Peter Black's Coaching

New Year - and a redundancy! What now?

2012-01-10T11:08:00.004+11:00

You have have just returned to work after the Christmas/New Year break maybe with some personal and career resolutions in mind and all of a sudden, these go out the door as you presented with a redundancy notice. This appears to be happening in the financial services industry as had been flagged towards the end of 2011 (see here) and if some news reports are to be believed, will unfortunately be happening to more people over coming months as companies obtain a better idea of their financial state and forecasts. What do you do if you are on the receiving end of a redundancy notice - or are concerned this could happen in the short to medium term future?

I saw much of this when I was working as a career transition consultant with global career transition company DBM over recent years and particularly through the Global Financial Crisis. There are a number of tips that I would advise if this happens to you and these are:

Personalise it yet depersonalise it - yes, this is personal - its your job, your income, your colleagues, your routine - and its been or about to be taken away. It's not fair, a sense of loss, derailed your best laid plans about your career path or your financial/wealth accumulation strategy - and it hurts. It is personal and you are quite normal and entitled to feel down about it (but I advise not to take it out on your employer or family - see point 2 below about your strategy). At the same time though, you have been subject to a corporate decision that may be based on something over which you have had little control - economic, financial, strategic, change of management, merger/acquisition etc - and thus depersonalising it and accepting this is the corporate reality is just as important. The one thing that is certain is that a decision has been made - rightly or wrongly - and the strategy to deal with it is now critical. Remember also that this is a redundancy of your position/role - not of you!
Be strategic about you and your personal brand - accepting the corporate reality is hard but is the situation that you now face. Like any situation (crisis?), it is important that you work out a strategy as to how to deal with this so that you not only protect but also potentially enhance your Personal Brand. This starts immediately you walk out of the meeting in which you have been advised of your redundancy, as hard as this may be, given you could have this maelstrom of emotions swirling around. The reason for this is that how you handle yourself from this point on could be quite influential in obtaining your next role because the people you have been working with up to now, including your boss or HR person who has just advised your retrenchment, could be the source of a lead for your next role - and this could include one with the company from which you have just been retrenched. It is therefore important to "hasten slowly" and work out your values, goals, career assets, personal situation and determining a strategy that you can clearly articulate to recruiters, employers and network contacts - and given you only get one chance to make a good first impression, this needs to be done in a considered way often with an independent career coach.
Seek and take all support required/offered - if you are offered career transition or outplacement support, take it - and use it extensively. If not, consider seeking your own even if you have to pay for it out of your redundancy payment - the investment will be worthwhile to ensure you have someone impartial and experienced to guide, support and motivate you through the process of YOU finding your next position. [To give you a comparison, if we want to learn to dance, swim or play golf - we usually get a coach - our career where we earn our income we tend to let evolve under the control/influence of our employer/family/friends/partners...and we probably spend more on a holiday or piece of entertainment/technology that what a career coach could cost.] As this is a very personal relationship, it is important that you find someone who is experienced yet current, a future oriented strategic thinker, and who will both support and challenge you.
Be positive and treat it as an opportunity - you have a choice here - be down, negative, have a "poor me" attitude, lash out at the world - or be positive, use language like "privileged", "achieved", "great experiences" and see this situation as an opportunity to reconsider your strategy, meet new people through networking, develop new skills or enhance your resume. Other people are more likely to warm to and want to assist someone who is positive. [This is not to say that you are not entitled to feel down and frustrated at times - and that's where point 3 above is important]. You now have time to focus on developing the skills, attributes, networks and online brands that you have maybe neglected as you have been too busy working and living to worry about - and give you a long term career foundation.

You may also be interested in some other relevant blog posts that I have written on related topics such as:

Lessons from the GFC - Personal and Professional

One is never too old to get a job - even at 70!

Should you post your resume on LinkedIn?

Don't Discard Your Mature Age Workers?

You may also be interested in a blog that is being written by a lady called Lisa Fryar in Sydney, Australia who is currently in this state of transition - please see here. This blog has many lessons about patience, strategy, recruiters, embracing new social media technologies such as Blogs, LinkedIn and Twitter and being able to present one's brand.

Whatever happens, it has happened - and you now have a choice and an opportunity to approach it strategically and position yourself better for the future. In my experience (having worked with hundreds of people who had been retrenched over the past five years - and having been through a redundancy myself), most people do come out the other end of the process in a better place with a greater self awareness, better developed networks, a more professional and focused personal brand including online and most importantly, more control over their career.

Good luck - and please call me on 0419 510 955 if you would like a complimentary chat as to how I could assist you through this process.

Should you post your resume on LinkedIn?

2012-01-08T15:41:00.002+11:00

The question is often asked as what to do with your traditional resume on LinkedIn. Isn't LinkedIn basically your on-line resume anyway? Or should you just use LinkedIn as an outline of your career, skills and experience and your traditional resume as a more detailed summary of your career and achievements? And how do you manage this if you are currently employed and don't want to signal to your current employer that you are "on the market"?

Before I address these issues, it is relevant to highlight the recent case in the UK where an employee was supposedly forced out of his job for uploading his resume to LinkedIn. There may be more to this case than what has been reported and I would argue that there may have been some political naivete on the part of the employee in actually uploading his resume to a public site such as LinkedIn, where one can be connected to colleagues at the current employer, as well as be visible to superiors. Ticking the box "interested in career opportunities" is pretty much a default choice these days but combined with actually uploading the resume may not have been the smartest move.

That being said, should one load a resume up in the first place? I have previously blogged on "how important is your resume?" with a view that it is not as important as one thinks - probably not as much as networking and your LinkedIn profile.

My view is that a resume should NOT be loaded up onto LinkedIn for 4 reasons:

LinkedIn can basically provide a cut down version of your skills and experience and it is where many employers and recruiters are going first - and then only scanning - and if they are interested, they will reach out to you.

Your resume with its detailed achievements often may contain somewhat confidential information about you and your previous employment experience that is better filed in recruiters' databases or employers HR files than in the public domain of LinkedIn.

A resume should be tailored and targeted towards an employer and/or role that you are seeking - and thus there may be many versions of your resume each with a slightly different emphasis. Having a generic version on LinkedIn does not allow you to highlight these points of emphasis for the particular employer/role.

Lastly, you want to retain control as best as possible over your personal brand, who has your resume and where it has been sent. The employment markets can be incredibly small for particular functions and having third parties shopping your resume around - and even worse - making a decision about you without meeting you is not desirable and is at risk of "diluting" your personal brand.

So, my view - keep your resume to yourself and develop a really good LinkedIn profile, remembering to comply with your employers' codes of conduct/policies in this regard and ensuring not to disclose any corporate confidential information - and be politically smart about it all if you want to keep your current role!

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2012

Whatever you do - develop your FANS!

2012-01-04T17:58:00.013+11:00

For a social media age and whether you work for someone else or run a business, developing your FANS seems most apt. This could be customers, clients, bosses or subordinates in how we traditionally think of FANS - in other words, people who will sponsor, provide a recommendation for or refer others to you. But in this post, I use FANS as an acronym for what I consider are important to de-risk your career or business.

In a period of constant and ever increasing change, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels whether running a business or building a career. There could always be someone else who is perceived as better skilled with more relevant experience and maybe better connected.

Having worked as a career transition/outplacement consultant/coach for the past five years with hundreds of clients, and reflecting on my personal experience, I have been able to distil a strategy for sustainable success into this simple four letter acronym of FANS being:

F inancial Independence - having a degree of financial independence can provide a buffer and comfort zone from the ravages of an unexpected redundancy, loss of a major customer, unexpected medical issue etc. No matter what age or stage of life, the classic tenets of financial planning of budgeting, living within one's means, paying off non-deductible debt, investing for the future etc can do wonders for confidence and resilience if and when the unexpected strikes.

A chievements - develop a resume, LinkedIn profile or customer proposal these days and its all about achievements and what you have done or achieved - not your responsibilities nor duties. Attend an interview, networking or pitch meeting - and its about what you have done - recently! One strategy I suggested to clients either in a job or about to start a new job, after we had developed an impactful resume, was to write a pro-forma resume 12 or 24 months hence - with a focus on the achievements. This also became a de-facto goal setting exercise.

N etworks - with the proliferation of self managed online profiling opportunities - whether websites, LinkedIn or other social media - it still comes down frequently to who you know or who knows you. And it is often about personal contact too where the largest component of communication - body language comprising 55% (compared to words/content 7% and tone/pitch 38%) can be used. It is also far easier to develop networks - inside and outside of your existing organisation - from a standpoint of strength being in a role with positional authority than from a position of transition when one's confidence and perceived authority (internally or externally) may be reduced. Networking in Action is described here.

S kills - I worked with many clients who had 15, 20, 25 or more years experience - but the question in my mind, and sometimes articulated - nicely - was how relevant is it for the next 10? I would ask them "What's Your 2020 Vision?" - in other words, what will be needed to achieve that vision between now and then? What skills will you need - and are they different to what you have now? Examples could be technology, social media, new legislative knowledge, or managing virtual teams. The only certainty - those skills are probably different skills in addition to the existing cumulative skills and experience you possess. (This is particularly relevant for Mature Age Workers - please read more here).

So, to stay relevant, current, energised, connected, de-risked and somewhat protected (like a client I had last year who got 2 job offers at the age of 70)- what are you doing to develop your FANS?

Don't Discard your Mature Age Workers!

2011-10-31T16:50:00.018+11:00

Having previously written on "A tripartite approach to an aging demographic", it raises the question of what we as a society are going to do with our ever maturing workforce - and we are talking here about people over the age of 45! It also introduces some challenges as well as opportunities for businesses. (To see a recent Fortune magazine article on how some companies are holding on to their baby boomers, please click here.)

The 2011 Australian Federal Budget had quite a focus on increasing workforce participation. Whilst most of the Federal Budget was focused on younger workers including apprentices, there were some changes in relation to enhancing what is known as the Work Bonus and the introduction of further programs for mature age skill development. And the need for this change of approach will become critical - for instance, currently about 170,000 new workers in the 15-64 age band are added to the workforce each year - BUT in the entire decade from 2020 to 2030, only 125,000 workers will be added.

The government defines a mature worker as someone over the age of 45 - which is very young given our longer life expectancies (note though that most of their incentive programs apply to people over the age of 50). There had been previously announced pension changes to increase eligibility for the age pension from 2017 from age 65 to age 67. The Government also recognizes there is a societal and economic case for increasing mature age participation particularly with changing demographics and forecast economic growth.

Other Federal Government initiatives in relation to mature workers?

The Government updated the Intergenerational Report in February 2010 recognizing the demographic dynamics for the next 40 years. It introduced the Productive Aging Package in February 2010 which included a number of initiatives to invest in job training for more mature workers and to provide more support for mentoring arrangements. It also had the Consultative Forum on Mature Age Participation commence in 2010 with representatives of a number of organizations including the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Industry Group, the ACTU and a number of Seniors organisations. The objective of this group is to improve perceptions of older workers and support the business case for retaining older workers.

The overall aim of the government is to increase participation rates for the 50-69 age group from 62% to 67% of the workforce by 2050 thus increasing GDP - and reducing reliance on the age pension. The underlying reason for this is that whereas in 1970 there were 7.5 (taxpaying) workers in Australia for every person over 65, this is predicted to drop to 2.7 by 2050.

The Government has also published a document called “Investing in Experience” which particularly targets the issues around older workers including various strategies and incentives available for employers and employees alike. Some of these are detailed below.

My experience as an Executive Coach dealing with mature workers?

As a Certified Retirement Coach, I see more mature workers undertaking transition particularly in circumstances of retrenchment - and it is the hardest transition I coach and one where often many people actually wish to continue working. I encourage them to essentially use their experience PLUS reinvent and retrain to continue to be relevant. This is particularly around the use of technology including social media.

In fact, I had a 70 year old worker who I assisted earlier this year to obtain 2 new role offers – much of which was from reframing his experience in a resume and assisting him to get up to speed with things like LinkedIn. To his credit, this worker had done much training and education from the age of 50 onwards to stay relevant.

Mature workers enhance their own employment opportunities

Both pre and post GFC, it should be said that many more mature workers may not be able to financially afford retirement particularly given their life expectancy. In fact, many mature age workers may have nearly as long to live as they have already been working. They may also not be able to psychologically afford retirement as they deal with the challenges of loss of identity, purpose, social contact and income that a job brings.

. Mature workers can use technology if shown how and if they have a "lifelong learning" approach - and this is powerful if combined with their offline experience and relationships. I do not consider mature workers can rely just on their experience and “respect” for elders - this now needs to be earned on an ongoing basis.

There is a relatively low cost of training now – particularly web based with new delivery mechanisms. At the same time, all generations need to respect and learn from the different generations – as well as be a mentors/reverse mentors etc .

Furthermore, more mature workers should also be prepared to explore new ways of working – contracting, part-time, job sharing, flexible - not just the traditional permanent full time job.

What can employers do to deal with more mature workers?

Firstly, recognise the business case for employing older workers and that the statistics don’t actually support the negative perceptions of older workers. The over 55 age group has been shown to be the most productive working on average for 7 out of every 8 hours of the normal day. The costs of recruitment, turnover and training are huge – and the statistics also show that younger workers are 5 times as likely to change roles as older workers. Also, some of fastest growing groups in adapting to technology are older age groups and therefore it is important that we don’t make assumptions about older workers.

Employers should also consider a variety of strategies for more mature workers such as :

· Tailored training and retraining of workers

· Accessing a range of potential Government incentives

· More flexible working conditions

· Coaching and mentoring – both ways

· Maternity leave equivalent/gap years/flexible leave to accommodate travel requirements, aging parents and grandchildren - the different life events that occur at a more mature age .

Government Incentives available

There are a range of incentives and grants available for mature workers and these are detailed at the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website. These include:

· Investing in Experience - checklists, toolkits, case studies, financial help

· Experience+ training - to provide mentoring and supervisory services

· Skills Assessment for Mature Workers - recognising prior skills and experience and provides both assessment and training

· Employee Assistance Fund to provide financial assistance to purchase a range of work related modifications and services for employees with a health condition, injury or disability

· Indigenous Wage Subsidies

Conclusion

The Federal Government has commenced a change of the policy settings to accommodate an aging workforce in Australia between now and 2050. It is going to up to employees over 45/50 and their current or prospective employers to have a change of attitude and approach to ensure a relevant, well trained and motivated workforce that will be needed by business and society alike.

The Business of Change - and Transition

2011-09-25T20:42:00.003+10:00

With change seeming to be the only constant in business and life these days, how to we handle the transition to a new state of being? To be clear on the definitions, change is an event – the transition is what happens afterwards - and may occur over a short or extended period of time.

Change may be from a number of sources, either business, career or personal - for instance, gaining or losing a key customer, gaining or losing a key employee, legislative changes, changes in consumer behaviour/sentiment, higher or lower currency exchange rates, gaining or losing a job, personal health changes or relationship changes.

In recent years, the GFC and its aftermath, the explosion in social media, constant changes in technology and political uncertainty have all been enormous changes which have provided challenges, risks and also opportunities.

Dealing with the transition period, whether personally or for others around you (employees, clients, customers, family) is a perennial challenge. Transition management can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster – and can be similar to the well known Elisabeth Kubler-Ross grief cycle where loss is involved. John Fisher has also developed a great depiction of the transition curve to assist in understanding the range of emotions we can experience. Stress management and resilience is important to maintain perspective and a balanced focus for you/your business.

A structured approach whereby you revisit your values, personal and business goals and the reality of your situation – whether financial, relationships or otherwise can assist to determine strategies and pathways forward. Whilst many of these aspects may appear obvious, it is sometimes only when we write them down, either individually or with facilitation, that they become clearer.

Managing a transition can also be very lonely unless you have a support network, which may be friends, peers, business networks, business coaches, health professionals, social media connections or what I’m involved in through The Executive Connection with groups of SME CEOs.

I have also been privileged to see and participate in the AngBizMix community radio program in Sydney and the associated social media support which I consider is a valuable support resource to the Small Business Community in dealing with these perennial changes.

The value of someone who is not emotionally involved nor has a conflict of interest can be important to provide clarity, possible solutions and a sounding board to assist you with the transition.

And just one when you think you are through one transition, another change event arises and there is another period of transition. Change is constant - so is transition!

10 Point Quick Career Check List

2011-07-18T17:35:00.003+10:00

This is a short post that provides a 10 point career check list for anyone to use to assess their current work situation. It is based on my view, and the lessons from the GFC, that many people just let their careers evolve and effectively (even if not consciously) allow their employers to control their career path - and this is sometimes when the individual and employer are not actually suited to each other!

The following questions are designed to promote thinking and hopefully proactive strategies by individuals to take charge of their career. Appropriate links are provided to other areas of this blog or my website.

Brand - what defines your personal brand? Do all of your brand point align with your strategic positioning - your dress style, leadership style, resume, online presence, technical skills, telephone manner, work behaviours and ethic etc?
Elevator Speech – can you succinctly articulate what you do and your value? Do you have a permanent "professional discussion points" list in your head?
Engagement - how engaged are you in your current role? Are you in the right role for your personality, skills and values? Is your role or organisational culture diminishing your mental health and engagement?
Financial Independence - what are you doing to develop your financial independence from your employer? Do you actively manage your finances as if you are a one person business with one client? Do you manage what may be your biggest expense - TAX?
Learning and Skills - what learning and skill enhancement have you done in the past year? Do you just wait for your employer to provide training or do you seek your own learning opportunities? Are you leveraging the power of social media (blogs, Twitter, YouTube etc) to learn current technologies, topics and trends? What are your Personal Effectiveness Tools?
Networking - how are your professional networks - outside your current employer? Do you pro-actively connect and manage them? How do you generate connections? Do you follow up networking contacts through LinkedIn?
Resume - do you have a current resume? Is it generic or tailored to the types of positions you are seeking? Do you have an online resume on LinkedIn?
Strategic Management - what is your 1, 5, 10 year personal brand development/management plan? If over 45, do you have a reinvention or retirement plan? Do you have an internal mentor (other than your direct boss)? What about an independent external coach to help you achieve your strategy?
Value Proposition - what is your employment value proposition? Can you articulate it to demonstrate that your remuneration has a good Return on Investment (ROI) for your current employer or a potential employer? Are you overpaid-or underpaid for the value you deliver?
Work-Life Balance - do you balance your work around your life - or vice versa? Is your work technology (Blackberry, iPad, laptop, mobile) always on? When is your down-time?

Whilst the above is not designed to be an exhaustive list, it hopefully provides a starting point to ensure you are actively managing your career. And if you would like to talk to me about cost effective and career value adding coaching packages, please email me at peter.black@peterblackcoaching.com or call me on +61 419 510 955.

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2011

Employer's guide to conducting a redundancy program

2011-07-16T13:05:00.009+10:00

With some commentary now starting to appear around the possibility of a second phase of the GFC, there is also some possibility that employers may be considering employee redundancy programs to align their organisations to the current business conditions. Whilst I believe that the lessons of the 2008-09 GFC will be fresh in the mind of governments and central banks globally and that whatever occurs will be better managed, we cannot rule out the possibility of a further decline in sentiment and consequent reductions in employment. In fact, Westpac has suggested that interest rates could fall 1% and unemployment increase from the current 4.9% to 5.7%. This post is to provide an insight into experience and best practice to anyone who has to conduct a redundancy process with either an individual or a team.

I have been privileged to work through career transition programs with 100s of individuals over the past 5 years who have been retrenched (outplaced, right-sized, down sized, terminated....) from a role in a corporate or professional services organisation. The privilege arises from many of these clients choosing to share many aspects of their life and experiences with me - both personally and professionally - and sometimes I feel like a big sponge absorbing some very emotional feelings and responses to what the employer has done or not done either leading up to or during the redundancy process.

Fair Work Australia and Legal Considerations

I am not an employment lawyer nor aspire to be. I therefore do not intend to advise you on what you should and shouldn't do around the legal aspects of a termination through redundancy - apart from comply with common law, the Fair Work Australia provisions, any terms of an individual's employment contract and the company policies and codes of conduct - and consult an employment lawyer as necessary. (For a recent blog from an employment lawyer on the do's and don'ts of redundancy programs taking into account Fair Work Australia provisions, please click here.)

That being said, I would say probably 10-15% of clients that I see after they have been retrenched (normally suddenly but sometimes with a long lead time) consider taking legal action against their former employer. Very few actually carry through with this course of action - even if just a solicitor's letter - after we have discussed the options and long term strategic benefit. However, it highlights the importance of following both due process and the law to mitigate the possibility of subsequent legal action.

Choosing people for Redundancy

Due process is obviously important to ensure that there is a genuine redundancy of the position and/or of skills - and particularly to meet the conditions of a "bona fide redundancy" for income tax purposes - and therefore concessional tax treatment.

Most (but not all) of the clients I have worked with normally accept a redundancy - if they also accept they have been treated fairly, the reasons for redundancy are genuine and the redundancy payment is fair. Perceptions of lack of or unfair due process may cause an employer further time and financial investment if an affected employee chooses to query it.

Exploring other Employment Options

One of the aspects I saw during the GFC was both employers and employees were prepared to consider alternative employment options apart from a straight redundancy - leave of absence, using up accrued annual and long service leave, reverting to part-time work, implementing job share arrangements, supporting sabbaticals or sponsoring extra study (please refer to my earlier blog post Lessons from the GFC )

This approach delivered some significant advantages to the employer in that it retained corporate knowledge, maintained overall morale and gave additional unused capacity when an upturn arose. For the employee, it was sometimes better to have say 80% of pay rather than a redundancy payment and then no income for a period - plus on an after tax basis - the employee did not notice as much difference. The other ancillary benefits included potential opportunities for better work life balance, networking and obtaining new skills by remaining with an employer, albeit in a slightly different capacity.

Therefore, a redundancy may just one of a number of options available to the employer.

Advising Affected Employees

Best practice in advising employees from what I have either observed or heard (or perhaps more so, from what has not been done) would include:

A redundancy notification meeting with an employee should always be attended by both the line manager and a HR representative.
The meeting should be done in a private office or meeting room away from general work areas if possible
Tissues and water should be available and offered if necessary
There should be a script which explains the business reason for the redundancy of the position - not the person - and it is important that there is adherence to this script. This meeting will normally be relatively short.
All redundancy payment calculations, including salary adjustments and accrued leave payments, should be available for the affected employee.
Access to Employee Assistance Programs and/or Career Transition (Outplacement) support should ideally be offered.
There should be a considered approach to what happens immediately after the notification - does the employee return to their desk, IT security aspects, taxi vouchers home, meet with an external consultant etc.

Leaving - Immediately or Deferred

There are arguments both ways as to whether an affected employee should be asked or given the choice to leave immediately or at some future date. It will to some extent depend on the business environment and risks to the employer and other employees by the employee staying - and also how the employee is feeling after the notification.

As it is a redundancy of a position, and not a performance related issue, theoretically there should be some latitude in this decision. I always encourage affected employees who have a choice to stay to actually stay and complete their time with the organisation in a respectful way and use it as an opportunity to have appropriate farewells and send thank you type communications. I recommend people"hold their head high" - it is how they will be remembered and may help facilitate their next role.

OnSite Support

If an external career transition program is being offered (and notwithstanding a vested interest I have here, I recommend anyway as a good business investment to protect the employer's brand, the morale of remaining employees and to assist the individual deal with the transition out), I consider it important that there is a consultant onsite to talk with the affected individual immediately after the notification of the redundancy.

The purpose of this meeting is to immediately provide immediate impartial support, a "bridge" to the next phase, personalise the experience and to provide some instant action and communication strategies. It can also provide the employee with some optimism about the future - which can also have positive impacts on other remaining employees.

After the Event

Once all affected employees have been individually notified, it is critical that there is appropriate communication, preferably face to face and subsequently confirmed electronically, as to the business reasons for the redundancies and what this means for remaining employees.

Understandably, there will normally be concerns and the remaining employees will also be going through a transition - often without the support of someone like me - so the communication and supportive leadership is essential to maintain morale and productivity.

And what happens with me

For individuals offered a career transition program, I meet with them as soon as possible after the notification date to assist in determining a pathway forward. I am keen to assist them to clarify their personal values, goals, skills and achievements to date and help determine a longer term career strategy - before we even look at developing a resume, job search and interview techniques, networking skills and online branding skills.

I also ensure that other career options than the previous role or industry are considered - for the reasons that some people have been in the wrong role, company or industry - and the redundancy is an opportunity to rectify that. Options that can be considered include shifting to a new career (reinvention) , returning to study, travelling, starting a business or retiring - and even if the individual returns to the same industry in a similar role, it is done having considered other options.

The other aspect I am conscious of is operating holistically and understanding the individual's personal situation - a job is just one part of their life. The time after a redundancy can often bring forth consideration of other aspects of their life - health, relationships, finances etc - so these may be covered including reference to other appropriately trained professionals as necessary - doctors, counsellors, financial advisors etc.

Conclusion

Undertaking a redundancy process can be difficult for both an employer and an employee. However, some planning, considered communication using a variety of means, use of appropriate external consultants and a generally respectful approach can make a difficult process anyway better for all parties.

And the bottom line - an employer can meet it's business objectives whilst the affected employees may end up in a better role more suited to their personality, skills and career aspirations after the redundancy and career transition program.

PB
Copyright: Peter Black 2011

Generating Connections - Networking in Action

2011-04-17T18:45:00.007+10:00

I was prompted and encouraged to write this post after meeting up with "Mr Connection Generation", Iggy Pintado, and his good wife, Kerry Pintado, (both pictured at left) at an engagement party for their niece and the son of a good friend of mine. We did not know until the party that we were connected in this way too - in addition to being LinkedIn and mutual followers on Twitter.

Iggy and I were having a discussion around how many people not into social media yet just do not realise what can happen through a combination of traditional networking, person to person contact and the viral nature of social media. Let me go back a step though - and share a connection trail that has potentially lead to a long term consulting assignment for me in my business.

Wind back to May 2009. I have just been introduced to Roger Lawrence (pictured left) ex Microsoft and now Head of Cloud Services at HP Australia (@Rog42)who introduces me to Twitter as it is one of his preferred means of communication. I am a little skeptical saying it is not for me but business need called and I plunge in and start following Roger and others including a good colleague of mine from PwC, John Groarke (@jegcmc), who is now an IT Strategy Consultant (pictured right).

About 3 weeks after entering the Twitterverse, I see Roger tweeting about being at a NSW Government Small Business conference and seeing Iggy Pintado speak about Social Media in Small Business. Then I see John Groarke tweet too about being at the same conference and is due to speak after Iggy. John and Roger do not know each other and I have no idea who is this Iggy Pintado!

Later that day, a network colleague calls me and asks if I would like to attend a network event the following evening as one of her guests has dropped out. I say yes and go - and who happens to be speaking - but this Iggy Pintado! I meet Iggy, share my connection story, buy and have autographed his book "Connection Generation" follow him on Twitter and LinkIn with him.

I continue to follow people on Twitter and gain more followers too. One of the groups of people I start following is the various accounts of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia of which I am a member (see @Chartered_Accts).

Fast forward to January 2010. I am sitting at home watching the one day cricket and simultaneously following my Twitter feed and see the Charter Magazine Twitter account (with only 15 followers compared to 50,000+ members) tweet out "CAs with exciting career and life experiences? Email: charter@charteredaccountants.com.au and tell us your story!". Reflecting on my experience, transition and career reinvention over recent years,I think this could be an interesting opportunity. I email back, The Institute is interested and I am privileged to receive a 2 page profile article in the March 2010 edition of Charter magazine - which particularly focuses on my work through the GFC in career transition and my social media presence.

About 3 weeks after publication, I receive an email from a fellow PwC Alumnus who has seen my profile article and wants to get in touch with me because he has just been appointed into an Acting Managing Director role in a major Financial Planning business. We knew of each other in PwC but did not do any work together and it was nearly 10 years since we would have been in the firm together. We arrange to meet and have a number of discussions over about 3 months before he is advised that his business wishes to appoint someone else to the role. He requests I work with him in a professional coaching capacity to assist in his career transition as he now wishes to leave the organisation which I have been doing for over six months now. I am assisting him with developing his future career strategy including getting him online through LinkedIn.

Recently, he says to me "You should meet my financial planner - you two would get on well and could have some mutual business opportunities". I duly do this, find out that he is just in the process of merging with some accounting firms and, because of my significant experience in the PwC merger in 1998, there is now the possibility of some significant long term business opportunities. Interestingly, this financial planner only works on a referral capacity in his business - he does not work with unsolicited approaches or "tyre kickers". He is not into social media (yet!) although I would not have met him if not for social media.

Anyhow, back to Iggy. I meet him at this engagement party and also introduce him to my wife who is just in the process of getting the Coeliac Society of Australia Twitter and other social media presence going (see also my recent blog post "Mate! Have you lost your Mojo" on this). Iggy and Kerry have very kindly supported that too with their ReTweeting as they are passionate about good causes.

So, what Iggy refers to as the Connection Generation has many threads through this tale of some of my travails of the past 2 years. It's not all about social media though - its also about doing good work, personal contact, networking events, patience, persistence, presence and some luck.

So, if you are not yet on Twitter, when are you going to join the revolution? You too may derive some significant personal and professional benefits - particularly meeting some really interesting people along the way.

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2011

Mate! Have you lost your Mojo?

2011-03-13T13:28:00.002+11:00

This is a different sort of post for me as it is both to promote an awareness campaign running this week and also to share a journey that has affected my wife, one of my three daughters and many of my friends and colleagues - through them having Coeliac disease. This is a disease for which there is currently no cure - although the good news is that, if managed correctly through the adoption of a gluten free diet, people with it can lead a long and enjoyable life.

The Coeliac Society of Australia says that "coeliac disease affects approximately 1 in 100 people in Australia but 75% people don't know they have it. Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease, which means that the body produces antibodies that attack its own tissues. For people with coeliac disease, this is triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats."

This week is Coeliac Awareness Week - with a particular target group being Australian Men with the "Mate! Have you lost your Mojo?" campaign. Australian men have this maybe deserved or undeserved reputation of having a "she'll be right" attitude, of not seeing doctors for regular health checks and wanting to appear "bullet proof" - except of course when we have "man flu"......! The reality though is that only 1/3 of diagnoses made of coeliac disease are of men - yet given it is a genetic disease, men are just as likely as women to have it.

The Coeliac Society of Australia, together with the Coeliac Research Fund, says "that one of the most common symptoms of untreated coeliac disease is unexplained tiredness or lack of stamina. They describe some possible symptoms as:

- You often fall asleep in a chair after dinner.
- You don't have the energy to run around with your kids.
- You find it hard to concentrate at work.
- You feel exhausted during the day and need an afternoon nap.
- You're too tired to play sport these days."

Whilst we might say that the demands of work these days contribute to the above symptoms, there may be something more serious.

What does it mean to be a Coeliac?

Having been part of a family for nearly a decade now where a gluten free diet is important for my wife and daughter, it is not all bad. As a family, we find we actually eat better from a health perspective (CSIRO's Total Wellbeing Diet is particularly good) with the substitution or avoidance of foods with gluten in them.

Some examples:

- we eat rice more than pasta now - although there is gluten free pasta

- we eat far more protein, fruits, vegetable and salads and less carbohydrates - which can have advantages from a health perspective

- we still eat carbohydrates - and my wife and daughter have gluten free cereals, bread, pasta and flour for cakes and biscuits

- there is now even a gluten free beer (O'Briens)

- there is great support by the supermarket chains, particularly Coles, with dedicated gluten free areas in their stores and discounts to members of The Coeliac Society

Even though I do not have coeliac disease, the practicality is that family meals generally are gluten free - but I still have normal bread rolls, Weetbix, toast etc.

I encourage anyone, particularly men, who may have any of the above symptoms to see their doctor and ask the question and for a possible diagnosis. Note one really important thing - do NOT stop eating foods with gluten in them prior to diagnosis.

Further information, support and some great resources, including an iPhone App, can be obtained from the Coeliac Society of Australia.

Action points from this post for men - and anyone who cares about them:

- Click on Mate! Have you lost your Mojo?"

- Follow "CoeliacAust" on Twitter

Bottom line - Men! Go get your Mojo Back!

PB

One is never too old to get a job - even at 70!

2011-01-23T16:24:00.119+11:00

My last blog post was about a different approach that I recommend be adopted by employees, employers and governments to deal with an aging workforce - essentially, different policies, attitudes and skills from all parties.

This post is an inspiring real life example of what I mean drawn from a career transition program for a delightful 70 year gentleman I will call John (not his real name) I had the pleasure and privilege of working with between November 2010 and January 2011 in Sydney, Australia. There are many career and life lessons to be gleaned from the process we adopted which resulted in not just one but two very credible job offers at much enhanced salary levels.

Background

John had recently accepted a redundancy program after a number of years service with a major financial services company. Prior to this role, he had had a number of other roles with various financial services and public sector organisations, some at very senior levels. John has also since the age of 50 undertaken a significant number of relevant post graduate qualifications to stay current with the legislative changes in the financial services industry.

Process

John and I went through a fairly normal career transition program process in assessing his values, goals and career assets and developing a contemporary resume which would facilitate the targeting of John's desired roles. As John's experience and education from the last 10-20 years was really only relevant to his job search, we ensured that was only included/highlighted in the resume. (However, for how important I consider a resume, please see my earlier blog post). A job search process targeting particular recruiters and network contacts was then initiated by John.

LinkedIn

I also recommended that John develop a LinkedIn profile and re-establish connections with ex colleague and contacts. As John was not really familiar with LinkedIn and its features and purpose, we spent some time enhancing John's knowledge and in particular focusing on the "buzz-words" that John would wish to include in his profile so as to maximise his chances of being found in a LinkedIn search process. We also only focused on the past 10-20 years as we had done with the resume.

BINGO! Within only 10 days on LinkedIn, John was found by a specialist financial services recruiter looking for a particular combination of skills, experience - and in this case, maturity - for a six month special project role in a major bank. Both the recruiter and John were previously unknown to each other.

Part-time work

As indicated above, we had discussed John's goals at the commencement of the career transition process. One aspect he had been very clear on (or thought he was) was a desire to preferably have a 3 day per week role - with maybe consideration of occasionally up to 4 days per week. We discussed that we would need to wait to ascertain how that would fit with the needs of prospective employers.

When this contract role arose, we discussed what part-time meant and why it was important to John. Could part-time mean work six months of the year full-time and have six months off? Could such an option actually work better for John and his wife given their desire to travel overseas during the Northern Hemisphere summer? There is never a definitive answer in such cases. There is, however, a flexibility in thinking that is required when considering such issues.

A second job opportunity arises from networking

In the meantime, John was still pursuing other roles and activating contacts with his network - some of whom were somewhat dormant - although pleased to reconnect. Out of one of these network connects, the possibility of another role in another major financial services organisation arose. The role was one that may never have been advertised so the networking was critical. John with my strategic input continued to pursue this role in addition to the first role on the basis that one has to always keep options open.

Outcome

John ended up receiving job offers from both opportunities. We discussed how each one met his objectives at this stage and John decided to accept the first opportunity because of the uniqueness of the project BUT also ensured that he maintained an opportunity for a role with the second organisation after the first role concludes (once he and his wife also undertake their overseas travel). John was able to do this through a combination of professionalism, courtesy, respect for relationships and transparency with recruiters and employer personnel through the whole process - including aspects such as thank you and proactive update emails and phone calls.

This highlights a latent goal that should be in all job search processes - we should be looking beyond the immediate job on offer at the career possibilities beyond - whether in the same organisation or another organisation. We also do not know if the "best" job on offer is going to work out - for employer or employee - and active career management is therefore considered essential as I wrote in an earlier blog post.

Retirement

It may have been noticed that at no stage have I discussed retirement for John - notwithstanding he is past Australia's current age pension age of 65 and he could have been accessing all of this superannuation on a tax free basis. This is deliberate - because it was just not on John's agenda at this stage - he wanted to work because he enjoys the structure and the intellectual and social stimulation that work brings.

John clearly had an active mind and had kept himself current for the times - he was not trading on past glories. He was also clearly willing to learn new things eg LinkedIn. This highlights why it is important that assumptions are never made based on aspects such as age without considering the individual needs of the person. It also highlights that one is never too old to get a job - or to pursue education, learn about social media such as LinkedIn or be flexible........

Key Lessons

1. One is never too old to learn - whether formal education or new technologies and applications.

2. LinkedIn does work - we just need to be on there and actively managing our profile and connections.

3. A resume needs to be contemporary and targeted towards the job you want.

4. Networking is also a very important way to obtain a job.

5. Active career management - looking at positions ahead in future years - is also recommended.

6. Old fashioned courtesy and respect for relationships/people never go astray.

I look forward to staying in touch with John and watching his further progress. He is an inspiration to us all.

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2011

A tripartite approach to an aging demographic

2010-12-11T17:01:00.020+11:00

Noted Australian demographer Bernard Salt has recently published an article on the 4 life phases of retirement past age 55 - and he is quite correct in noting that the life expectancy of someone aged 55 is nearly an average of 30 years - as much time as many people have been working. The 4 phases noted are:

55-64: Portfolio Lifestyle
65-74: Active Retirement
77-84: Solo Living
85+ Frailty

This different focus on what is otherwise known as the "Third Age" is welcome -and presents both an opportunity and challenge for individuals, employers and governments alike. However, to maximise the financial, happiness and societal outcomes I suggest there needs to be a change of approach from all three parties.

Part of my own portfolio lifestyle (noting that I started this at age 48 and I am still some years away from 55) is that I have trained to be a specialist retirement coach as part of my broader career and executive coaching activities. I consider retirement coaching to be both the most challenging yet the most rewarding of my coaching - and part of the reason is that I enjoy assisting people to take a proactive approach to an important part of their lives.

However, this phase is not only to do with the superannuation balance but is also about and more to do with finding purpose, meaning and structure in an environment that is not yet well planned by governments, most employers nor the individuals themselves. So what changes do I see are necessary? [Please note I have written this from an Australian context although I believe the concepts apply globally.]

Individuals

As people approach the age of 50, I recommend a proactive planning for the next 30 years - the approximate statistical life expectancy according to the Australian Life Tables. However, what I see is that many people are influenced by various age points (55, 60, 65, 67, 70 etc) in the Australian social security, superannuation and taxation systems which induce a "retirement mindset" and a shorter term focus than what may be appropriate.

As a corollary to this, I also recommend a somewhat discarding of the past 30 years - the approximate working life to date of many Australians. Whilst this past 30 years of experience can be valuable, is it the right sort of experience for the future of a faster paced ever changing world? Essentially, it just about requires a "clean sheet of paper" approach to personal career and life planning to ensure that the skills, experience and goals are still relevant to the world around us. [My earlier blog posts on "Personal Branding", "How Important is your Resume" and "Reinventing Your Career and Life" may also be relevant here.]

The consequence of this is that individuals may need to:

undertake new training/courses
acquire new skills
explore new career and life options
as well as adopt a more flexible and adaptive thinking - one that is now being seen as important for the development, maintenance and exercise of an aging brain.

This may require the embrace of new and current technologies (iPads, social media, cloud computing etc), flexible working arrangements, more robust performance management systems, different ways of working by the different generations, new codes of conduct to the past - and where the "clean sheet of paper" approach may be useful.

And to conclude, you may wish to look at a subsequent blog post of an inspiring real life example using one of my 70 year old clients of how this can work out.

Employers

Now that Australia has survived the Global Financial Crisis and we appear to heading back to a commodity fuelled sustained pace of economic growth, with skills shortages, lesser immigration due to government policy changes and changing business, consumer and technological conditions, employers will also have to take a different approach to the past. The skewing of demographics over the next 30 years towards an aging of the workforce will mean that our businesses will need these older employees.

Some aspects that I suggest employers will need to consider are:

tailored training and retraining of older workers (who in turn will need that more adaptive and flexible approach) to ensure skills are relevant to the needs of the business
more flexible working conditions and policies to accommodate the needs for the Portfolio Lifestyle and Active Retirement phases
more coaching and mentoring arrangements - older to younger workers and vice versa - as well as from external sources
"maternity leave equivalent" type approaches to older workers to retain skills and experience - yet facilitate having time off to travel, study, deal with life events etc
a general respect and change of attitude with less assumptions about people actually wanting to retire as they head towards 55, 60, 65 etc

Governments

When we reflect on the past 30 years, most of the legislative changes around retirement have actually been converse to the changing demographics of an aging population - and long term, may lead to major policy challenges. For instance:

In 1980, a male could obtain an age pension at the age of 65 and a female at age 60.
In 1983, the age of 55 was then allowed to be the age at which concessional taxation treatment would be applied to termination payments
In 2005, transition to retirement pensions from age 55 were introduced
In 2007, superannuation lump sums or pensions paid from a superannuation account became tax free if paid after age 60
However, in 2009, the Australian Federal Government announced that the age at which an age pension could be obtained would be extended to 67 from the current 65 - the one change that is taking into account the changing demographics.

Ideally, the federal Government, no matter what political persuasion, should look at all of these interacting dynamics and question whether the policy setting are appropriate for the current and future demographics - as has commenced with the series of Intergenerational Reports and the recent moving of the pension eligibility age from 65 to 67 from the year 2017 . As a country, we may not be able to financially afford in the long term having a greater percentage of our population on either social security payments or concessional tax treatments on their income.

A change in these policy and legislative settings may also be beneficial to individuals in that it may encourage them to adopt a longer term proactive approach to the "Third Age Phase" of their lives that is not dictated by when they can access pensions, concessionally taxed superannuation and other government benefits.

I do note however the political challenge of this proposition - particularly when one sees the violent reactions to similar changes in countries like France and Greece in 2010 - and they were only proposing to increase the pension age to 62! However, long term , governments may not have any choice.

As you can see, there are some different challenges for individuals, employers and governments - and also some incredible opportunities if a consultative, proactive approach is adopted which will result in a viable country for our children, continued economic growth and potentially a much more meaningful third phase of life.

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2010

Strategies to enhance mental health in the workplace

2010-11-02T17:30:00.004+11:00

One of the very pleasing developments (in a somewhat ironic way) in recent years has been the raising of awareness of mental health including depression being a real issue in workplaces - and a recognition that its more than just about workplace stress. The work in Australia by such organisations as the Black Dog Institute and Beyond Blue has been particularly valuable.

Whilst many of us are not professionally qualified to properly diagnose this very real illness, we as business practitioners can do many things to both acknowledge and mitigate it. If done in conjunction with the intervention of an appropriate medical practitioner and the approach/actions of the individual affected, there may be a better outcome all round - for the individual, the employer and society as a whole.

I am privileged every day to work with clients in executive coaching and career transition situations who share with me, sans the normal “corporate mask”, their opportunities, challenges, issues and feelings. Mental health, in varying degrees, is a recurring issue.

I am therefore keen, as best as possible, to help identify strategies that promote better mental health and some common strategies that all businesses may consider include:

Ensure alignment of personality and behavioural preferences with the needs of a role. Do this through proper selection processes at the time of recruitment, promotion, restructuring and realignment. Use relevant assessment instruments administered by an accredited practitioner to understand the individual and his or her needs. Examples of instruments that could be useful here include Myers Briggs, DISC/Extended DISC, Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument and Hogan Assessments.
Facilitate company wide strategies around good time management and meetings protocols – much time appears to be wasted in both these aspects which puts more pressure at all levels. So often I hear clients say they are overwhelmed, overloaded, out of control, working excessive hours - yet its amazing how many times some simple yet effective challenging of time and meeting management protocols can make quite a difference.
Review how technology applications are used and implement specialised training, particularly around email management and new social media applications. Frequently, organisations (and individuals I must say in their personal lives) just deploy new applications with, at a bare minimum, some training on the technical aspects of the applications but no business or practical review on how these can or should be used effectively and productively.
Reinstate more MBWA (management by walking around) and personal interactions to check in with people – do not rely on the aforementioned technology applications. Nothing replaces the personal touch!
Enhance understanding of mental health issues through actively promoting the materials and resources available through The Black Dog Institute, Beyond Blue etc and also actively promote internal Employee Assistance Programs. A very good practical guide for dealing with mental illness in the workplace has been published by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2010 here.

The business benefits from a proactive approach such as this may be significant in having a more engaged workforce who acknowledge the organisation truly caring for their people - let alone the benefits that could accrue to affected individuals.

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2010

Career transition support for Kevin Rudd

2010-07-02T06:34:00.008+10:00

The very sudden recent change in the Prime Minister in Australia took many by surprise - the public, media, the Coalition, the G20, Julia Gillard - and of course Kevin Rudd and his family.

The change was described in some circles as a "political assassination" - which sometimes seems to be the point of politics - but normally comes from one's opponents - not friendly fire from one's own party! This is particularly so when one considers that Mr Rudd was the leader who brought down a Coalition government after 11 years in office, said "sorry" to the Stolen Generation of Aborigines, steered Australia through the GFC and until six months ago, was riding high in the popularity stakes.

So how does a person deal with such a sudden change - particularly when it is so public, so humiliating and analysed from every angle? Former Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said in a media piece that someone "should give this poor bastard a hug". President Barack Obama was reported as saying he would have felt sorry for Kevin Rudd (and a subsequent media report provides further insight). A couple of years ago, former Czech President Vaclav Havel was moved to write a play, "Leaving", about a "deposed leader coming to terms with melancholic void after losing the status inseparable from his sense of himself". Given the view that the Australian people elected Mr Rudd (not strictly correct but let's work with it), these same people also seem to have a view as to how he should be treated now.

Comparison with corporate redundancies

Mr Rudd's "resignation" from the role of Prime Minister is in some ways similar to what happens when there is sudden notification of a termination of a role through redundancy in the corporate world. Some differences though are that:

in politics, the ALP's own Fair Work legislation doesn't seem to apply when the unions and factions decide they want a change in Prime Minister so as to win an impending election

there was not likely to have been a career transition/outplacement support person in attendance at the time nor thereafter to assist Mr Rudd through the transition from Prime Minister to the Honourable Member for Griffith

most corporate redundancies are not normally played out through Twitter (see the early feed on the #spill hash tag although that has also been "polluted" with the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico) , blogs, and numerous media conferences and analyses on the day!

Actions in the first week after the "event"

So, in an ideal world, as a professional career transition and outplacement consultant, what would I advise or comment on these events, remembering that Mr Rudd is human with feelings and emotions, a fellow Australian and compared to CEOs in industry, has not been paid a fortune for the commensurate responsibility of being Prime Minister:

Whilst I understand that Therese Rein, Mr Rudd's very supportive wife, is a trained psychologist and will understand the emotions here, she is also emotionally involved as we were able to see on her attempt to put on a very stoic face in the public media conferences. Having an impartial and trained support person on hand would have been preferable - although that could be hard to find in Australia with Mr Rudd's public profile.

I consider that Mr Rudd has done many things right in the succeeding week - from expressing the tears, articulating his achievements, relying on the support of a loving family, moving from the Lodge back to his home in Brisbane and now taking a well earned holiday.

I do question whether his public commitment to re contest his seat of Griffith at the impending election was made in haste without giving due consideration to his longer term strategy and the implications thereof. Whether being maybe a senior minister in a future elected Gillard government as has been promised would have the same attraction as being the Prime Minister is unknown. There is also precedent in Australia in a Prime Minister returning to the role (Robert Menzies in the 1940s) although at this stage that may not be likely given the perception that the ALP factions and the unions are in control and Mr Rudd has had his opportunity. That being said, former PM John Howard was described as "Lazarus with a triple bypass" - albeit as Opposition Leader - when he had 3 periods as the leader of the Liberal Party.

Putting the politics aside (which may be seen as naive), new PM Julia Gillard's decision not to offer Mr Rudd a role as a senior minister at this stage may actually be the best thing that she could have done for him. He has effectively been allowed to take some time back in the comfort of his home, family and own electorate to reflect on the past four very busy, fully engaged years and contemplate his future options.

That all being said, I do not consider anyone would begrudge Mr Rudd changing his mind at a later stage if politics and a senior minister's role if the ALP Government is re-elected did not in the fullness of time have the same appeal as being Prime Minister.

Career Support for the future

If Kevin Rudd was my client, how would I facilitate his career support at this stage? My counsel would be as follows:

It is up to him what he does next. It would not be up to me, the ALP, the Australian people or the media to dictate what he does. I would help facilitate Mr Rudd to decide his future taking into account his values and goals and the wider interests of his family.

My role would be as a trusted confidante, a facilitator of options, a sounding board, a venting target and a strategic thinker - not an adviser.

I would use the concepts of the grief process so well articulated by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

I would get him to focus on his considerable achievements - as a person, a husband, a father and a Prime Minister. Having read David Marr's recent article on Mr Rudd, I would suggest that these considerable achievements be viewed through the perspective of what appears to have been a hard early life, a prodigious work ethic and an innate intelligence.

At the same time, there appear to be some lessons from what has led to the change of PM. I would in time address aspects such as engaging all stakeholders, the importance of EQ (Emotional Intelligence) and also staying true to one's values - even it means losing the job of PM.

I would suggest that he takes a long term view and recognise that he has much to give over what could be 30 years or more. Former PM's Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser were similar ages to Mr Rudd when they became former PM's- albeit through the loss of the role at an election. They both went on to to make significant contributions after their term as PM had ended - and I envisage Kevin Rudd could do the same.

I would encourage him to leverage off his global relationships and networks - in whatever he chooses to do.

I would cover the possibility of retirement as that could be an option particularly given the Rudd family appears to be financially comfortable - although as a Certified Retirement Coach having worked with many people who have contemplated this option at Mr Rudd's relatively young age, I would not envisage this to be an attractive proposition for Mr Rudd. Further details on the issues to consider can be found here.

And in time, I would encourage a perspective that notwithstanding these events, no one can take away from him that he is one of only 27 people now who have been PM of this great country. Furthermore, I would get him to continue to focus on the achievements which he has already done - and not on errors of judgment or of politics or how he applied his unique personality. He is who he is and he did what he thought best - that's all that matters.

In conclusion, it will take time to work through the transition period for Mr Rudd after this very sudden change event. He is a person who chose to not only serve the Australian people but to to do it in the glare of publicity, both positive and negative. His transition period may vacillate between pleasurable and painful - which means he is as normal as most other people who lose their job involuntarily. I wish him all the best and whether I agree or disagree with his politics, I thank him for serving our country.

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2010

Meet my PETs - 12 Personal Effectiveness Tools

2010-04-18T14:38:00.013+10:00

I feel privileged every day to be able to pursue my dream of having an independent portfolio career and to work with some great clients who share much with me and I hope we both learn on the journeys we undertake together.

A client recently asked me how I manage my life and career and stay abreast of a diversity of subject areas which made me sit back and think about what I would regard as my PETs - my Personal Effectiveness Tools. The following is what came to mind:

General organisation and infrastructure - I am always attempting to be planned and organised - doesn't always work and I know I sometimes over-commit - but the intent is there :-) I will invest in the right tools for me and the family to run our lives - particularly if it saves time and conflict! I run an organised electronic diary and email system - with the latter having a feature that I only look at "personal" email on a less regular basis - with the priority towards my business email. I have also just started using a free product called Xobni (inbox backwards) which provides a way to organise and view my Outlook with connections to LinkedIn. I have my own portal of bookmarks through My Yahoo which allows me to store and access my bookmarks, stock prices, news feeds from any computer. I turn off most technological notifications so as not to be distracted.
NewsRadio - I start the day listening to ABC Australia's NewsRadio - a great resource of news, finance and sport - Australian as well as global. I don't get out of bed until I know what the Dow Jones, FTSE, Gold Price, Oil Price, $A and Share Price Index Futures have done overnight!
Australian Financial Review and news websites - I am a voracious reader with both the Australian Financial Review and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers being delivered at home from Monday to Saturday. I will sometimes check news websites during the day and evening including The Sydney Morning Herald, New York Times and the Times Online in the UK.
Train commuting - I live 10 minutes from a train station - and commute this way by preference and if feasible as I find it less stressful and expensive than commuting by car, allows me to work or read and most importantly, "chill out" and have some "me time" - particularly if I have been coaching and/or in meetings most of the day where I have been "present" for my clients. The train eliminates the need for me to deal with traffic congestion, find parking and contribute vast sums to the coffers of toll road companies!
Walking - in conjunction with my train commuting, I by preference walk everywhere to and from the train station, to clients and between meetings - good health benefits plus also more "me 'chill out' time" to re-energise and get those endorphins generating! In addition, I aim to do at least 4 x 45 minute power walks each week for the health benefits including blood pressure and weight management _ I also tend to have some my "ahah" moments for me or clients when out walking.
Music - I love working to music if I can and certainly do so in my office at home and on the train. Its one thing I do not find distracting and certainly find it assists my thinking and creativity. Plus - it sometimes allows me to keep up to date with my daughters.
Laptop, Wireless Broadband card, Smartphone - the investment in good technology is an imperative for me - with a light and fast laptop with the latest Microsoft Office package, a Telstra wireless broadband modem, which, whilst more expensive - appears to have the best coverage, and a Smartphone which synchronises, integrates and effectively backs up with my Outlook. These "tools of trade" are essential for effectively working on the train, with or at clients or at cafes etc.
Google Apps - I run my website and all my email through Google Apps - even though to the outside world, I have my own domain of www.peterblackcoaching.com. It costs me $US10 per annum to maintain and allows me to do all my own setup and editing when and how I want. It is classic "cloud computing" for a small business and has the added benefits of being hosted and backed up elsewhere, accessible from any computer anywhere in the world and most importantly, simple and intuitive to use. In addition, I use Google's free Blogger service to maintain this blog post you are now reading.
Social Media - I am grateful to my clients over the years who have either introduced, encouraged, connected or demonstrated to me how to use the various social media applications - from LinkedIn to Twitter to Blogger to YouTube. I have found these to be very cost and time effective, particularly for a small business without the marketing resources of a larger business, as well as a great way to be current and relevant around global business, people, social and technological trends. I have been running my PeterBlackCoach Twitter account for about a year now (for a recent profile article I received through being on Twitter, please click here) and am just in the process of launching my new channel specific accounts of CEO_Exec_Coach, CFO_Exec_Coach, CHRO_Exec_Coach, CIO_Exec_Coach, CMO_Exec_Coach and COO_Exec_Coach. And I use the TweetDeck and Hootsuite platforms to manage all these. You may be thinking "where's Facebook?" Well - its one that I am on but am very passive on as a business tool - its more for staying in touch with family and friends.
Investing in accreditations, conferences, learning, books, web surfing - I love learning new things and I am told this is good for the brain. I am keen to maintain current and relevant knowledge for both me and my clients and this was very important as I went through the path of reinvention after leaving my previous career with PricewaterhouseCoopers. I regard any expenditure as an investment (except for taxation purposes) and it generally has other benefits like building networks, creativity and personal confidence.
Long term strategic thought - personally and professionally, I think long term - whether it is about my family, health, investments,business or clients - it is about having a strategic thought process that takes into account aspects like life expectancy, global and local trends, sustainability and the time frame we need for things to happen! For instance, my life expectancy at this stage (statistical not guaranteed) is about 31 years - longer than I have been working - and the last 30 years have included many significant life events.
Learn from all of my clients - I love meeting new people and I learn something from all of them - new concepts, new roles, new companies, new personal challenges, books to read, websites to visit or a benchmark of my place in the world. I continue to say that I am privileged that they share what they do with me and help me. It requires a listening approach - and something that I continue to refine and develop rather than being an "expert" on everything which is not the role of a coach.

And I am sure there will be more I use and will continue to learn. They are not for everyone - but they work for me - and I have fun using them.

Lessons from the GFC - Personal and Professional

2009-12-22T18:13:00.006+11:00

As we draw to the end of a year many of us will either not forget, or alternatively, want to forget, I thought it useful to articulate some insights and lessons both personally and professionally. I have been very privileged to work with some fantastic clients and colleagues who have shared the journey with me as they have undertaken their own personal transitions and am grateful to all of them for their support, guidance, confidence and feedback.

2009 was the year that the GFC was real - and at some times there - real scary. When confidence was at a low ebb and decision making frozen, how many of us thought this was Armageddon? How many of us had the belief and confidence that this time would pass too - we just didn't know when!

So, what were my lessons? The following is my 10 point quick summary:

We should always resort to our underlying values - conflict and stress are more likely to arise when these are compromised or conflicted.
Relationships - family, friends, colleagues, clients - are paramount. These sustain us through good times and bad. (And even help with the bank manager when times are tough.... :-))
Money and net financial worth are only relative measures of value - and don't mean as much as health, relationships and sustainable sources of happiness when it really counts.
Health - mental and physical - including aspects such as resilience, happiness etc - are more important than anything else. A significant health event, as I have witnessed with a number of my close friends this year, changes the priorities big time and I have admired the stoicism of these people through periods of adversity.
There is always someone worse off - and our charities have done it hard with significant increases in demand for their services whilst there has been a significant drop in corporate donations and investment income.
Technology is changing the world - quickly. Social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and hardware such as iPhones, Smartphones and netbooks with digital cameras are allowing everyone to be a commentator and journalist - and this material is there FOREVER - presenting our "Personal Brand" to the world. BUT - technology is ancillary to real personal relationships - its difficult to have a coffee or drink with a computer!
We need to consciously understand what our Personal Brand is - and what we would like it to be. It is possible to reinvent - quickly - at low cost with focus and smart personal marketing, including clever use of technology. A resume is only a summary of our achievements to date - BUT may give no indication of what we would like to be in the future.
Networking and personal referrals are still the best sources of jobs and business. No matter what one's resume or website says, people still want to employ or do business with people they trust and like.
Technical skills are just a foundation. We also need to understand ourselves and others - people skills, emotional intelligence, leadership are becoming more critical.
Despite all the challenges, we still need to have FUN! Humour, laughter and frivolity are great stress reduction tools no matter what the external circumstances.

Best wishes to everyone for 2010 - which is hopefully going to be better than 2009. However,on reflection, 2009 was just another year in the rich fabric of our lives - certainly one to remember and talk about.

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2009

Social Media - social or business?

2009-11-03T06:39:00.004+11:00

I recently read an article that said the Internet is 40 years old - and that is true. As the majority of us think of the Internet though, it really is only about 15 years old in a business/consumer sense - and hasn't it changed our world - the way we gather news, apply for jobs, bank, shop and present ourselves to the world. In recent years, we have now got Web 2.0 - meaning we now interact in a 2 way fashion with the web rather than just passively drawing down information from it.

Web 2.0 includes all the sites that we encompass in the term "Social Media" - Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube etc. The question though is whether these sites are truly social media - or are they actually becoming a vital part of our business and professional media?

The growth, and projected growth of social media, as can be seen in the presentation here, is just astounding. Combined with demographic changes and the continuing advance of technology, the implications for businesses and consumers may be huge. Openness, transparency and trust will be paramount - whether as an individual posting an online resume through LinkedIn, tweeting on Twitter or discussing one's social life on Facebook - or for businesses, being able to monitor and respond to customer/client feedback, search for new employees or find that your latest product release is no good - e.g. Vegemite iSnack 2.0

I am not necessarily stating that social media is the be all end all. Nothing will quite replace good human relationships, with their eye contact, body language and verbal cues. Social media to me is an adjunct to the basics of human relationships - but an ever growing and more important medium through which we will communicate personally and in business.

The bottom line: I advocate becoming really familiar with what's available, how its being used and the business, personal and professional possibilities. Its rate of growth means that formal courses are lagging way behind implementation - so it requires an individual resourcefulness, inquisitivity and future oriented thinking to explore, learn and contemplate possibilities. We need to get online to learn how to conduct our "social business" online!

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2009

How important is your resume?

2009-10-05T17:46:00.006+11:00

One of the most frequent discussions I have with new clients is about developing a resume - and that is usually initiated by the client, not me. Keeping a resume current can tend to be forgotten whilst busy in a career and gets dusted off as a priority when in search of a new job - whether still in a job or after retrenchment etc. So my first objective when talking with my new client is to relax them and suggest they hasten slowly in developing a resume. Why?

The employment world has changed in many ways. The proliferation of technology including the Internet has changed the way we do things - from typing our own resume, submitting online to recruitment agencies, searching for jobs, connecting with networking contacts, undertaking training or even being able to create our own online presence through social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.

As I mentioned in a recent post on networking, more than 80% of jobs are likely to come from sources other than applying for one using your resume. For the approximate 20% of jobs that are advertised, when you apply you will likely be one of hundreds of candidates applying for that role - so your resume detailing your background and experiences really needs to stand out - even if professionally prepared as many are these days.

The resume's stated main purposes are to secure an interview and/or to affirm your employment history, experiences, qualifications and other information relevant to the role. If you are networking, the resume will sometimes come after the contact discussion or meeting - and can be tailored appropriately. If the networking interaction has been effective, you may be the only candidate for the role you have elicited - and the importance of the resume is somewhat diminished. You may wish to read Richard Bolles classic tome on all of this "What Color is Your Parachute".

The other fundamental change is that potential employers and recruiters are often searching online about preferred candidates - the traditional resume is therefore not the only source of information about you. Creating and actively monitoring your online brand, through social media and other sites, is therefore becoming just as important as the traditional resume.

That all being said, the traditional resume does serve one very important purpose - particularly if written with a focus on your quantifiable achievements rather than your responsibilities and duties in previous roles. It is an affirmation, confidence booster and somewhat of an interview script for YOU - whether applying for roles through recruiters/employers or in networking - a focus on the positive aspects of your career history!

So, the resume is important - but in a different way from what many people assume. You do need to have one in addition to an online presence, a networking capability, an interviewing capability - all as part of an active career management strategy.

PB

Reinventing your career - and life!

2009-09-28T14:10:00.012+10:00

I often meet with clients in their late 40s or early to mid 50s who talk about being too old, over the hill, not employable because of their age or who think they will start accessing their transition to retirement pension when they are 55. And if they keep carrying on that way, their self talk will become a self fulfilling prophecy!

So, how do I deal with such clients? Easy - one laminated slide with a summary of the Australian life tables - male and female. I take their current age and give them their statistical life expectancy (statistical - not guaranteed - my PI insurance doesn't go that far ....! ) and ask them what they want to be when they grow up? This is the same thing I do in my Retirement Coaching - a new field in Australia where there are less than 15 of us qualified as Certified Retirement Coaches.

I say they have as many years to live as they have been probably been working - and the hard yards have already been done in that previous 30 years - career, relationship(s), marriage(s), divorce(s), retrenchment (s), kids, houses, mortgages etc. And it is now time to re-invent.

I use the singer Madonna as a role model - for re-invention only! Love or hate her for her singing, morals, image etc - I will always give her credit for re-inventing herself every 3-5 years. And she is now over 50.

So, I say think like you are 20 again. Time to do another course - even if a 4 year degree full time. Pursue another career, have another gap year. Do more volunteering, Get married (again). The important thing is - DO something.

So my 10 tips for career re-invention:

1. Use the Madonna approach – every 3-5 years

2. Understand your personality, brain, work behaviours – and align your purpose, role and life to these

3. Read books, blogs, websites - anything - and exercise the brain. One interesting book is "Halftime" – talks about that up to the age 50 its about success and after 50 about significance.

4. Understand what Retirement is all about – that may motivate to reinvent – see my commentary on this. Just thinking about what retirement means may motivate you to do something.

5. Understand your life expectancy – it probably gives you a longer time frame than you are thinking now.

6. Understand when your money will run out if you don't re-invent - and whether you wish to live a subsistence existence on the age pension.

7. Have a 2020 Vision - in other words what the year 2020 looks like for you - and what is going to happen between now and then.

8. Get up to speed with technology – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tweetdecks, Podcasts, ipods etc - its exciting and makes you look relevant.

9. Review your personal image and presentation – don’t look old. Colour the hair, get fit, shave off the 20 year moustache/beard, update the wardrobe etc.

10. And use the Madonna approach - AGAIN - every 3to 5 years.

And how do I know all this. I have done it - re-invent at the age of 47. Gone from being a Chartered Accountant, Operations Director and Corporate guy to a self employed Business, Executive and Retirement Coach - and I have just turned 50. I see my new career going for another 25 years - and I am having so much FUN.

So, DO something. Make a conscious decision that anything is possible - with patience, focus and persistence. And have fun along the way... :-)

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2009

Networking in a networked world....

2009-09-21T20:00:00.004+10:00

Getting jobs is easy these days. No more looking through the newspaper ads, typing up a covering letter and resume on a typewriter and having to be an alumni of the same school as the interviewer. It’s all about logging your name on a career website, posting your professionally prepared resume online, setting up your preferred job email alerts and sitting back waiting for the jobs to land in your inbox. Dream on!!!

In fact, this is so opposite to the reality. As a professional business and executive coach with a core specialty in outplacement, I have dealt with many retrenched clients in 2008-09 who have been “victims” of the global financial crisis and have had to break this bad news to them. When I say to them that over 80% of jobs come from the hidden market and are gained through networking, they often look at me in disbelief, sometimes ignore me and go back to the email job alerts. They usually come back 4-6 weeks later asking “how do I network to find my next job”?

The Internet and the ease of both posting and applying for jobs online has seduced many people into this traditional means of job search. However, because everyone is doing it, the advertising employer or recruiter is being bombarded with electronic applications within a short time of posting the one position that is available – and is then having to go through the culling, short listing, interviewing and selection process – hugely inefficient and costly. So, even if your resume is the best, you still have to rise to the top of the pile of applicants – which means in the current market you have to virtually fit the job specification exactly.

Alternatively, there is another way – using networking to source and apply for available positions which may not ever be “officially” advertised. Networking may allow you to obtain a position as the only candidate – you may get through as “best fit” candidate rather having to be a “perfect fit” candidate – and it is cost and time effective for the employer too.

Networking for a job is like the internet as a network – you don’t necessarily have to be hosting something on your server to access a website – and the same goes when seeking a new role. You are reaching out through a series of connections to source a role – and the classic “Six Degrees of Separation” is well at play here. It is not necessarily whether your direct connections (family, friends, school and university alumni, past and present work colleagues etc) know of a role – it is more if they know someone in a target organization or industry from whom you can obtain information about what is going on and whether possible roles are arising.

Note that I said “obtain information”. That is essentially the nature of networking – not as much as about asking for a job directly. When you seek information, you ascertain the issues and challenges facing the network contact’s organization or industry – and then working out a way you can provide a “personal value proposition” (you and your solutions) to meet their needs. That is the hub of networking.

It’s about seeking information through open questions, active listening and thinking like a consultant – providing solutions – rather than trying to sell the product or commodity of “you”. A traditional job search of applying for an advertised job through a resume approach, no matter how well prepared, is essentially selling a product.

And networking is so much easier today. We can actively research people, organizations and industries – and use social media like LinkedIn to develop and research our networks. It does require effort, face to face contact and as many of my clients say to me, a caffeine addiction!
It works too and when you get into it, lots of fun. Like many things, taking the first step – physical often rather than electronic – is often the biggest challenge.

Try it – even if you are currently in a job – it helps you stay current and better positions you should your job disappear – when it becomes an essential skill.

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2009

Personal Branding Explained.....

2009-09-21T19:57:00.004+10:00

The world has changed. So what – it always changes – just think technology, politics, global warming and environmental sustainability, global financial crisis, population growth or wars. But what does that mean to us individually?

We like to think we are unique and special – and we are. But do we think of ourselves as a “Brand” – whether in our families, social groups, communities or business and employment roles. Particularly in the “work” world, we generally until recently have only thought of ourselves as an employee or a business person – not as a “Brand” like Coca Cola, IBM, McDonalds or Telstra.

But this is changing – and Web 2.0 with our ability to transact much of our personal and work life online, whether through eBay, Internet banking, Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter or our own blogs and websites has brought the concept of our “Personal Brand” to more conscious awareness.

We all have a Personal Brand – some are just more articulated and “out there” than others. Think Madonna, David Beckham, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe, Steve Jobs or Bill Gates – all with brands – good and not so good! And our brand can present itself in many ways in this technological world – including the traditional ways not dependent on technology. Consider the following ways which may be part of your brand:

· Your type and standard of dress
· Your educational background
· Your employment background
· Your specialist technical skills
· Your personality and work behaviours
· Your “elevator pitch”
· Your manner of speech and business/social interaction
· Your telephone and voicemail greetings
· Your email style and signature
· Your online brand – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc
· Your resume
· Your community involvement
· Your hobbies and leisure interests

The power of Bing, Google, Yahoo and other search engines makes it so much easier to track someone’s brand. And it’s generally going to be there forever – that’s what makes it both so powerful yet scary. And sometimes it is just plain wrong – defamation and misleading conduct can so easily happen. So, how do we deal with this and ensure we manage our Personal Brand?

The 5 tips I offer on this are:

1. Accept that you are a Brand

2. Work out what you stand for and what you want others to see you as.

3. Consciously adopt a position about your offline brand – how others see and interact with you. This is the Traditional Branding.

4. Work out your online brand positioning – is Facebook just for personal stuff, LinkedIn for your professional activities and Twitter somewhere in between. Remember that current and potential clients, employers and associates may be checking all of this before they even talk with or email you!

5. Re-invent, Re-invent and Re-invent. The world is not standing still – nor should you. Think Madonna – she is as much a marketing re-invention every 3-5 years as she is an entertainer.

And have fun doing all this. It is just a game – and we cannot lose sight of the fact we are humans with emotions, personalities and idiosyncrasies which makes us special. That is our really our Personal Brand!

PB

Copyright: Peter Black 2009

Actively managing your career!

2009-06-09T21:02:00.003+10:00

Copyright: Peter Black and Paul Sparks 2009

Active management of one's career is important at all times -and the last 12 months have certainly highlighted this with the Global Financial Crisis creating many redundancies of positions and heightened insecurity around still existing positions. I have recently developed a joint blog post with Paul Sparks of Sales Effectiveness Australia who I recently met at a business networking breakfast on how one may actively manage this - either to prevent or deal with a redundancy. Please click here to read this.

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