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10 Commandments for Better Networking

05/10/2010

Do you suffer from “Butterfly-itis” at the very mention of networking at business functions? If you answered yes, you are not alone! Many business people and entrepreneurs get a bit uncomfortable when it comes right down to walking up to someone and starting a conversation. Many others are concerned about getting effective results from the time they spend networking.

The process doesn’t have to be traumatic, scary, or a waste of time. When done properly, it can truly make a difference in the amount of business your company generates. With the right approach, you can use it to build a wealth of resources and contacts that will help to make your business very successful.

Use the following Ten Commandments to help you network your way through your next business networking event:-

1. Have the tools to network with you at all times.

These include an informative name badge, your business cards (I’m amazed at how many people forget to bring these to networking events – really critical for people to be able to contact you), somewhere to write notes (I use the cool, free tool at http://www.repocketmod.com/), something to write with, and a way to refer other professionals to those you meet (such as a card file, smartphone, etc.).

2. Set a goal for the number of people you’ll meet.

Identify a reachable goal based on attendance and the type of group. If you feel inspired, set a goal to meet fifteen to twenty people and make sure you get all their cards. If you don’t feel so hot, shoot for less. In either case, don’t leave until you’ve met your goal.

3. Act like a host, not a guest.

A host is expected to do things for others, while a guest sits back and relaxes. Volunteer to help greet people. If you see visitors sitting, introduce yourself and ask if they would like to meet others. Act as a connector.

4. Listen and ask questions.

Remember that a good networker has two ears and one mouth and uses them proportionately. After you’ve learned what another person does, tell them what you do. Be specific, but brief. Don’t assume they know how to help you.

5. You’re not there to close a deal.

These events are not meant to be a vehicle to hit on business people to buy your products or services. Networking is about developing relationships with other professionals. Meeting people at events should be the beginning of that process, not the end of it.

6. Give referrals whenever possible.

The best networkers believe in the givers gain philosophy (what goes around, comes around). If I help you, you’ll help me and we’ll both do better as a result of it. In other words, if you don’t genuinely attempt to help the people you meet, then you are not networking effectively. If you can’t give someone a bona fide referral, offer some information that might be of interest to them (such as details about an upcoming event).

7. Exchange business cards.

Ask each person you meet for two cards - one to pass on to someone else and one to keep. This sets the stage for networking to happen.

8. Manage your time efficiently.

Spend ten minutes or less with each person you meet and don’t linger with friends or associates (you already know them!). If your goal is to meet a given number of people, be careful not to spend too much time with any one person – and don’t spend too little time only focusing on gathering business cards. When you meet someone interesting with whom you’d like to speak further, set up an appointment for a later date.

9. Write notes on the backs of business cards you collect.

Record anything you think may be useful in remembering each person more clearly on the back of their business card (or remember the repocketmod.com). This will come in handy when you follow up on each contact.

10. Follow up!

You can obey the previous nine commandments religiously, but if you don’t follow up effectively, you will have wasted your time. Drop a note or give a call to each person you’ve met. Be sure to fulfill any promises you’ve made.

http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/05/job-search-updates-for-pharmaceutical.html
Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10

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Updated Job Search Tips: Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make.

05/08/2010

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Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and Expert in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moeities, brings to you some highlights from current pharma and clinical research news, views and data.

In any economic climate job hunting is nobody’s idea of fun. And with the growing number of folks hitting the bricks these days it seems the task is getting even harder. But that’s not precisely true because the actual job-hunting strategies and techniques required of the professional job changer remain the same in any climate. What is bothersome, however, is that the process is quite likely to take longer. This leads to increased stress: financial stress, physical stress, emotional stress and family stress.

Most people do not perform at their best in stressful situations. They get tired more quickly, they get frustrated, and run out of patience, and they make mistakes. Here are six of job-hunting mistakes frequently made during a recession.

Mistake #1: Feeling Entitled.

In the new economy your stellar background, great track record, prestigious degree and glowing references guarantee you nothing. The new employment paradigm is “what have you done for me lately?” You must be constantly developing your skills, your talents, broadening your interests and driving your career development. If you don’t you may well be left behind.

Mistake #2: Focusing on Yourself, Not the Employer.

Spend your time finding out what needs of a potential employer are unmet instead of touting your brilliance. Saying “I need a job” is irrelevant and depressing; that’s your problem and has nothing to do with why this organization is hiring. Uncovering an employer’s problem areas demonstrates your bona-fide interest and offering your solutions demonstrates your critical thinking, creativity and approach to problem solving. This is how to get hired.

Mistake #3: Taking Rejection Personally.

Face it; there are a lot of jobs you are not going to land. Use rejection as an opportunity to assess and build your job-hunting skills. Evaluate what you could have done better in your research or interview or with your follow-up. If you aren’t getting rejected regularly then you either aren’t working hard enough to get your foot in the door or you’re applying for jobs beneath your capabilities. No employer makes a decision not to hire you; they make a decision to hire someone else who did a better job of selling him or herself into the position. Suck it up and move on.

Mistake #4: Focusing On Your Age.

It is human nature to focus more on one’s perceived weaknesses as opposed to one’s strengths. This is especially true for people in the job hunt. Younger folks worry about not having enough experience; older folks worry about looking over-qualified. If you don’t want a potential employer to focus on your age make sure you focus on what strengths you bring to the party: energy, track record, endurance, patience, technology skills, people skills, creativity, work ethic. Sell yourself based on what you have.

Mistake #5: Looking for a Silver Bullet.

Some job hunters swear by recruiters; others by on-line job postings. The latest buzz is that social networking sites are making all other job-hunting techniques obsolete. There is no one best way to job hunt. If you want to increase the effectiveness of your job search you must spend more time on it and use every technique in the book. This means answering print ads, responding to on-line job postings, contacting appropriate recruiters, cold contacting potential employers, networking your brains out and using social networking sites to pursue all of these strategies. Sorry, there are no silver bullets or genies in a bottle.

Mistake #6: Absorbing Too Much News Media.

Yes, there’s a recession. Yes, a lot of folks are out of work. And, yes, finding a job is a hard job in and of itself. But, no, the sky is not falling. And yes, if you work hard and long enough at it you will land a good job. The media’s motto is “If it bleeds, it leads.” Bad news is their stock in trade. You will never see a story about company hiring back 10 workers or a person who landed a great job after a rigorous job hunt. A regular diet of bad news will convince you that no one is hiring (untrue), to avoid employers who have had a reduction or layoff (bad strategy) or maybe you should just move to China (bad idea unless you speak Mandarin). Get out, have some fun, work at keeping your energy and spirits up, and network with optimistic people.

Eventually this recession – like all recessions – will really be over and you’ll be better prepared for (gulp) the next one.

http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/05/update-on-job-search-tips-mistakes-you.html

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10

Do you have questions for the author?

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Workplace Incivility on the Rise: What Can We Do to Stop It ?

03/27/2010

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There is a disturbing trend in Corporate North America. Despite increased talk about improving corporate culture, there is a civility problem in the workplace. It is wreaking havoc on employee relationships and workplace morale, as well as the bottom line. And few leaders are doing anything to stop it.

According to The Cost of Bad Behavior by Christine Pearson and Christine Porath, it is far more widespread than people realize—and incivility in the workplace has devastating effects. Here are just a few of the statistics from their research study of 800 employers:

·         96 percent have experienced incivility at work.
·         48 percent of employees claim they were treated uncivilly at work at least once a week.
·         10 percent said they witnessed civility every day.
·         94 percent of workers who are treated uncivilly say they get even with their offenders.

What is Incivility in the Workplace?Pearson and Porath define incivility as “the exchange of seemingly inconsequential inconsiderate words and deeds that violate conventional norms or workplace conduct.” In essence, what is considered “uncivil” is based on an individual’s perceptions of actions or words.

Sometimes it is blatant, like:
·         losing one’s temper or yelling at someone in public.
·         rude or obnoxious behavior in the workplace.
·         badgering or back-stabbing in the workplace.
·         withholding important customer/client information.
·         sabotaging a project or damaging someone’s reputation.

And others times it may be a bit more subtle, like:
·         arriving late to a meeting
·         checking e-mail or texting during a meeting
·         not answering calls or responding to emails in a timely manner
·         ignoring or interrupting a colleague in the workplace
·         not saying “please” or “thank you”

Incivility does not just happen between coworkers. About a quarter of the customers/clients they surveyed believe disrespectful behavior is more common today than it was five years ago, and 40 percent said they experience rudeness from employees at least once a month! So much for all the talk and advertising about great service and a positive customer experience.

Why Does it Matter?It can have a devastating impact on your employees, as well as the organization as a whole. When incivility is prevalent in the workplace, stress levels increase and performance suffers.

Employees will become less engaged, which means they can also become de-motivated, apathetic and even angry. They put in less effort, produce lower quality and can even burn out. Perhaps you’ve seen these telltale signs. They lead to losses in productivity, efficiency and of course, profitability. According to Banishing Burnout by M.P.Leiter and C. Maslach, the annual cost of job stress alone due to incivility at U.S. corporations is $300 billion.

What Can We Do About it?

1. Increase Awareness

The first step is to recognize that incivility is an issue that can debilitate an individual and an organization. Educate employees about the cost and impact of uncivil behavior. Most people don’t even realize the trend or know the cause of their malaise or frustration in the workplace. Define what it is and what it looks like. And, share the research on the impact of continued incivility in a community to increase the sense of urgency to address it.

2. Create Workplace Standards and Value CivilityAgree to set a clear, written standard for behavior, noting what is acceptable and what is not. The first step must begin by setting down guidelines of corporate governance by the management board followed by strict implementation of the laid out principles by HR and respective heads of the departments.

Leadership needs to be not only involved in the process, but committed to modeling civility and reinforcing its importance. Communicate the standards with all associates so they understand how to consistently demonstrate respect and concern for others. Consider making civility one of your core values, a principle that guides the internal conduct at your organization.

Be sure to recognize and reward employees who model it, so all employees see it’s a serious commitment—a value of the business, not just words on a wall or plaque. Equally important is addressing incidents and complaints, and taking corrective action so your employees see it is not condoned or tolerated.

3. Provide Internal Training and CoachingSome people in the workplace may not even realize they exhibit uncivil behavior—the employees figure this is “not about me.” Well, chances are they lack self-awareness (like some of the perpetrators) and/or have no idea how to change behavior that may be ingrained. Training employees on your new standard will help create an open, friendly and accepting environment.

Ideally, the internal training would be experiential and include realistic skill practices that are videotaped, so employees can see themselves and hear how they sound. This helps associates see the impact of their behaviors on others and allows them a chance to practice in a safe environment. When the employees experience progress in the training and receive developmental coaching to maintain the change, the employees are more likely to continue their newfound behaviors.

4. Encourage Open Communication and FeedbackTo sustain the new culture, put systems in place that encourage open communication so that it becomes the norm. Organizational leaders need to lead responsibly and create a safe environment so employees are not fearful when sharing concerns or reporting incidents.

Promote constructive and open feedback so employees learn how to demonstrate respect and common courtesy, really listen to each other and be more accepting of each others’ ideas and opinions. Continue the dialogue and engage employees in the process by gathering their input and ideas. Share progress along the way so all employees can see the impact of their efforts and celebrate successes.

Why Bother?It makes sense to cultivate a climate of civility and a culture of openness and inclusion. According to P.M. Forni, the co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project and author of Choosing Civility:

“Encouraging civility in the workplace is becoming one of the fundamental corporate goals in our diverse, hurried, stressed and litigation-prone society. A civil workplace is good for workers, since the workers’ quality of life is improved in such an environment. But a civil workplace is also good for the customers, since the quality of service they receive from happier and more relaxed service providers is improved.”

And, it is the right and most civil thing to do...

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Full article at http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/03/workplace-incivility-on-rise-what-can.html
Http://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
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HOW THEY MANAGED TO RISE TO THE TOP ?

12/21/2009

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Women who lead have the ability to see opportunities in setbacks and the will to make themselves heard, a new book contends-

Is there a secret formula some women know that propels them to the top? What consistent threads did you find in the success stories that remarkable women tell?

One of the crucial consistencies is that each of them said they made a commitment early in their career to find personal satisfaction from what they do. About 20 per cent of the women said they knew even when they were children that a career in business would make them happiest.

I came into the study with the preconception that maybe the women who make it big just have an easier time of it, or that maybe they have better luck. But, as it turns out, every one of them had to overcome obstacles and find ways to turn difficult situations around. They all had a turning point that could have made them quit, but they persisted and moved on after adversity struck. When they experienced failure, they were able to see opportunity in the setback. What was the most common obstacle they had to overcome? More than 60 per cent of the women said they didn't naturally have the confidence to speak up for themselves early in their career, and they had to gain that confidence to succeed. Recurring themes were that, starting out, they held back because they didn't feel they had anything important to say, or they believed that, since they were in a junior position, it was not their place to insist that their viewpoint be heard.

But most told of a breakthrough moment in which either something they should have said but didn't led to a failure, or they were given the floor by a senior person and made a contribution that led to a success. From then on, they made a conscious decision to make their voice heard - and to insist that others they lead speak up as well.

For example, Shelly Lazarus [former chief executive officer of ad firm Ogilvy & Mather and now chairwoman of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide], stated that she had that insight early in her career. Another woman she worked with asked her to cover for her while she snuck out of the office to see her child's school play. She told the woman to come right out and tell her manager she was taking off. At that point, she realized that, "if you have to be afraid for who you are, you will be afraid all your life."

From then on, she said, her motto has been: "Just stand up, do what you need to do and smile about it. Look them in the eye and say, "If you don't like it, fire me, and I'll find another job, because I'm talented enough and I'm committed enough ".

You also found that women had to break free of limiting expectations that others may have about what are appropriate occupations for women. Because there were so few women in leadership in previous decades, many of the leaders said they had been regularly advised to give up the dream of reaching senior positions.

Ann Moore [chief executive officer and chairwoman of Time Inc.] stated that, from childhood, her mother expected her to be a nurse, like every other woman in their family. But her mother was also a great organizer for her church and a local political committee and she [Ms. Moore] realized she really wanted to lead, and that her strength and interests were in guiding teams.

She said she stuck to her goal of reaching top management, even to the point where early in her career she decided to turn down a promotion to a production function because "it would have been the wrong fit." Her refusal made her superiors furious, and she said the decision kept her stalled in the same job for several years, but ultimately she found her way into the role she really wanted. As for those angry bosses? "They are not here now and I am," she said.

Is there a process by which women gain the courage to take more risks?

Another consistent thread in the stories women told is that they were prone to be risk-averse. Psychological research shows that when women are under stress, their brains are more prone than men to dredge up memories of past failures and emotional wounds and they are more likely than men to withdraw, rather than risking another failure.

The book further mentions that many of the women interviewed said that they had learned to consciously reframe stressful situations by using basic techniques such as talking back to the voice of fear in their head or looking at opportunities to find alternatives and move ahead, rather than remaining frozen in indecision.

An example is Ellyn McColgan [until recently, president of the wealth management division of Morgan Stanley]. She said her insight came in 1992, when a team she was leading at a previous financial group had a large loss and she was given 90 days to turn the situation around. She was terrified about taking risks but she kept in mind: "What is the worst thing that can happen? ...I might get fired." In that case, she decided: "So what? Go get another job."

That defiant optimism helped her get over her self-doubt and pull the team together, and they got results back on track. "A natural reaction to failure is to be afraid and to get smaller," but what the experience taught her- "what you should do is get bigger. Failure is an opportunity to grow. ... It might hurt while it's happening, but all things that help you grow hurt."

The book amazed me as to how all the top women leaders seemed to see opportunity everywhere. They have learned that when you aren't obsessed about what could go wrong, it's more easy to find opportunities and ideas for making things come out right.

Did the women feel they had an advantage over their male colleagues?

Most women have an inherent strength in a behaviour psychologists call "tend and befriend," a desire to help build community and nurture and reduce the level of anxiety and fear. Virtually all of the women concurred that their ability to maintain connections with people in the organization and not burn bridges along the way not only helped them rise to the top but also gave them higher satisfaction ... .

Anne Mulcahy [chairwoman of Xerox Corp.] summed it up by saying, "One of the most important ways to be successful is actually to create an army of people who are rooting for you. It's nice to have the support of the person you work for or a board, but the most important support you can get is from the troops."

And what do they say about helping others to succeed?

Many of the women whose rise to the top came in the 1980s and 1990s did not have mentors and they say they wish they did have someone to help open up opportunities and help them through the corporate maze.

Because of that, many of them talked about taking the effort to help sponsor a young protégé, helping open doors and push them through if they are reluctant to go. They confide that often these are women who they think of as a younger version of themselves.

While it can take a commitment of time to act as the equivalent of a personal trainer, several of the leaders said they have found it very rewarding.

Is there a magic mantra for women executives of today and future ?? Come, let us find out...

Also at http://www.pharm-education.com/2009/12/how-they-managed-to-rise-to-top.html

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10 Commandments for Better Networking

Updated Job Search Tips: Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make.

Workplace Incivility on the Rise: What Can We Do to Stop It ?

Top 50 LinkedIn Groups ALL MBAs MUST Join

HOW THEY MANAGED TO RISE TO THE TOP ?

Dr. Shruti Bhat

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