I recently spoke with the Human Resources Director of a mid-sized accountancy firm. She was interested in me speaking on career mojo and employee engagement at a leadership retreat in Northern California. She specifically wanted to know how I worked with coaching clients and organizations to tap into employees’ intrinsic motivation, and enhance their career development and engagement.
The HR Director and I spoke about my approach to executive/career coaching, and the factors that can tap into employees’ mojo or positive spirit. We also spoke about the Gallup organization’s findings on employee engagement. Employee engagement has been at an historic low level. Company leaders need to tap into workers’ inherent motivation and creative drive to boost the number of actively engaged employees from the paltry 33 percent reported by the Gallup Organization.”
People want work that taps into their intrinsic motivation seeking mastery, autonomy, purpose and self-direction. Employees want their work to be meaningful in order to be happy and fully engaged. However, a number of people make career mistakes that jeopardize their career success. Enlightened organizations provide resources and support to help their people make the right career decisions.
The Human Resource Director is interested in me speaking at a workshop about my executive/career clients that have created meaningful work and are resilient and happy. She also wanted me to address how company leaders could regain their mojo, and stay engaged if they had slipped into nojo. We further discussed how organizational leaders can benefit by working with an executive/career coach to enhance their mojo and career satisfaction.
In Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back If You Lose It, leadership expert Marshall Goldsmith lists seven common career mistakes.
Common Career Mistakes
Goldsmith lists seven professional mistakes that contribute to career failures in otherwise competent, successful and smart people:
1. Over-committing
2. Waiting for the Facts to Change
3. Looking for Logic in All the Wrong Places
4. Bashing the Boss
5. Refusing to Change Because of “Sunk Costs”
6. Confusing the Mode You’re in
7. Maintaining Pointless Arguments
a. Let me keep talking.
I had it rougher than you.
b. Why did you do that?
c. It’s not fair.
As you think about these potential pitfalls, try to pinpoint the ones to which you’re predisposed. I will focus on the fourth career mistake in this seven part article series.
I am the executive coach for the president of an accounting firm. The president’s competency-based 360 feedback survey indicated that she needs to be more decisive and forceful. Two of the shareholders believe the president over-promises and under-delivers. They see a need for more cost-cutting.
The president and I are working on improving her effectiveness by being less defensive when she hears criticism or feels attacked. She tends to turn a deaf ear after awhile to the repeated calls for cost cutting rather than listen and ask pertinent questions. The negativity generated by the firm leaders’ inability to engage in productive conversations about the firm’s financial status is counterproductive. I am coaching the president and shareholders to listen and have more open conversations. She is now focusing on holding the firm’s shareholders and herself accountable to increase sales and revenue.
4. Bashing the Boss
Talent-management firm DDI found that the average American spends 15 hours a month criticizing or complaining about his or her boss. Indeed, boss-bashing is a popular diversion.
But while it may relieve tension and get a few laughs, denigrating your boss is not particularly attractive. Other people will wonder what you’ll say about them when they’re not around.
Bashing doesn’t build a better boss. It only serves to tarnish your reputation and lower your mojo. The negativity you spread will almost certainly affect others’ mojo, too.
Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches are hired to provide career and leadership development for organizational leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders sustain their career mojo? During turbulent economic times, leaders at all levels need to improve their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills as part of overall career development.
One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “How much time do I spend criticizing my boss?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations, provide executive coaching and career development for leaders who want to maximize their career mojo and be fully engaged at work.
Working with a seasoned executive/career coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I and Denison Culture Survey can help your people tap into their intrinsic motivation and create happy companies where people love to work. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.
I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.
The HR Director and I spoke about my approach to executive/career coaching, and the factors that can tap into employees’ mojo or positive spirit. We also spoke about the Gallup organization’s findings on employee engagement. Employee engagement has been at an historic low level. Company leaders need to tap into workers’ inherent motivation and creative drive to boost the number of actively engaged employees from the paltry 33 percent reported by the Gallup Organization.”
People want work that taps into their intrinsic motivation seeking mastery, autonomy, purpose and self-direction. Employees want their work to be meaningful in order to be happy and fully engaged. However, a number of people make career mistakes that jeopardize their career success. Enlightened organizations provide resources and support to help their people make the right career decisions.
The Human Resource Director is interested in me speaking at a workshop about my executive/career clients that have created meaningful work and are resilient and happy. She also wanted me to address how company leaders could regain their mojo, and stay engaged if they had slipped into nojo. We further discussed how organizational leaders can benefit by working with an executive/career coach to enhance their mojo and career satisfaction.
In Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back If You Lose It, leadership expert Marshall Goldsmith lists seven common career mistakes.
Common Career Mistakes
Goldsmith lists seven professional mistakes that contribute to career failures in otherwise competent, successful and smart people:
1. Over-committing
2. Waiting for the Facts to Change
3. Looking for Logic in All the Wrong Places
4. Bashing the Boss
5. Refusing to Change Because of “Sunk Costs”
6. Confusing the Mode You’re in
7. Maintaining Pointless Arguments
a. Let me keep talking.
I had it rougher than you.
b. Why did you do that?
c. It’s not fair.
As you think about these potential pitfalls, try to pinpoint the ones to which you’re predisposed. I will focus on the fourth career mistake in this seven part article series.
I am the executive coach for the president of an accounting firm. The president’s competency-based 360 feedback survey indicated that she needs to be more decisive and forceful. Two of the shareholders believe the president over-promises and under-delivers. They see a need for more cost-cutting.
The president and I are working on improving her effectiveness by being less defensive when she hears criticism or feels attacked. She tends to turn a deaf ear after awhile to the repeated calls for cost cutting rather than listen and ask pertinent questions. The negativity generated by the firm leaders’ inability to engage in productive conversations about the firm’s financial status is counterproductive. I am coaching the president and shareholders to listen and have more open conversations. She is now focusing on holding the firm’s shareholders and herself accountable to increase sales and revenue.
4. Bashing the Boss
Talent-management firm DDI found that the average American spends 15 hours a month criticizing or complaining about his or her boss. Indeed, boss-bashing is a popular diversion.
But while it may relieve tension and get a few laughs, denigrating your boss is not particularly attractive. Other people will wonder what you’ll say about them when they’re not around.
Bashing doesn’t build a better boss. It only serves to tarnish your reputation and lower your mojo. The negativity you spread will almost certainly affect others’ mojo, too.
Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches are hired to provide career and leadership development for organizational leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders sustain their career mojo? During turbulent economic times, leaders at all levels need to improve their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills as part of overall career development.
One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “How much time do I spend criticizing my boss?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations, provide executive coaching and career development for leaders who want to maximize their career mojo and be fully engaged at work.
Working with a seasoned executive/career coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I and Denison Culture Survey can help your people tap into their intrinsic motivation and create happy companies where people love to work. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.
I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.
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