Phoenix Jobing Community Blogs

Community and Collaboration -- two of my favorite things. Today I got great big doses of both! The HNK Consultants' Community (http://www.slhinet.org/group.htm?mode=home&igid=224) is a group of consultants who work with non-profits and we had a full day retreat.

We used World Cafe (http://www.theworldcafe.com/) and Open Space technologies (http://www.openspaceworld.org/) which are designed to quickly foster meaningful discussion and collaboration among large groups. These powerful methods are frequently used to focus on what is working well (strengths) and how to build on that base.

Our International Coach Federation Phoenix Chapter had a World Cafe at our January 2008  meeting and our board used the ideas and suggestions that came from that meeting to craft a strategic plan for the organization. It was a great way to start the year.

I think that my favorite part of today's meeting were the speed presentations. A series of speakers had 5 minutes each to present on a variety of topics. It's not easy to convey useful information in an engaging way in such a short time and all of the presenters did a fine job. I was reminded of the 2009 National Speakers Association Convention which used a similar format -- in fact the sound and video were cut off at the exact time limit!

Jack Smith of (http://www.thesociallatte.com/) gave a great presentation for us on how to use social media for our businesses. He's written a blog post here on Jobing that covers many of the same details (http://phoenix.jobing.com/blog_post.asp?post=21908).

What do you do to bring Community and Collaboration into your life and work?

Debra Exner, PCC, CPCC, is the current president of the International Coach Federation Phoenix Chapter and is a Coach, Facilitator, Speaker, and Workshop Leader. She is currently co-authoring a book on Collaboration and she publishes a blog on the topic at http://collaborationpaysoff.wordpress.com/

Invest in Your Business' Future Workforce & Contribute to Your Community

Experience Your Future Day is a one-day, experiential learning event designed for 8th grade students to be able to experience hands-on what it's truly like to work in a chosen trade, profession or industry.  Employers are being asked to give back to the community while helping to invest in the Valley's future workforce.  These are your employees of tomorrow. 

Thursday, April 22, 2010   9am - 1pm
University of Phoenix Stadium

Contributions and sponsorships help to cover costs of the event. Proceeds will support this and other Jobing Foundation programs.  This event is tax deductible for most businesses as an ordinary business expense, but does not qualify as a charitable donation. 
Note: Jobing.com does not benefit in any way from this program. 

Employers... Get Involved today!  Visit www.ExperienceYourFuture.org and click on Exhibitors tab. 

For questions, contact Vicki Steere, Executive Director, Jobing Foundation at vicki@jobingfoundation.org or 602.795.2787.

Let’s face it—the job market is beyond tough in Phoenix right now. Job seekers need every advantage they can get. Arizona State University graduates will have a great “inside track” opportunity tomorrow to expand their personal and business networks at a mixer presented by the ASU Alumni Association’s Maroon and Gold Professionals group.

 

The group will meet Wednesday, Nov. 18 for its monthly Maroon and Gold Professionals Mixer, which will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the swank aloft Tempe hotel, located at 951 E. Playa Del Norte Drive. This popular event draws scores of Sun Devils from all walks of life and costs $10 for current members of the Alumni Association and $20 for non-members.

 

Don’t miss a chance to catch up with your classmates and forge new Sun Devi connections!

 

RSVP today

 

Want to save on the price of networking mixers like this one? Join the Alumni Association today! 

 

The Arizona Mature Workforce Initiative presents the following Blog
 by our "Guest Blogger"

Ms. Chris Long, Public Relations and Community Outreach Coordinator at the YWCA Maricopa County, and a member of the Mature Workforce Committee of the Governor's Advisory Council on Aging

It's Never Too Late to Learn Financial Literacy - The YWCA Can Help
by Ms. Chris Long

Although it is universally known that mature workers, as a generation, possess coveted skills such as loyalty, unwavering work ethic, maturity, excellent customer service and people skills, and bring a perspective to the workplace often lost in the blur of technology, many often have challenges re-entering the workforce.  

Confidence and self-esteem often are the attributes that will put someone over the top when competing for a position.  Women sometimes lack knowledge and verve when it comes to understanding finances and how money works.  YWCA has a solution to that problem with its Wi$eUp financial literacy program.  The curriculum provides women with the education and tools to make informed decisions regarding their finances. Wi$eUp is currently in its sixth session, and has educated over 100 women. The class is led by a financial professional and each week a volunteer from the Valley comes to class and provides students with valuable insight of financial practices. YWCA is planning to expand the number of class programs in an effort to ensure more women receive the financial education they need.

One Woman's Story:  "Wi$eUp Truly Transformed Me"

The day Sheila called the YWCA to say she wouldn't be attending the next Wi$eUp class as planned because she couldn't pay the tuition, her life changed. The Wi$eUp classes began and Sheila took her first step for financial change by reading the first chapter of the program, Money for Life, and doing the assignment. At the same time class began, Sheila was living in a homeless shelter with her 13 year-old son and had been unemployed for the previous four months.  At the conclusion of the Money for Life class, Sheila knew Wi$eUp was exactly what she needed to help her make positive financial changes in her life.  Prior to Wi$eUp, Sheila was not aware that the job market typically offered medical benefits, retirement benefits, and paid time off.  As she began to implement the changes that she was learning about, Sheila found the lessons that related to developing a budget and a financial plan were the most beneficial to her. Sheila began setting financial goals and deposited money into a savings account every month.

Today, Sheila and her son are living in transitional shelter and she continues to take advantage of all learning opportunities available to her.  She credits Wi$eUp with her higher self-esteem and ability to accomplish her financial goals. Sheila has begun the interviewing process with her newfound outlook and is optimistic about her future. "I know I carry myself differently and have confidence I have never had before.  I am in control of my finances and understand how credit works," says Sheila. "Wi$eUp made all the difference." 

If you are a mature worker, or a job seeker of any age, who would like to learn more about the Wi$eUp classes offered by the YWCA, please visit the YWCA Website - www.ywcaaz.org   

We also invite you to visit the Arizona Mature Worker Website. hosted by Jobing.com, at www.azmatureworkers.com   Check it out today!

Jobing.com is proud to partner with The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce  and would like to congratulate all the Sterling Award Winners.  The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce does a great job of recognizing companies that have demonstrated excellence, innovation and community stewardship through their business practices.

The winners of the prestigious award were presented on Thursday, November 12th before a sold out crowd at the Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center! Four winners were selected from among twelve finalists for the coveted Sterling Award:

CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS! 

Micro Business: Express Digital Solutions

Small Business: Kohler Academy

Big Business: Harkins Theatres

Non-Profit: Devereux Arizona

It’s an old truism in the career development world that you need to have plenty of irons in the fire during a job search; some experts recommend having as many as 6 to 10 opportunities “in the works” at all times.

 

Arizona State University graduates can fill up their opportunity “dance card” at the Sun Devil Career Network, an ASU-centric job portal. Many postings are posted exclusively to the portal, which is powered by Jobing.com.

 

Here are the week’s top jobs:

 

Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner

Regional VP/Operations

Clinical Director

EDI Specialist

 

Visitors to the portal can post their resume to the site, and employers can post jobs online at the site, as well, tapping into ASU’s talent pool for very reasonable prices.

 

You never know what you’ll find until you visit http://asu.jobing.com!

When I give presentations about ethics to leadership teams and groups, I always ask the question "What is one word that means ethics to you?" After everyone laughs nervously, the answers start trickling in.  Integrity, Honesty, Accountability, Doing the right thing.  These are common answers I get to this question.  If several people have the same definition I ask for clarification, and the learning begins.  Not everyone has the same definition of integrity or "doing what's right" - and this realization seems to shock people! 

Let's think about this for a minute, though.  Ethics is personal and situational, based on individual experiences, culture and background. With our workforce evolving into a more diverse multicultural, multigenerational group, isn't it logical that each individual would have different interpretations of the words we use to describe ethics? And doesn't it follow that those different interpretations lead to different behaviors and actions?  If my definition of ethics is trust, honesty and accountability, and your definition is truth, integrity and responsibility can we really expect people to behave the same way?

The fact is that our leadership role needs to adapt to match the changing requirements and realities of our workforce. We can and should no longer assume that everyone has the same definition of appropriate behavior that we do.  A code of conduct is no longer sufficient to guide the behavior of our teams, and in fact most people don't even bother to read it.  Their signature doesn't mean they've read it; the signature only means they've completed the requirement for employment.  We as leaders must now take an additional step, and I must admit one I never dreamed I'd ever need to take.  We must define what we mean by honesty, integrity, accountability and doing the right thing.  If we don't do this, we're saying that we're willing to leave the interpretations of appropriate behavior to everyone but ourselves.  I'm no longer willing to take this kind of risk with my business reputation or image.  Are you?

Want to find out how you can make this process fun and engage your workforce in a meaningful dialog?  Play the e-Factor!® business game that creates safe space to practice solving business and ethical dilemmas before they cost you a client or key employee.

 

I'm sitting here writing this in my Nike jogging pants and Nike T-Shirt, socks and tennis shoes. No kidding, I've got that Nike Swoosh all over me. It's crazy how we consciously and subconsciously surround ourselves with those trusted names, products, services and brands. Branding has gone from corporate PR, to Hollywood with the likes of Oprah, Martha (and yes, Paris ), and now to Main Street . Personal Branding is changing the way we manage our careers and businesses.

You already have a brand? Your family, friends, staff, customers and leaders have a perception of you, attributes and words that come to mind when your name is mentioned. This can be a mixed bag. So what is a Personal Brand? It's being self-aware and communicating what makes us different, unique; what we stand for, those skills, attributes, values and passions that describe us and differentiate us from our peers, colleagues and competitors. What comes to mind when others think of you?
 
Branding is not being what others expect of us, and less about creating some marketing glitz. It's all about being authentic, knowing yourself and what truly differentiates you - your unique value proposition. Whether we're a senior executive, engineer, service professional or recent grad, employed or unemployed, in today's world we have to understand, develop and communicate our personal brand to create a competitive advantage, achieve our goals, personal success and make a difference....These are the new rules of the career game today.
 
Creating your personal brand begins with first and foremost knowing yourself. Here are five actions you can take to discover the real you:
 
1.) Be self-aware. Know the compelling value you provide. What are your core values, purpose, passion, abilities and goals? Know what you stand for. Edgar Schein's Career Anchors is an excellent values assessment, along with the Keirsey or Meyer's Briggs personality profile, and Campbell Interest and Skill Inventory. Your brand has to lead you to your personal and professional goals. Identify your one-year, three-year, five-year and ten-year goals in: Career, Family and Friends, Spiritual, Community, Health/Fitness, Financial, Personal Growth and Other. We need to be able to understand and communicate this exceptional combination of attributes, i.e. our unique value proposition; for it enables us to fulfill our purpose.
 
2.) Ask for feedback. How do your leaders, peers, staff and customers view you (i.e. they're your "target market")? How would they describe your strengths, attributes and value to the business? Is it in sync with what you know to be true? 
 
Your target market already has an image, perception (or misperception) about you. It may be in line with your authentic brand, and then again, you may be hauling around some extra "bags". So before you start developing your personal brand, begin by interviewing clients, business leaders, peers, media types.....What values do they associate with you? When they hear your name what comes to mind? What do they see as your strengths? How would they describe your work?
 
Compare and track: a.) how you're perceived, b.) how you want to be perceived, c.) how you think you are perceived. The size of the gaps will tell you how hard you'll need to work your brand to reinforce or change perceptions. 
 
3.) Identify Your Target Audience - Your Brand Champions.  Who are those individuals in a position to help you achieve your personal and career goals? Family, friends, key internal and/or external customers, staff, peers, supervisors, managers, executives, suppliers and business partners. These people need to know who we are and what we stand for, and we need to communicate to them a consistent and compelling brand presence - our unique value promise. 
 
4.) Know Your Competitors. Are they your colleagues? Based on your goals and career path, are they another group at your company? In another industry? What are those attributes that differentiate you from your competition? Let's ensure that our target audience, the decision makers, knows our compelling brand value.
 
5.) Work With a Coach. Your Coach is there to guide you through this career planning and personal branding process. Recchion and Associates, Inc. is available to provide that personal, professional guidance and coaching expertise to assist you in creating a compelling and effective Personal Brand so you stand out, add value to your business and career, and achieve the personal and professional success that you aspire to. 

NEXT: Crafting Your Personal Brand Statement

 

---------------------------------------------------- 

Gary Recchion, with Recchion and Associates, Inc., is a writer, coach and speaker with 20 years in global career development and outplacement coaching and training, and personal branding, supporting both individual and corporate clients from Phoenix , Arizona . His book, The 10 Success Strategies to Finding the Right Work, is integral to job search/career transition training and coaching programs, offered in the classroom, through one-on-one face-to-face, and virtual e-coaching, and soon webinar. His Career Development programs include Personal Career Leadership series, Five Principles of Career Success series, Understanding Emotional Intelligence and Hiring Great People. For more information on his book, individual and executive coaching, and corporate training programs see www.recchionandassociates.com or e-mail Gary at gary@recchionandassociates.com

 

To all our Veterans--SJN members, friends and neighbors:

Thinking of all of you today and thanking you for your service.  Words seem inadequate as feelings overflow.

My father served in Europe during WW II. At that time, households with veterans actively serving in the war put a red star in their window. My grandparents had four sons all serving overseas, and they proudly displayed four stars in their front window. They were even interviewed in the local newspaper.

My brother served in Korea and my husband was in the Army during the Vietnam Era. We hold our military servicemen and women in the highest regard.

I volunteer in the Phoenix helping neighbors in transition, and have met many wonderful service people -- always proud to work with and support their transitions.

Today, my husband went to Home Depot and noticed a promotion for a 10% discount with a veteran's ID. He searched in his wallet and found a 40 year old Army photo ID.  .  . and Home Depot honored it. Way to go!

I understand various restaurants in the area are offering free meals as well--check it out. I'm not the only one who wants to show love, appreciation and thanks to each of you.


God bless,

Chris