• [email protected]
  • 1300 235 726
  • Success Stories
  • Resources
  • Testimonials
Login
Logo
MENU
  • Home
  • Career Management
    • Career Counselling
    • Interview Training
    • Job Search Coaching
    • Resume & LinkedIn
    • Outplacement Support
    • Transition to Retirement
    • Resources
  • Leadership Development
    • Workshops
    • Coaching
    • Programs
    • Flourish Women Leaders
  • Team Development
    • Programs
    • Workshops
  • About
    • The Experts
    • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Career
    Management
  • Leadership
    Development
  • Team
    Development

Teams

Proceed with caution

June 23, 2021 by bfadmin Leave a Comment

As a career practitioner, I have mixed feelings about this announcement.  Reducing the cost burden to the individual on learning and increasing the number of domestic places is a positive but law, commerce and humanities students will pay the price.    Scaling the cost of courses tied to a prediction of future workforce requirements (which can only be a guesstimate in this VUCA world) demonstrates a narrow form of decision-making that doesn’t do justice to our complex systems.  I can totally appreciate the rationale for making degrees more accessible when they lead to careers where there is a current or predicted shortage of workers but I fear for the implications this will have.  At Strategic Career Management, we believe that people will thrive both personally and professionally when they choose a career that is well-matched to their strengths, motivated skills, interests and longer-term ambitions.  That is not a career choice based only on the logic of  “cheap to achieve and likely to get a job”.  The move to play with course fees, combined with the government’s other Job Maker initiatives and the way these are being communicated, has the risk of encouraging people to make life shaping decisions based on very narrow criteria.  Some may argue that if we work on the premise that ‘you’re capable of anything if you work hard enough’, where’s the problem?  Our experience working with clients over the last 10 years indicates people should proceed with caution;  career choices based only logical reasons such as convenience, pay, ease of achievement, career prospects etc can make for a difficult journey ahead with people often under-performing due to lack of natural motivation and fit for their chosen field, leading to stress and mental health issues, relationship difficulties and general dissatisfaction at work.  This isn’t always evident in the early years, but by mid-life it has well and truly taken it’s toll.

At Strategic Career Management we will continue to support people to make well-rounded decisions that are appropriate for them as an individual, ensuring that logical reasons are only one piece of the jigsaw when it comes to deciding career path.  If you have the opportunity to influence someone close to you, we ask that you actively encourage them to do the same.

Filed Under: Teams

On Helping a Bird

June 23, 2021 by bfadmin Leave a Comment

It’s interesting how we can find metaphors for career counselling everywhere…

I was leaving my father’s house after our weekly dinner gathering in early January and the vast flock of corellas was settling noisily down for the night in the trees in the part opposite.  Then something flew by my head.  At first, I thought it was a piece of rubbish but when it landed above me on a low hanging branch, I realized it was a wiero (cockatiel)!  It was beautiful – white and grey pearl and very tame.

She must have been mixing it with the big guys for a while – but was out of her depth and seemed to want something else.

We were easily able to get her down from the tree – she seemed to be inviting the contact – and I bought her home.

We cleaned out a disused cage and set her up for the night with some food and water.  She was delightful the way she called as we left the room and enjoyed sitting on our hands.

I’d have been keen to keep her, as she was an absolute joy, but my son suggested that we place an advertisement in the local lost and found group to see if we could find her owner.

The following night, after work, that’s just what I did.  Low and behold, within 45 minutes Ariel’s original owner had made contact.  It turned out that Ariel had been missing since early October last year – three months in total!

We were able to return her to her owner and she spent the night sleeping on her chest, just like the old days!

As I was reflecting on these strange events, that brought Arial to me and then saw her returned to her owner, I realized it’s pretty much the same process that we use with our career counselling clients.

First, the client – motivated for change – finds us.  We listen, ask questions and encourage them to feel comfortable and be brave.  Then we support them, dig a little and work with them to uncover their ideal role or direction and we help them identify the best path toward their goals.

It’s a bit of a midwifing service, with the career consultant as the conduit through which the magic happens.

I felt really pleased to be able to reconnect Ariel with her loving owner and it’s the same feeling I enjoy with each and every client I work with.

If you’re feeling lost and tracking with the wrong crowd, consider making contact with our career counsellors.  We’d love to help you uncover your right path toward a career and role that is satisfying and where your strengths and talents will be valued.

Filed Under: Teams

How to Tell Good Career Advice From Bad

June 23, 2021 by bfadmin Leave a Comment

Article originally posted on abc.net.au.

What’s the worst piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?

For two friends of mine, it was “don’t ever admit you were wrong” and “don’t ask for help — it shows weakness and an inability to do your job independently”.

Both are dubious suggestions, but they’re far from the worst examples of bad advice.

The Huffington Post recently reported women at an Ernst and Young leadership seminar in the US were told not to be too “shrill” and that they should look “healthy and fit”, with manicured nails. (The company says it’s no longer running the seminar, which was put together by an external provider.)

Curious for more examples of questionable guidance, I typed “worst career advice” into Twitter and found this doozy: “The secret to success in medicine is maximising the hours between 12am and 6am with productivity.”

Clearly, much of the above is terrible (or at least hugely misguided) advice. But when you’re young and new to the world of work, or deeply embedded in a particular work culture, it can be hard to tell.

We spoke to career coaches and management academics for tips on how to identify bad advice, and what to do when you get it.

How to identify bad work advice

Consider the advice-giver’s motivations, what motivates someone to give advice?

“It could be a genuine desire to help,” says Susan Ainsworth, a management professor at the University of Melbourne. “Or it could also be a desire to control others, and [be motivated by] self-interest.”

If someone is telling you what to do, or how to act, consider whether they have anything to gain if you follow their advice — and whether that gain equals your loss. “Really, the person should be impartial [because] they’re more likely to have your interests at heart,” Ms Ainsworth says.

Think about what you really need

When it comes to questions of career direction, Ms Ainsworth says “a lot of career advice assumes that people should want a position with more money or responsibility. [That] they should always go upwards”.

If someone is telling you what to do, or how to act, consider whether they have anything to gain if you follow their advice — and whether that gain equals your loss. “Really, the person should be impartial [because] they’re more likely to have your interests at heart,” Ms Ainsworth says.

Think about what you really need

When it comes to questions of career direction, Ms Ainsworth says “a lot of career advice assumes that people should want a position with more money or responsibility.

[That] they should always go upwards”.What if that’s not what you really want? Bad career advice is often too general and takes a cookie-cutter approach. “Or it’s just opinion,” says Helen Holan, a Perth-based career coach.

Good advice, she says, is usually:

  • Tailored to the individual

  • Unbiased and distanced from the giver’s own motives, beliefs, values or feelings

  • Takes into consideration your values and goals — rather than trying to convince or tell you what to do

  • Helps you challenge assumptions and see things from a range of perspectives.

Trust your gut instinct

“Often we do know what’s right [for us] and we just ignore that little voice, because we’re looking at other people’s advice as being the most sound,” says Melbourne-based career coach Kate James.

She uses meditation to help her clients tune into their core values and what their intuition is telling them. If you’re not up for meditating, perhaps make note of your reaction when you receive a piece of advice. Are you emotional? Angry? Confused? If so, it might be worth reflecting on why.

What to do when you receive bad career advice

If you’re up for it, ask questions

“I would ask — not in aggressive way — about how that person formed their advice,” says Ms Ainsworth.

“So questions like, ‘When did you realise that was a good thing to do?’ Ask about their own career, get them talking about themselves. Because that will tell you a lot about how to put their advice in context.”

Thank the person

“If we assume that people generally have good intentions, it would be dangerous to call them out [on the bad advice],” says Ms Holan. “Thank them for caring enough to want to give the advice, and say something to let them know that you’ll consider it.”

Consider getting impartial help

If you’re confused about what to do with the advice you’ve been given, have a think about your core values and goals. One option is to get a career coach. “[They] can be helpful because you’ve got someone impartial who’s working with you,” says Ms James.

If you go down that route, look for someone accredited with the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA) or Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA).

Don’t beat yourself up

All of the experts we spoke to agreed no decision is perfect, and no decision is fully wrong. So if you follow what you later realise was bad advice, there’s still value in the experience. “You’ve learnt something about yourself, you’ve grown more confident in yourself, you’ve perhaps realised what you do want,” Ms Holan explains.

Take my friend who was told never to admit to a mistake, for example. He was just starting his career at the time, so he figured it was solid advice. “Later [I] realised that you can’t grow if you’re never wrong,” he tells me. “Your workplace has to let you make mistakes and if they don’t, go elsewhere.”

Better to learn a lesson late than never at all.

Author – Sana Qadar

ABC Life

Filed Under: Teams

The 5 Steps to Making a Career Change Decision

June 23, 2021 by bfadmin Leave a Comment

Like any major life decision, deciding what you want to do (next) in your career can feel incredibly daunting. Whether you’re just entering the job market, considering a career change or simply stuck trying to decide between different job opportunities, there’s always that feeling of ‘what if I make the wrong decision?’, ‘what if there’s a better opportunity out there for me?’ and ‘where can I go for career change advice?’

While making career decisions may not be an easy task, it is definitely doable and unless you get serious about it those doubts will stay with you and can ultimately grind your career to a standstill. The following steps can help you get clarity on your options and make a career transition decision with confidence.

1. What do I want to do?

Finding work that you are passionate about is crucial to your happiness and success, so while answering the above question may seem like a task in itself, it’s absolutely crucial that you take the time to do it.

This is all about building your self-awareness so work on uncovering your strengths, skills, weaknesses, motivations, values and aspirations. Personality tests and career change counselling can help, but also look at your story to date: when were you most excited about going to work? What were you doing then? Don’t expect a definite answer to surface right away; instead, look out for patterns and focus on these.

2. What are my options?

Be clear on the options that are out there for you: read up about industries you’re interested in and check out job descriptions – what are the key requirements and day-to-day responsibilities? Go to job fairs; reach out to career coaching services; connect to people in your preferred role on LinkedIn or join industry-specific groups. Notice where your attention goes, but be realistic: do you have the skills and experience required? If there are gaps can you easily fill them?

3. Where can I go for advice?

A career change counsellor will provide individualized one-to-one discussions that deliver practical, professional career change guidance. Taking the time to discuss your options with a professional and build a career transition action plan is something you can do to give you the edge and point you in the right direction for your next career chapter.

4. Find overlap

The next step is to compare your list of options with your needs criteria. Most likely this will substantially reduce your list to just a few options. Dig a little deeper into these remaining few and try to get a feel for what’s involved in these jobs and whether you could see yourself doing them. To truly get the inside scoop you can try job shadowing, where you’ll follow around a professional as they go about their day at work and potential find a mentor who will offer further insights to your possible career transition. Volunteering can also be a great way to really test the waters in a certain role or industry.

5. Take the leap

You may come out of this process of elimination with several options left to choose from, or perhaps there’s only one that’s right or perhaps that one sounds right on paper, but you’re still not convinced. At this point it often comes down to a gut feeling. Ask yourself: does this decision feel right? Does it excite me? Can I see myself doing this? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, take a leap of faith and start researching specific employers to apply to.

Doubt is often a symptom of fear, so try to keep things in perspective. Many people think that one decision can set them on a course that they can’t change, but the opposite is true – you can always change your mind. If you do make the ‘wrong’ decision see it as a learning experience: knowing what you don’t want to do is just as useful in helping you make the ‘right’ decision.

Your career is a journey and you’re likely to stumble upon more than one crossroads as you go along. Be conscious and thoughtful about the direction you choose to take, do your research and remember, when in doubt, follow your gut.

If you’re interested in career change counselling or advice, Strategic Career Management can offer coaches that are passionate about inspiring their clients to have great careers that use their best strengths and meet their personal interests and values. Contact us to learn more.

Filed Under: Teams

Ghostbusting Jobseekers Could Gain Edge on Competitors

June 23, 2021 by bfadmin Leave a Comment

Article originally posted in The West Australian newspaper.


The term ghosting is becoming increasingly applicable in the Australian job market, with a study by recruitment company Robert Half showing the practice affects both jobseekers and hiring managers.

A term more frequently associated with online dating, ghosting refers to the practice of a party cutting off contact without explanation. In a recent survey, Robert Half found the top three frustrations for Australian job seekers were slow feedback (53 per cent), delayed decision- making (46 per cent) and poor communication from hiring managers (44 per cent) –traits which fall into the ghosting realm.

“While it’s not always possible to identify the exact reasons employers alienate job candidates with poor communication during the recruitment process, possible explanations include avoidance of delivering bad news, sudden changes to recruiting requirements or keeping candidates as a back-up option in case other preferred candidates fall through,” Robert Half Australia Director Andrew Morris said. “Yet from the jobseekers’ perspective, ghosting by employers means they miss out on valuable feedback related to performance and suitability, time and effort is wasted and their confidence sometimes takes a hit.”

Strategic Career Management Director Kendal Drew said she did not believe ghosting was a big issue in Western Australia, and when it did happen it could be down to organisations having limited resources. “It can happen with smaller organisations that may not have a dedicated HR function, or for roles where there are a particularly high number of candidates or inexperienced hirers,” she said.

Ms Drew said ghosting could sometimes be a deliberate tactic on behalf of the recruiter. “It’s important for candidates to appreciate they are being assessed not just on their resume and in the interview, but also on how they journey through the selection process,” she said. “If the company/recruiter is looking for someone who is proactive, persistent and outgoing, they might deliberately ghost candidates to find out which ones will take the initiative to follow up and make contact and show the skills they are looking for.”

Ms Drew said while there was no set-in-stone rule as to how long you should wait to hear back, establishing good communication from the outset was preferable. Mr Morris said ghosting jobseekers could have a bad impact on an organisation’s reputation, and vice versa.

“It’s important both candidates and employers alike understand the impact ghosting can have on their career path and reputation,” he said. “In a digital age where more candidates are sharing their experiences using online review sites, offering no response to candidates after an interview could have long- term consequences such as developing a poor company reputation and inability to attract top talent.

“Similarly, candidates who ghost companies could suffer damage to their professional reputation, which could negatively impact their career if the hiring manager becomes the face of another company the candidate later applies to. “By simply keeping communication lines open and maintaining transparency, employers and candidates alike will avoid burning bridges they may wish to cross in the future.”

Ms Drew highlighted the importance of maintaining appearances with hiring managers. “We’re fortunate this is a small town and it pays to treat people with respect,” she said. “There is always potential for the hirer and candidate to meet again – something that’s worth remembering on both sides of the interview table.”

Author – Rhys Prka

Copyright The West Australian newspaper

Filed Under: Teams

Stay in Touch With Each Other at Work

June 23, 2021 by bfadmin Leave a Comment

Article originally posted in The West Australian newspaper.


Reducing reliance on digital collaboration can drive positive workplace cultures, according to Strategic Career Management Director and Lead Career Strategist Kendal Drew.

“I think companies should look at how they communicate – not just through information and communications technology services and technology-based approaches, but make a return to picking up a telephone or face-to-face contact a priority within work teams,” Ms Drew said.

“We’re all very comfortable with emails. They’re convenient, we can write and read them when we’re ready and can order our thoughts before hitting the send button. But if we’re doing this and sending emails to the person sitting next to us, this is the biggest driver of loneliness in the workplace as we get to feel less connected in real time.”

While some may consider the solution lies with an open-plan office layout, Ms Drew said these were not a “one-size-fits- all” solution. “This needs to be balanced with opportunity to focus (for both introverts and extroverts) as open-plan can be distracting; for the introverts the noise and movement can be draining and for the extroverts, there’s too much going on and pulling them away from their work,” she said.

“The opportunity to collaborate needs to be tempered with opportunities to concentrate, focus and remain on-task – the open-plan environment doesn’t generally provide this.” Ms Drew’s sentiments align with a 2018 study titled The impact of the open workspace on human collaboration.’

The research showed online communication increased and face-to-face communication decreased by approximately 70 per cent in an open-plan environment. Ms Drew said there was a perception that productivity was based on ‘head down’ work rather than collaboration. “People are possibly conscious of being seen as being too sociable, time- wasting and not being task- focused,” she said. “Taking advantage of quiet spaces, meeting rooms, using headphones to block out noise and managing your time effectively will all help.”

Specialising in commercial workplace, residential and interior design, State 28 Interiors Director Miriam Terry said not all her clients preferred open-plan designs. “It’s vital to ensure you have sufficient support spaces to go hand-in-hand with open-plan to make it successful,” she said. “There isn’t one solution that suits all. A workplace should be tailored to suit the end user’s needs, likes and functionality, otherwise you can end up with a beautiful office that fails the end user as it doesn’t function for them, or vice versa.”

Ms Drew said while agile workplaces where employees are able to work from different areas of an office, rather than being anchored to a single desk, may sound good in theory – and could work for those who worked remotely and were only in the office, sporadically – they weren’t for everyone. “Many people prefer to have a place that is their own, where they can set out their usual tools of trade, favourite coffee cup and personal items, and leave and return to at will,” she said.

“The reality is time and energy will be utilised in setting up and adjusting to the new spaces rather than concentrating on the tasks assigned. Staff will likely revert to email communication as it is quicker and easier than taking the time to locate colleagues within the building for face-to-face discussions. All of this affects morale, productivity and connection.”

Ms Terry said cubicles and segregated office plans could work in some instances. “They can work, for example, in legal practices; however, they can discourage teamwork and transparency between staff,” she said. “It can lead to a hierarchical feel amongst staff, which isn’t always the desired intent. “Not all users benefit from collaboration, so the key is offering a wide variety of working styles, not just all collaboration or all focus spaces.

Activity-based-working (ABW) often works best when staff still sit within ‘home zones’ and so continue to have good proximity to their team. “Technology needs to support ABW. This can include allowing staff to be located when they are logged into their emails/computer, having team touch down zones allows for daily meets, perhaps first thing in the morning, to set goals for the day/week.”

From a design perspective, Ms Terry said providing great staff facilities and amenities, including large breakout spaces, access to healthy workplace initiatives, and an office look and feel which suits the user and encourages interaction where applicable, could work wonders. “We encourage the incorporation of colour palettes, that engender calming, natural tones with less bright primary colours,” she said. “We often draw our palettes from the client’s location, and it’s almost vital to include biophilic design (connectivity to the natural environment) in a workplace. “Research has proven it enhances the environment we work in.”

Ms Drew said it was important for leaders in organisations to model the behaviour they wanted to see in others and be authentic. “Be positive, interact with and get to know your staff on a personal level. Lead from the front, respect their privacy but also interact with them in person – as people first, and workers next,” she said. “Regardless of the layout of the office, this will drive the culture.”

Author – Sandra Argese

Copyright The West Australian newspaper

Filed Under: Teams

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to page 4
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Debunking misconceptions about career conversations
  • Upskilling leaders in career conversations
  • Blueprint for being a trustworthy leader
  • What do Einstein and coaching have in common?
  • Break The Bias

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • April 2024
    • November 2023
    • March 2022
    • June 2021

    Categories

    • Careers
    • Leadership
    • Teams

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    Logo

    Opening Hours

    Monday-Friday
    9.00am – 5.00pm

    Contact

    • [email protected]
    • 1300 235 726
    • 939 Wellington Street
      West Perth WA 6005

    Service

      • Career Management
      • Leadership Development
      • Team Development

    General Info

      • Login
      • About Us
      • Success Stories
      • Resources
      • Blog
      • Testimonials
      • Contact Us

    © Strategic Career Management

    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy

    Website by Burning Fruit

    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy

    © Strategic Career Management

    Website by Burning Fruit