[New Rules] 5 Landmines to Sidestep When Changing Jobs

Changing jobs in today’s economy is tough enough without adding complexity. But something as seemingly straight forward and simple as moving from one organization to another for a job change can get sketchy if you manage to make some highly avoidable mistakes.

Here’s my take on five things – some may be more traps than landmines  –  you can, and should avoid when changing jobs:

Moving from the frying pan to the proverbial fire : In my experience people are either moving to something (e.g.Read the rest

[Life Back West] March 2009 – The Value of Experience

A little experience goes a ways, and a lot of experience goes even further. It may not mean you know the answers to the future, but it provides a data set that is significantly greater than those who are newly initiated.

I remember Todd Wanerman from the preschool our son Traylor attended (and on whose board I still sit) assuring us that despite my son Traylor’s fierce declaration – “I’m going to wear pull-ups until I’m five!”Read the rest

[Land O’Spin] Addition by Subtraction

Land O’Spin is an occasional set of writings focused on best practices in coaching and assessment: how do take what you observe, know what it means, and draw conclusions about what outcomes will occur in the future.

The news came in different ways about different people but the intersection was all mine: addition by subtraction was at play.

The sports news channels were filled with the predictable dispatches about Terrell Owens ‘ release from yet another National Football League team – this time the Dallas Cowboys.Read the rest

[New Rules] Seven Job Tips from the Last Four Recessions

Having had the fortune to live and work through four recessions , the dynamics of the employment market and how most companies approach these sorts of times have gotten in better focus than when I first graduated – and encountered my first working-person recession in 1974.

Based on first-hand experiences with those recessions, as well as a personal temperment to be optimistic when I can see a reasonable path being laid for recovery, I expect that I’ll see another four or five recessions before my working days are done.Read the rest

“The Witness May Now Take the Stand” – Part 6 of the series “Choose Me, Hire Me!”

Headlines blare: “Why You Should Hire Me.” While times may be challenged, there is work (and jobs) to be had. I’ve been in the people (and teams) coaching business for over 25 years , both as a coach to managers and teams and also as someone directly responsible for hiring thousands of people through roles running large staffing / recruiting operations.Read the rest