals. When I felt anxiety creeping in, I would commit to learning something new, like how to set up a giveaway on Facebook. I would tell myself that if I still felt like worrying about it after that task was complete, I then had permission to wallow, but I never did! Accomplishments and forward motion, no matter how small, have a way of muting that pesky voice in your head.

For the financial challenges, I found ways to be resourceful, whether it was selling my car and my clothes, or taking on small data entry jobs, or renting out my bedroom on Airbnb. Where there’s a will there’s a way, no matter what your circumstance. That spirit is very much what informs Tradesy’s core values today, and helps us inspire women to get the wardrobe of their dreams on any budget. We feel good about spreading that message, because we’ve lived it ourselves!

Q4: As a businesswoman in the fashion industry, our readers would love to hear your personal philosophy on dressing for success!

Tracy: A well-cut blazer, a great bag and a beautiful shoe will help you conquer the world! Trends change so quickly that it makes sense to invest in very classic, well-made versions of those three pieces, then pair them with less expensive things that reflect the current season or trend.

There is a ton of research that tells us we perform better at work and are perceived more positively when we dress well, so it’s important to develop a personal style and know what it says to you and others. Dressing like a successful woman helps you become one!

For me, success is about confidence, determination, and being comfortable in your skin. So I’m drawn to well-cut neutrals that aren’t too trendy or distracting, a comfortable-but-stylish shoe that lets me walk with confidence, and military-style details that bring out my “inner warrior.” If you start with identifying the traits that say “success” to you, it becomes easier to develop a personal style that reflects the inner business diva you really are, and that frees up your time and energy to focus on work instead of what you’re going to wear.

Q5: In launching Tradesy, who has been your most important mentor and how have they helped you achieve success?

Tracy: Mentorship is SO important, especially for women in business! But that doesn’t mean all your mentors have to be women. You should cultivate several mentoring relationships for different aspects of your work. For me, Dany Levy (the founder of Daily Candy and Tradesy’s first investor) has been an incredible mentor. I had admired her for years, and was pleasantly surprised that when we met, she was willing to be honest and supportive about the challenges of choosing this career path. She showed me how to manage the stress of building a company with humor and grace – and an occasional martini! Aside from providing personal support, she has also advised on major business decisions, and showed me the value of building a brand.

I’ve also been fortunate to have the guidance and input of Jim Andelman of Rincon Venture Partners, who led Tradesy’s first major round of funding and sits on our board. Jim is whip-smart and comes from a finance background, so he thinks in numbers and unit metrics. It’s a great counterpoint to my natural tendency to be more qualitative and gut-driven. His mentorship has made me a sharper, more strategic CEO, and he’s taught me to stay focused on the key metrics that drive the company’s growth.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photos: Courtesy of Tracy DiNunzio

Situation: My boss has been taking credit for my work. My manager looked me in the face in a meeting and proposed my idea as her own. I was shocked. Throughout this week, I have noticed she is repeating in meetings everything I have said. I have made the decision to no longer give ideas to help the project, and only work on tasks I am allocated — which is not my way of working, I prefer being proactive. I am thinking of complaining, but she has been at the company about 30 years and is close with the HR Director and I’ve only been there three years. My anger is driving me to potentially complain via the Union, but can I? I feel like leaving the company or even calling in sick because it’s annoying me that much.

Lisa: You are currently avoiding dealing with the negative situation to the extent that it’s making you feel sick just thinking about it. Your first step should always be to go directly to the person with the unethical behavior and speak with them. Try holding a confidential discussion with your manager to point out her behavior and ask her to help you understand why she hasn’t been giving you credit for the ideas.

If you are fearful of how your manager will react during the discussion then ask a colleague to accompany you who is familiar with the situation and willing to stand up for you (and for what is ethically right). If her reaction is bad, then you’ll have even more evidence against her along with an eyewitness.

Sometimes, until you make it known to the person that you see what they are doing and would like an explanation, they will continue their bad behavior. Further, the first thing the union representative or an HR representative will ask you is, “How did your manager react when you spoke to her about this issue? Did her behavior continue?” You need to be able to answer those questions in a way that demonstrates your mature and professional attempt at handling the situation.

Right now, this manager knows she can take your ideas and walk all over you — because you are letting her. Working 30 years for a company is NO excuse for unethical behavior; however, this bad behavior will likely continue until you and other affected colleagues speak out, first directly to this manager and then, if the behavior does not improve, to HR or the union.

Standing up for yourself and others (in a highly professional manner) will help you overcome your fear of these types of situations in the future and, most likely, relieve the stress you are feeling.

Have you had a similar situation where someone took credit for your work or ideas? Share how you successfully overcame the situation in the Comments section below.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photo credit: Microsoft Free Clip Art

If you’re looking for help getting your professional life on track, get a copy here. It also makes a great gift for high school or college graduates!

In my interview with the Baroness, find out why she feels so strongly about increasing the number of women in corporate boardrooms, what she’s doing to raise awareness for gender equality and women’s rights, and her advice on how others can support these efforts.

Q1: How did you get involved in promoting women’s rights and why do you feel so strongly about this issue?

Baroness: I have always been very passionate about the importance of promoting women’s rights, especially their economic and political rights. This is particularly important because women are 50% of the world’s population and have so much to contribute. I first started promoting women’s rights globally after working with strong, active female leaders in Northern Ireland, including Avila Kilmurray, Baroness May Blood, Mary Black, Ambassador Melanne Verveer and Ellen Bennett. This experience really highlighted the power women have and how important their involvement is in advocating for women’s rights.

Q2: You are a global advocate for women and this involves promoting gender equity through the G8 and G20. What do you think are the most important steps both the G8 and G20 can make to improve the lives of women and children around the globe?

Baroness: There are a number of key areas where the G8 and G20 can positively impact the lives of women and children around the world. Providing access to finance for women and providing education on finance for girls and boys is one of the most integral steps in improving lives. All children should have the right to an education and, globally, we need to ensure children can seek education without the fear of persecution.

I also feel very strongly that more needs to be done to combat the multi-billion dollar trade of human beings. This is also very closely linked to developing more robust campaigns to end child marriage worldwide. Finally, women need to have a voice at all levels of global decision-making, and at the center of this is ensuring women have a place at every table – especially at the peace table.

Q3: In 2010, you founded the 30% Club with Helena Morrissey, CEO of Newton Investment Management, with the aim of increasing the number of women on UK boards to 30% by 2015. Why did you feel this was a necessary campaign?

Baroness: The 30% Club is a group of Chairmen and organizations committed to bringing more women onto company boards because we believe it is good for the overall effectiveness of the boardroom and therefore good for business. This is a vital campaign because it is not a women’s issue, it is a business issue.

While we believe women have much to contribute in boardrooms and that they should be sitting at the table alongside men, the 30% Club believes mandated quotas are harmful to the ongoing gender debate. Through our campaign, we are promoting voluntary change amongst companies.

Q4: Why do you believe companies benefit from increasing the number of female executives in company boardrooms?

Baroness: There are many powerful arguments for having gender-varied boards. One reason is that companies with varied boards deter themselves from the danger of ‘groupthink.’ Having women on boards can also improve decision-making processes, ensure talent is functioning optimally, and help businesses redefine corporate social responsibilities (CSR) policies. Some CSR policies include projects associated with education, food security and human trafficking policies – issues that women are often more pro-active in pursuing.

Q5: You are on the board of the Vital Voices Global Partnership. How does Vital Voices work to empower women and what changes have you seen through your role?

Baroness: Vital Voices identifies, invests in and brings visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities. I have seen Vital Voices train women in business development and entrepreneurial management to expand their enterprises, provide for their families and create economic opportunities in their communities. Vital Voices is also at the forefront of international coalitions to combat human trafficking and all forms of violence against women and girls.

Q6: When all the efforts to achieve equal rights for women become a global success, what kind of world do you envision?

Baroness: I envisage a world that is strengthened by diversity, a world that is fair and has equal pay, where there is no child labor or child marriages, and where the GDP of communities would be doubled.

Q7: If readers would like to get involved in promoting a more equitable world, what do you recommend them doing?

Baroness: I encourage readers to get involved in campaigning, join an organization, lobby politicians, even post messages on Facebook and Twitter – social media is an important campaigning tool. Most importantly – I encourage everyone to speak up and promote equality!

Baroness Goudie shares her perspectives on her blog and can be followed on Twitter.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photo Credit: Photos courtesy of Baroness Mary Goudie

Jim Rohn, an American author, once said, “To solve any problem, there are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?” These are excellent questions to consider, but for more complex problems, I like to follow what’s known as the rational decision-making model.

The rational decision-making model has been around for countless years in the scientific community and within the study of organizational behavior. It’s the process I’ve used throughout my career because it follows a very logical step-by-step approach that makes it easy for me to explain how I reached my recommendation.

Problem-solving steps:

Step 1 – Identify the problem. This is where you explain the problem situation. Keep asking “Why?” to continue diving deeper to discover the root cause of the problem.

Step 2 – Determine solution criteria. Define the goals and objectives the solution must satisfy. These might include staying within a certain cost level or time frame.

Step 3 – Generate potential solutions. Brainstorm all possible solutions. Depending on the complexity of the problem, it may be important to include subject matter experts in this step.

Step 4 – Analyze each potential solution. Analyze each potential solution against the criteria (goals and objectives). Which solution makes the most sense based on your constraints such as budget, personnel resources and time? I sometimes create a table that lists each solution and each criterion with check marks or brief comments to rate each solution against all the various criteria.

Step 5 – Select the best solution. Based on your evaluation, choose the best solution and why it makes the most sense.

Step 6 – Determine an implementation plan. Determine how the recommended solution could be implemented and tracked for success. This is the “who, when, where and how” description. If possible, include cost and time estimates.

Step 7 – Document the information. Include the information from steps one through six in a one-page document (absolutely no more than two pages!). Keeping your document short will force you to carefully think through the situation and get right to the point.

Step 8 – Meet with your boss. Most managers are short on time, so putting your information into a concise document makes it easier when you meet to discuss your ideas.

Going through this process isn’t always easy, but by following this model, the process will become ingrained in your brain and, over time, you’ll be able to think through these steps quickly and easily.

Next time, don’t bring a problem to your manager, use the rational decision-making model and bring the solution instead. Then watch your value as an employee increase.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photo credit: Microsoft Free Clip Art

“But I just want to hire a résumé writer. Can’t you just re-write my résumé for me?”

Thus ended my conversation with a woman who had called to inquire about hiring me as a career coach. She didn’t like the answer I gave her, which was, “No.”

Sometimes in our careers, as in life, taking on challenging tasks can lead to personal growth and learning. My potential client didn’t see it that way – she wanted me to do everything for her. Here’s the conversation (condensed) that led us down that discussion path… 

Jane (name changed): “I want to hire you as my career coach.”

Me: “Let’s first talk about the type of career help you’re seeking.”

Jane: “I just need you to re-write my résumé. I don’t like my job so I want to find another position in a different industry. I haven’t updated it since I got this job about 10 years ago.”

Me: “Tell me why your job is making you unhappy, and, what type of job would you like to have?”

Jane: “What do you mean?”

Me: “What jobs have you looked at and what are the areas in the job descriptions that interest you?”

Jane: “I haven’t been researching any jobs. And why should I look at job descriptions? I just want to update my résumé.”

Me: “Generally, the best way to update a résumé is to customize it to the position for which you’re applying. Doing this requires analyzing the job description and requirements and then tailoring your résumé to showcase your skills and accomplishments most relevant to the job requirements.”

Jane: “Can’t you just figure that out for me? I don’t have time to think about that stuff myself. My life is one tornado after another and I don’t have any time for myself as it is.”

Me: “Sounds like you must work a lot of hours or have quite a few family activities going on.”

Jane: “Um, not really. I can only work 40 hours a week because they hate paying us overtime. And I’m single and none of my family lives in the area.”

(Jumping to the end of our discussion…)

Me: “Let me see if I understand what you’re saying. You no longer enjoy your current job or industry. You don’t know what you’d like to do next, and, you don’t want explore this yourself. You don’t have the time or interest in looking at posted positions to determine which jobs are of interest. You want to hire someone to re-write your résumé without actually having to be involved in the process yourself.”

Jane: “Exactly! Now you understand.”

Me: “Unfortunately, that’s not how I conduct my career coaching practice. I cannot re-write your résumé without your participation. Updating your résumé means we spend time analyzing your skills, experience, education and abilities. It requires uncovering your strengths and weaknesses as well as looking at potential industries and jobs of interest to you. It includes analyzing the job descriptions for which you’d like to apply and targeting your résumé to the requirements of those positions. I can guide you and assist you throughout this process, but it requires your active participation.”

Our discussion ended after I turned “Jane” down as a client. No matter what I said, she could not understand why she needed to participate for the process to be effective – and she wasn’t the first person I’ve encountered with this attitude.

For anyone who wants to hire a “résumé writer” – I offer the following thoughts:

• Writing or re-writing your résumé can be a challenge, but life is about challenges and about learning from them. It is through challenges that we grow the most.
• You may believe you have little to no time in your life for career development activities, but consider the karmic idea that forcing yourself to carve out “me time” is how you’ll be able to overcome any swirling chaos around you.
• Before trying to write or re-write your résumé, take the time to define your career aspirations and to look at industries and jobs of interest. Also, consider your strengths and weaknesses and how you match up against the job requirements.

Your career requires your active participation and you need to be the captain of your own ship. Do not hand off your career development responsibilities to someone else. Seek others for guidance, not for ownership.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photo credit: Microsoft Free Clip Art

While we were lifting weights at the gym one day, a friend of mine told me about her frustrations with her manager. She had the same job for five years and referred to her boss as “a living nightmare.” Some of her complaints were: He didn’t hold staff meetings; he hardly ever met with subordinates to discuss their projects, assign new projects or offer any advice; and he rarely provided performance appraisals (they weren’t company mandated).

“I want to move up in my career, but I feel like I don’t get any direction or support from my manager,” she said. I told her it sounded like she needed to figure out how to manage her boss. She raised one eyebrow and said, “Riiiiiiiiiight,” but listened to my advice.

I’ve had some pretty horrible managers during my career and I learned the key was to proactively manage my boss. Managing up is about earning the trust and respect of your boss by working together with that person to create the best possible working relationship. Here’s how you can do this:

Understand your manager’s goals. Find out his/her objectives and priorities. What keeps your boss up at night? Think about ways you can help achieve these department goals.

Agree on your goals, objectives and projects – then provide regular updates. Meet with your manager to ensure you fully understand and mutually agree upon your goals and objectives for the year as well as all projects for which you’ll be responsible. Then, track and provide progress updates, asking for help or advice as needed.

Learn your manager’s communication style and flex your style to his/hers. How does your manager prefer to interact? Do they want weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly updates? Do they prefer written reports with lots of details or brief summaries with only highlights? Does he/she want to meet in person or receive email updates and then follow-up with you on any questions they might have? Adapt your communication style to best fit your manager’s.

Help your manager be successful. If they are successful, you will be more successful. Don’t be seen as a threat to your manager. Actions that can be perceived as threatening include: Bad-mouthing your boss or others in the department, going around your manager or above them to resolve issues and criticizing department processes or policies (instead of making legitimate suggestions for improvement and volunteering for the improvement efforts).

My friend took my comments to heart and changed the way she was working with her boss. Her life at work improved and she finally felt like she was making a real difference. About nine months later, when her company downsized, several employees within her department were let go, but my friend was not. She believes she kept her job because of the strong working relationship she had established with her boss and because management understood the value she provided.

It can sometimes feel like the end of the world when you’re stuck with a terrible manager, but don’t let a bad boss hold you back from achieving your career aspirations. Proactively establish a mutually beneficial relationship with your boss by managing up. Incorporate your efforts into your normal work routine and you, your manager and the company will all benefit.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photo credit: Microsoft Free Clip Art

Developing a personal brand is similar to product branding. The overall goal with branding is to differentiate yourself (the product) in the market so you can attain your objectives, be those landing your dream job or becoming a famous singer. The process includes defining your brand and brand attributes, positioning your brand in a different way than your competitors and then managing all aspects of your personal brand.

The biggest issue I see when it comes to personal branding is a lack of adequate research and strategizing. There’s an old saying, “Ready, aim, fire,” but when it comes to personal branding, I see many working backwards with “Fire, ready, aim.” People tend to get so excited that they forget to do their homework before taking action. To avoid mis-steps, take the time to work through these six steps first.

PERSONAL BRANDING 101

Step 1: Define your overall aspirations. Be specific and clearly define your goals and objectives. Is it to become known as the best project manager in a certain industry? Obtain the job of Creative Director at a large advertising agency? Become VP of Marketing?

Step 2: Conduct research. How are those who have made it to where you want to be conducting their personal branding efforts? What can you learn from what others are doing, be their efforts good or bad? Who are your biggest competitors and what are they doing to brand themselves?

Step 3: Determine your brand attributes. What do you want your personal brand to convey? What adjectives do you want people to associate with you (as the product) and why? In what niche of the market do you want to become known?

Step 4: Assess your current state. How do people currently perceive you? How large is the gap between the current you and the person you want others to perceive you to be? What needs to change and why?

Step 5: Create your game plan. Your game plan should include more than just branding yourself in social media – it needs to include all aspects of you, as a product. Defining your plan needs to include the tangible and intangible characteristics of personal branding including attire, hair, makeup, behavior, verbal and non-verbal communication.

Your game plan also needs to include the specific social media aspects you’ll use to convey your new personal brand (such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.) and how you will use each of those aspects to build your brand.

Step 6: Manage your brand. Proactively manage all aspects of your brand, ensuring these aspects are in sync and that they continue to reinforce your brand attributes and market niche.

For example, your LinkedIn picture should look similar to the in-person you, your Tweets and any social media posts should stay within your market niche and your in-person behavior should be representative of how you want others to perceive you. And if you’ve branded yourself in social media as a creative fashion diva, then make sure that extends to how you come across in person (attire, hair, makeup, etc.).

Don’t create a mismatched brand by conveying different or competing attributes in various social media outlets, such as tweeting negative opinions about gowns worn at the Oscars and posting comments on LinkedIn about your vacation when you’re trying to brand yourself as a savvy cross-functional project team leader. Doing so will create audience confusion about who you are and what you do.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photo credit: Microsoft Free Clip Art