Tag Archives: personal brand

Why Your First Impression is Critical to Your Brand

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If you want a rock solid brand, you must make a rock solid first impression.

Today, many professionals understand the importance of establishing a strong professional brand.  However, few focus enough on one important factor, the first impression.

The Cliche “you only get one chance to make a first impression” is basically true, especially when it comes to your brand.  If you wish to make a great first impression, consider these interesting stats adapted from “Professional Branding for Maximum Performance, 2006″:

  • In 1/4 of a second, people make up their mind about you.
  • In the first five seconds, a person’s impression of you flips back and forth eleven times.
  • The first impression is more important than the next five impressions.

What does this have to do with your professional brand?  It means that your brand and image may be sealed in six seconds and before you even open your mouth.

If you want a rock solid brand, you must make a rock solid first impression.  Leave them talking positively about you by focusing on the following:

  1. Your Appearance:  Your appearance is the most critical when making a first impression.  Therefore, it’s important to make sure you are presenting yourself the way you wish be known.  According to the American Economic Review, attractive people are considered to be more competent and knowledgeable.  Harvard Business Review stated that women who wear natural looking makeup got more promotions.  Please note: attractive doesn’t mean pretty.  You can be attractive by looking well-put-together.
  2. Your Greeting:  People assess your image by how you greet them.  Do you come with energy and confidence.  Does your face say “I’m happy to be here or see you?” The handshake is most important in sending messages about your confidence.  Be sure to make it firm, give eye contact and smile through the greeting.
  3. Your Body Language:  ninety-three percent of what you communicate comes from your body language, gestures and facial expressions.  Therefore, be sure that you are communicating the right message.  Good posture, open-hand gestures and a friendly face makes people remember you and feel good in your presence.  This adds up to a great first impression.

If you aim to have a great professional brand, be sure to focus on making a positive first impression.  Chances are, you may not get a second chance.

What’s Holding You Back From Reaching Your Goals? The One Thing You May Be Missing.

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Setting Goals

If you’re like the majority of the population, you probably have made a New Year’s resolution.  I know I have, as I do every year.

What if I told you that by doing just this one thing, you could increase your chances of keeping your resolution by 80%.  Would you believe me?  Well, it’s true.

 

Most of us fail to do the one thing that is critical to reaching our goals.  What is it you ask?  Answer: Writing down your goals along with a plan to accomplish them.

Those who put goals in writing are 80% more successful than those who don’t.  A famous study conducted by Harvard Business School involving MBA students from the class of 1979 proved it.  In the study, as sited in the book, What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School, by Mark H. McCormack, the graduates were asked 3 questions around goals.  They were as follows:

  1. Have you set goals?
  2. Have you written them down?
  3. Do you have a plan to accomplish them?

The researched revealed that only 3% of the Harvard class had written goals and a plan to accomplish them, 13% had goals but didn’t put them in writing, and 84% had no specific goals at all.  When the graduates were resurveyed 10 years later, the difference  the graduates’ success was staggering.

The 3% whom had written goals with a plan to accomplish them, earned 10 times as much as the others combined!

The moral of the story: Put your goals in writing along with a plan to accomplish them.  This one step could get you on to the road to success.

How’s your goal setting?  Take our poll.


Want help achieving your goals?  Join me for Coffee and Coaching

Saturday, February 2, 2012 10am-11:30 am

Click here for details

How Strong is Your Resume? 5 Common Mistakes That Zap Your Power

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Avoid these mistakes to move your resume to the top of the list!

Whether my client is new to the job market or has several years of professional experience, I see critical mistakes on resumes that are preventing talented professionals from getting noticed.

There are many things that may contribute to your resume being overlooked, tossed or simply not considered.  Therefore, I decided to devote this post to the 5 common mistakes I see.

5 Common Resume Mistakes

1. Failing to customize your resume to the job.

Nine times out of ten, I see generic resumes that look like they are created to be mass produced.  When your generic resume hits an experienced recruiter’s mailbox, it sends a message that you don’t know what job you want or you are desperate to get whatever job you can get.  It also screams that that you don’t care to take the time to cater your resume to suit what they are looking for.

Take the time to customize your resume to suit the job in which you are applying.  This means using keywords and job experience that is outlined in the job posting.  If you don’t take the time to sell yourself, what makes an employer feel confident that you will go above and beyond to do a great job?

2.  Writing a “Resume Objective” instead of a “Professional Summary”.

Objectives are good for new grads that have no prior work experience.  However, if you have work experience, an “objective” can make you look inexperienced or outdated.

Professional summaries are usually 2-3 sentences that serve as a mini commercial of your years of experience, expertise and attributes.  Employers are not interested in what you are seeking.  They want to know what you are bringing.

3.  Outlining your job responsibilities instead of your accomplishments and results.

Most resumes I review list the job seeker’s job responsibilities, often resembling a job description.  Without a list of your accomplishments including results and outcomes,  employers don’t know what you can potentially do for them if hired.  You should include 3-5 accomplishments for every job you list on your professional resume. This is critical to getting noticed.

4.  Dating yourself. 

Believe it or not, many of us still put dates on our resumes that tell our age, especially in the education section.  Although age discrimination is illegal, you don’t want to provide any information that could present an opportunity for biases.  This also includes younger job seekers as well.  Some people have biases to younger professionals because they may see them as inexperienced.  Therefore, leave graduation dates off your resume.

5.  Missing keywords.

It is important to include current keywords for your industry and profession.  This is especially important if you have been working in a job for many years or seeking to transition to a new field.  Also be sure to include keywords that are stated in the job posting.  This will help recruiters find your resume during keyword searches and it also reinforces that you are a fit for the job.

The biggest mistake of all!

Waiting until you need a job to update your resume. 

Don’t wait until you need a job to start on your resume.  You never know when an opportunity may arise and you will need one quick.  A strong resume takes time and nothing is more frustrating than trying to write a powerful resume on short notice.   By then, you are rushed and you could miss out on a great opportunity.

With many of us out in the job market, making yourself stand out from the crowd is challenging but imperative.  Be sure to avoid these common mistakes and help move your resume to the top.

Take care,

Jocelyn,

Your coach, speaker & friend

How Powerful is Your Resume? Get Your Resume Report Card and Find Out!

3 Things You Should Never Say to Your Boss

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No Talking

Avoiding 3 simple phrases can boost your power with your boss.

Communicating confidently with your boss can be challenging.  Day- to- day we have conversations with our boss that impact how they view our work, our potential and our relationship.  Therefore, knowing how to talk to your boss with confidence as well as ensuring that you are building the right reputation is critical.

Below are 3 things you should avoid saying to your boss to maintain a positive impression:

1.  “It was nothing.”  One should never say “it was nothing” to a boss whom has given a compliment on a job well done.

Many of us down play our achievements.  We believe if we say our achievements come easy, we will earn respect and recognition.  Most of us also have been socialized to believe that self-promotion is distasteful.  Therefore, we are uncomfortable taking full credit for our work.

When we downplay our achievements, instead of winning accolades for our strategic approach, project management skills and meeting aggressive deadlines, telling our boss that our accomplishment was nothing, diminishes our contribution and credibility.

When you have a success, learn how to take credit for it by simply saying “thank you”.  You may even try kicking it up a notch by adding, “you picked the best person for the job.”  Remember, if you don’t think your accomplishment is a big deal, no one else will either.

 2.  “No” Even when your boss gives you an assignment that may seem unreasonable or unrealistic, saying “no” could tarnish your reputation and jeopardize future advancement opportunities.

Unless the request is unethical, illegal or against company policy, finding a way to “yes” will boost your status with your boss.  Bosses are loyal to those who they can count on to get it done.  Therefore, instead of saying “No or that’s impossible”,  outline what resources, support or information you need to get the job done.  Saying something like; “Sure we can do that.  I will put together a plan on how we will meet that objective.” will go a long way.

When you find a way to “yes”,  you become the “go to” person.  This is a valuable position.  When your boss knows that she can count on you, her confidence in you will soar.  You will also earn respect when you learn how to ask for what you need to complete the job.

3.  “I feel…”   Using words like I feel, weakens your language and focuses on emotions rather than actions.

Small adjustments to the words you use with your boss can change how you’re perceived.  If you wish to communicate confidence with your boss, establish a reputation as someone who takes action.  Below is an example of how a small adjustment enhances the power of your words:

Emotional & Weak:  I feel really good about how the project is going.

Powerful & Active:    The project is on target, on budget and will be completed in time for the release date.

Communicating with confidence with your boss is important.  Choosing the rights words is critical to establishing a solid reputation and credibility.  A few simple adjustments can have you communicating with confidence in no time.

© Jocelyn Giangrande, SASHE, LLC and The Confident Woman, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author  is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE, LLC with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

How Do You Do “It”?

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Jocelyn Giangrande

How Are You Doing "It"?

When was the last time you took a moment to acknowledge all that you do?  If it has been awhile, I bet you feel drained, unappreciated or overwhelmed.

So many of us are doing “it” everyday.  Whether your “it” is balancing work/life, single-parenting, going to school, taking care of parents or going through tough times, we are all doing “it”.

Most of us don’t give ourselves credit for getting “it” done.  So what is your “it” and how are “you doing it?”  I am interested in hearing how you get your “it” done.

How I Get My “It” Done

Right now, my “it” is holding down a full-time job while pursuing my passion of helping women advance their careers or business.  Many people ask how I do “it”.  Here’s how …

1.  Set realistic expectations. There are only so many hours in a day, so prioritizing my work is critical.  I always get my full-time job done first.  Then, I work on my passion when I can.

2.  Schedule time for things that refuel me.  Spending time with my family and having “me” time is rejuvenating.  Therefore, I carve out designated time and work around it.  This keeps me happy, healthy and fresh.

3.  Have fun. I allow myself to have fun.  I decided not to stress about anything.  If things don’t go as planned, I use it as a learning opportunity.  I just keep plugging along, doing my best at what I enjoy.

I know you are getting it done too.

So, how do you do “it”?

  • Are you balancing work/life?
  • Are you running a household, a business or a department?
  • Are you going to school  or looking for new opportunities?
  • Are you caring for parents?
  • Are you going through tough times?

Exercise:

Take a minute to write out how you get “it” done in the comments below.  Not only will you feel appreciated, you will be amazed at what you do to get “it” all done.

This is an exercise I do frequently.  It helps me acknowledge how much I am doing instead of dwelling on what I am not.  Once I see my list of accomplishments, I feel proud.

Try it by writing how you get “it” done in the comments.  The added bonus:  you may help other women do the same!

Let’s take time to pat ourselves on the back for getting “it” done.  It has been too long.  Be proud and share with the world how you do “it” !

© Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author  is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC  with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

What Names Are You Called? How What You Don’t Know, Can Hurt

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What Names Are You Called?

What Names Are You Called?

I grew up believing that names would never hurt you, until I entered the  world of business.

Names are everything in the world of business.  Decisions involving jobs, promotions, demotions, salaries, perks, etc. are made based on names. So what names are people calling you?

Are you called a people-person or a “B” on wheels, a friend or backstabber, a pushover or ultra powerful, innovative or stuck in your ways, frumpy or professional? If you don’t know, you could be in for a rude awakening.

Years ago  I learned that I had been named ”too nice”.   I was appalled as I always saw my “niceness”  (strong interpersonal skills is what I called it) as an asset that set me apart from others. Little did I know, this name would hurt my career.

Although I was “well- liked, “talented and smart”, based on a “name”, higher-ups were afraid to put me in situations where they thought I may get eaten alive. Therefore, I was not selected for specific promotional opportunities.

No matter how talented you are, it is the names that determine how far you will go.

Why is it important for women to know what names we’re called?

Names seem to stick to us like glue in the workplace and especially if you are a leader. Maybe it’s because we are in the minority in leadership and with fewer numbers, our mistakes or mishaps are never forgotten. Our professional reputations are extremely fragile and we have to handle them with care.

So, how do you find out what names you are called? Simple…You ask.

One day, that ‘s exactly what I did.  During a routine supervision meeting with my boss at the time,  instead of the usually babble, I asked her frankly why I had hit a career road block.  She told me straight; everyone liked me, but I was “too nice” for certain positions that may require you to be tough.

Just like that I had the answer.  All the time, I thought it was because I didn’t have the right experience, or credentials. I never thought it had to do with being called “too nice”.

happy-face How I became Ms.  ”Too Nice”?

To my surprise, my name came from a single incident, when a “B” on wheels (that was her name) challenged me during a presentation. I was so caught off -guard by her rude approach, that I allowed myself to get off -track .

After the meeting, I forgave myself for the stumble and thought that my track record would protect me. That’s where I went wrong.

egg Big Lesson #1 Reputations are fragile

You can spend years building a strong reputation and it can be shattered by one incident. You and your actions are under constant scrutiny. People are making judgments about you with every encounter and forming new opinions everyday.

People talk and spread names throughout organizations. Therefore, you have to realize that it’s “show time” everyday and you must come with your “A” game.

Now, everyone makes mistakes. However, never let one go without putting forth effort to recover your reputation. If I had not been so self-absorbed after my mishap, I would have realized that I was being judged on how I handled the situation. I did not come prepared for the unexpected.

hearing Big Lesson #2 Be open to feedback and accept what you hear.

It is not easy to hear negative things about yourself.  But if you never hear the bad things, you can’t fix them.  So when you ask for feedback, stress that you want honest feedback.  And then, take it like a woman.  Although appalled, knowing “my name”,  empowered me to save my reputation.  And that’s what I did.

My then boss, did me a big favor.  She gave me good, honest , feedback that helped propel me forward.   If you don’t feel comfortable approaching your boss, consider peers, mentors and friends as information sources.  Sometimes your saboteurs can be a great wealth of information. Most will find joy in telling you what names you have.

In Closing

Every women needs to know her “names” to get a head in business. So, do you know yours?  Take our poll and tell us your experience.

Special Note: Although many of you send me emails, please share information, comments and experience here so others can learn as well. We fail each other by not taking the time to share, support and engage with other women.  Please contribute and let’s grow together. Thanks

Take care,

Jocelyn

© Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author  is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC  with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.



Are Women Harder to Work For? The Truth Revealed

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Women Thinking
Women have a good excuse for being harder to work for.

If I had a dime for every time I hear that women bosses are worse than men, I’d be rich.

Is it true? Are women really harder to work for? Many women I know would answer “Yes”.

I have to admit that I believe there is some truth to it; with the following caveats:

-not all women are hard to work for, and

-we have a good excuse.

Don’t get me wrong. There are many great women leaders.  I myself have worked for a few.  However based on my experience, women are more challenging than men.

Guess what? We have a very good reason.

Women, we do have a good reason that stems from how we’re socialized.  Most of us will agree that women and men are indeed socialized differently.  Men are usually socialized to compete and still be friends, while women are usually socialized to make friends and keep harmony.  Therefore, competing with friends is frowned upon.  Many of us believe that anyone who conflicts with us, is potentially out to get us.

This variance in socialization plays out in the work place.  When men disagree at work, they can still go out and have a drink and slap each other on the back.  In fact, many men respect a man more, after they had an opportunity to duke it out.  They actually respect the man for how well he fought.  Have you ever seen men shake hands after a duel?

On the other hand, when women fight, we sometimes let the fight affect the relationship and carry ill feelings.  We see things through the eyes of relationships.  If someone conflicts with us, we often feel like the relationship is tainted.  Have you ever seen women shake hands after a duel?  Not me.

As women, we tend to think in terms of;

“I like you…, I like you not.”

“You like me,…. You like me not.”

We often have a difficult time letting go, which makes us more susceptible to carrying grudges.  These grudges carry out in various ways,  getting ugly at times.  This is what makes some women harder to work for.

Let me break it down further: If you have a misstep with a male boss, he is more likely to let it go, not allowing it to jeopardize the relationship (except for narcissistic bosses which is another story).  Women on the other hand, are more apt to let a mishap affect the relationship.

This tendency to hang on to bad feelings makes us more likely to behave as unreasonable, micro-managers, moody, playing favorites, and down right bitchy (sorry).  I remind myself of this tendency so that I don’t take things so seriously and realize that many things are just business.

Writing this article was risky for me as I didn’t want to offend women.  However, it is important for us to be honest with ourselves and to understand how our tendencies may affect our professional behavior.  Therefore, I took the risk to bring it forward.

Admit it, haven’t you ever felt like you hated someone after you had an altercation at work?  Didn’t you let your “b” side come out even a little when around them?  We all have had our “b” side come out at one time or another.  I’m just keeping it real.

You be the judge. In your opinion, are women harder to work for? Take our poll or leave a comment and let us know what you think?

© Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author  is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC  with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Are You Really As Confident As You Think?

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On a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being the highest), how would you rate your level of confidence?

This is a question I often ask women. To my surprise, most rate themselves pretty high. In fact the majority rate themselves between a 4-5. Now, that’s pretty darn confident.

However, it always baffles me when I ask the same women to tell me what they do well. Most struggle to answer the question.

In my opinion, a good test of a high confidence level, is knowing what you do well. Most confident people understand the importance of using everything they have to compete. Therefore, knowing their strengths is important.

Do you know what you do well? What you do better than anyone else? If you have to think about it, maybe your confidence can use a boost.

Rate your confidence level by taking this brief Confidence IQ Survey.
 Be sure to click the link below for results.

(Please note: the survey is not a test.  The point is not to answer how you think you should, but honestly.  This is not scientific, or a psychological profile, etc. It is based on various research and findings and designed to give you somewhere to start.)

Click Here to Get Your Results
Be Sure To Take the Survey First  and Track Your Responses!

Take care,
Jocelyn

© 2010 Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE, LLC. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and The Confident Woman with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

How to Talk to Your Boss With Confidence

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When a woman tells me she wants to learn how to talk with confidence with her boss, she most likely is referring to her verbal communication skills. This is the number one mistake professional women make when it comes to speaking with confidence with your boss.

The more I work with women; I find that we often neglect to think about our nonverbal communication and body language. Most of us think of communication as just talking.  When is comes to speaking with confidence with our boss, most want to focus on using power words.

Confident body language is far more effective in communicating the right message than any words that may come out of your mouth. Therefore, using the right body language can make all of the difference in earning respect and credibility of your boss.

To earn the respect of your boss, try the 5 confident body language tips below to help you communicate the right message:

Tip 1.  Always approach your boss as your equal. You must demonstrate that you have earned the right to be a prominent member of the team just like she has. Always be respectful, but think and act like you belong.  You may do this by not asking for permission to enter her office, or don’t wait to be spoken to in order to speak.  This step works best when you feel confident about your ability and performance.

Tip 2.  Establish good eye contact. Eye contact is a powerful body language tool.  To use it effectively, never look up, down or to the side when talking as this conveys uncertainty and mistrust.  Practice keeping eye contact without staring by shifting eyes slightly to your boss’s forehead every now and then.

Tip 3.  Walk tall and with confidence. Good posture goes a long way when you are talking about confident body language.  Therefore, stand up straight and keep your head up.  When entering your boss’s office, walk all the way in, don’t wait to be invited.  If appropriate, remain standing next to her desk for some time, especially if your boss is seated.  This will require her to look up at you, subconsciously putting you in a confident position.  This strategy helps balance the power between the two of you.

Tip 4.  Keep your hands visible at all times while seated. Hands are also useful when conveying confident body language.  This is difficult for some women, as we tend to keep our hands on our laps.  Use open-handed gestures to emphasize points while talking.  This animation will automatically help to promote a confident demeanor.  Also, taking a confident position in your chair goes a long way and will make you feel confident as well.

Tip 5. Make sure you keep hands away from your face, mouth and hair. Touching any of these while conversing sends all the wrong messages from nervousness, boredom to weakness and is sure to zap your power in seconds.

Try these confident body language tips and you will show your boss your confidence.  Remember, communication is more than just talking. What you say non-verbally through body language speaks volumes.

Please share your comments and ideas.  I’d like to hear from you.

Take care,

Jocelyn

© Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author  is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC  with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

3 Confidence Myths You Should Know

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Welcome back!

There are all kinds of myths about confidence floating around.  Below are 3 myths I thought you may find interesting.

Myth #1.  Confident People Are Born. The other day I watched a public TV interview with CEO, Bob Fish of Biggby Coffee.  Mr. Fish, (AKA Biggby Bob) has a refreshing philosophy on what it takes to make it in business, especially when it comes to confidence.

Although Biggby Bob said many things, there was one comment that stuck with me. He stated that “confidence is a choice”.

When one chooses to be confident, they are choosing to have faith that they will be successful.  Therefore, people are not born confident, they choose to be.  Biggby Bob holds faith, confidence and courage  as part of his 7 Core Values to business success.

Myth #2. Confident people are perfect. Not all confident people are perfect.  And, perfect people are not always confident.  Being confident has nothing to do with being perfect.  It is more about an attitude that you are good enough to do it.  Confident people are comfortable in their own skin and take on the world with a positive attitude.

Myth #3.  Confidence can’t be learned.  I agree with Biggby Bob.  One chooses to be confident by taking action.  Your confidence grows as you continue to exercise confidence building boosters such as practice, patience and perseverance.  In fact, practice is the best confidence booster.  If you wish to build your confidence, keep practicing the task until you get it right.

I hope these confidence myth-busters will help you look at confidence from a different perspective.  You can learn to be confident.  You just have to choose to be.

Question: Do you have faith that you will be successful?  Share your story and let me know how you choose to be confident.

© Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE, LLC, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author  is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.