3 Strategies You Can Use To Stay One Step Ahead of HR, Your Boss And Your Company At All Times

I've been in HR since 2010 and during this time I've learned a lot about how decisions are made on employees. In the past 6 years I've done the hiring and (unfortunate) firing as well as everything in between for thousands of employees. I've had the opportunity to recruit and interview potential candidates, design and deliver training courses, create programs and initiatives and coach employees from all backgrounds on how to navigate their careers.

Although there are many great things that HR makes possible for the employees at a given company, the underlying secret that all HR professionals know is that - everyone is replaceable. Although we as employees tend to grow attached to our jobs, the company overall is only attached to their bottom line and sometimes this comes at the expense of their employee's jobs.

Because we are all replaceable (and this includes HR themselves - I've been laid off before), something that I teach every single one of my clients is how to remain one step ahead of HR (their boss and their company) at all times.

Check out the strategies below.

The 3 Strategies You Can Use To Stay One Step Ahead of HR, Your Boss And Your Company At All Times

Be Real With Yourself

A lot of times when it comes to our careers, we are in denial. One of the toughest parts of my job is delivering the news to an employee that s/he is being let go. Something that a lot of employees say is that they didn't see it coming.  I must admit, I felt the exact same way when I myself was being laid off. I was a top performer. I was getting paid a lot of money. I'd given so many years to the company. So what do you mean my position has been eliminated?

The mistake I made back then (and what a lot of people make) is believing the hype. My eyes  used to glaze over with pride when my boss would tell me how well I was doing at the company. Listen, no matter how amazing you are, YOU ARE REPLACEABLE. The sooner you acknowledge this fact, the better off you'll be. It's hard to plan for your next move, if you think your current situation will never come to an end.

Make Friends With HR (And Your Boss)

And no, I don't mean in a fake and sleazy sort of way. But, you should definitely make it your business to have a link to the inside. Of course, as HR professionals and managers, we can't give you the heads up that your job is being eliminated or give you the details of an ongoing investigation you or your coworker is involved in, but as you begin to get to know HR and your boss a little better, you'll start to realize when trouble is on the horizon and make your own preparations accordingly.

I am work friends with a lot of my clients. And although I never give them any specifics, I'm always there as a resource to help coach them through developing their careers and helping them to make the best decisions for their own professional growth. Having a mentor/coach at work that is actually part of the decision making process is one of the smartest career moves you can make and in fact it's how I was able to transfer into HR in the first place.

Always Have Your Ducks In A Row

This is the most important strategy of all. You should be prepared at all times. Ever heard of the saying "You've got to stay ready so you never have to get ready"? This is so true. You should always have an up to date resume, be networking all the time, taking training courses and have an idea of what you want your next career move to be.

It took me a very long time to find a new gig after I was laid off.The first 5 months were spent on the couch feeling sorry for myself and being unsure of what I wanted to do next. Don't let this be you.  It wasn't until I put a real career strategy together that I was able to land an amazing job in less than 30 days. Planning and preparation is key.

The moral of this story isn't for you to be scared each day when you go into work, but actually the exact opposite. You should feel empowered and less anxious after you start using these strategies. Knowing that you're prepared for whatever comes your way allows you to feel more confident in yourself and your abilities.

Want me to help you finally put the right plan in place to transform your career into an amazing, fulfilling and lucrative one?

Apply for a free career success call right now!

-Dorianne

How to Make Friends at Work In 3 Easy Steps

There are so many things about having to work that can be irritating. Whether it's working for a boss you can't stand or having an extra long commute, even those who are lucky enough to have found their dream job   can admit there are still one or two things about work they can do without.

With all the many ways your job can suck, the one thing that's the most unfortunate is when you don't have a friendly relationship with your coworkers.

Liking and trusting the people you work with goes a long way in making the hours between 9am and 5pm more enjoyable. Not only can you speak freely with your work friends about work related topics, but also about current events, TV shows and your plans for the weekend.

Although most people agree that it's important to have friends at work, for some it can be difficult to let their guard down enough to allow this to happen. Reasons for this range from feeling shy about building those relationships to not even knowing how to start.

Here are 3 things you can start doing right away to go from the loner in the corner cubicle to Ms. Popularity in no time.

Insert Yourself Into Relevant Conversations (But Don't Overdo It)

How many times have you heard a group of coworkers having an open dialogue about something you know about and/or are interested in and you kept quiet? This is the exact opposite of what someone trying to make friends does.

Group conversations are the perfect way to build rapport with your coworkers and since it isn't a one on one chat, you don't have to feel pressure to find something to say the whole time. Next time you see an opportunity to join a conversation already in progress, find a non-awkward moment to insert your opinion into the mix.

Go To Lunch With Your Coworkers 

Believe me, I am the first person to use my lunch hour as a time to get some much needed alone time. With all the distractions that happen all day long at work, it can very often be the only chance you get to have some peace and quiet.

While I'm not saying you have to spend every lunch break with someone else, challenging yourself to go to lunch with a coworker at least once a week is a great way to ensure you're getting face time with the people you work with - away from the desk. Some of my best work relationships have started while waiting in line at the deli across the street from the office.

Make Friends With The Most Popular Person 

This is probably the easiest (and laziest) way to make friends at work. The most popular person in the office has already gone through the process of getting to know people and building work relationships - why not capitalize off of their hard work?

Once you've gotten to know this person pretty well, it will only be a matter of time before s/he starts bringing you into the fold with all of his/her connections. Use these opportunities to begin creating your own friendships and you will soon have a long list of work buds.

Most people will spend 1/3 of their adult lives at work.  Why not make the time more bearable by creating friendships with the people you will spend most of your day with? No one is saying you have to be BFFs with everyone in the office, but I definitely couldn't imagine working along side people I did not like.

-Dorianne

5 Ways to Become the All-Star Employee Your Boss Can't Live Without

The relationship between you and your boss is an important one. Your boss is responsible for making decisions on the direction and enjoyability of your career and can ultimately make or break your experience at work.

Your goal as an employee should be to build a mutually beneficial relationship where it's clear (to both you and your boss) how much of an indespensible asset you are to the team.

This article from TheMuse.com gives 5 strategies you can use to make sure your boss never forgets how irreplaceable you are.

Enjoy!

-Dorianne

Everything You Need To Know About Job Satisfaction

Last week I wrote an article detailing the step by step process you can follow to develop a plan for creating your perfect career.  I even provided a worksheet to help walk you through the process in an easy to follow way. Since then, I’ve been thinking a lot about job satisfaction. What it means, how to get it and most importantly – how to keep it. It’s nice to map out what it takes for you to create that ideal job for yourself, but what factors should you pay attention to as you decide which role will actually be the right one for you? I thought it would be a good idea to detail everything you need to know about job satisfaction here, so that if you find yourself in a situation where you don’t enjoy what you do for work, you’ll know what to look for when you’re deciding on a new gig.

What Does Job Satisfaction Mean?

There are a lot of text book definitions of what job satisfaction means, but I like to think of it as the answer to one simple question: How happy am I to get out of bed and go to work every morning? This is a crucial question to ask yourself because whether or not you are fulfilled with your job has a huge impact on your overall happiness and success.

To get the real answer to this question, you should look at your feelings toward your job as an average, overall concept. No matter what job you have, there will be times you don’t feel like getting out of bed (even Beyoncé has days she’d rather stay home than go to work), so don’t use one bad (or good) experience to determine your entire outlook on your career.

What Factors Affect Job Satisfaction?

Your level of satisfaction with your job doesn’t boil down to one single thing.  There are a combination of factors that all come together to determine how you feel about what you do for work.  Some of these factors are obvious, but others are more subtle.  Both types, however, are a big deal and contribute to how you feel about going in to work every day.

The most common factors that affect job satisfaction are:

• Work Environment:Is your office space cramped, dark, or overcrowded? You spend so much time at work every week so being in an atmosphere that helps you feel productive and calm goes a long way toward your satisfaction.
• Career Advancement:How clearly are you able to see a path available for you to move up at your company? Does your company provide opportunities for you to learn new skills and take advantage of continuing education opportunities? Employees are more satisfied when they feel they know what it takes to develop their careers.
• Stress Level:Anyone who’s had a workload that’s too heavy, strict deadlines and an inflexible schedule; knows far too well that this does not inspire job satisfaction. Every job has some level of stress, but when this stress rise to unmanageable levels, it’s only a matter of time until you burn out.
• Your Coworkers:Working side by side with individuals who you don’t like and/or don’t treat you with respect is not an ideal working situation. One of the most important factors for determining job satisfaction is the social aspect of your job.
• Your Boss:When your supervisor recognizes your accomplishments, allows you to voice your concerns and values your opinion, work is more enjoyable. When the opposite is true, it’s not.
• Your Pay:Feeling that you’re being paid fairly and in proportion to your contributions is a huge deal. Besides disrespectful coworkers and an unreasonable boss, feeling underpaid is the top reason people are not satisfied at work.

What Should You Do If You’re Not Satisfied With Your Job?

It would be simple for me to say “just leave” if you’ve gone through each of the factors that affect job satisfaction and realize that you are unsatisfied with your job. But you and I both know that’s easier said than done. The best way to tackle this issue is to approach it in 2 steps.

Step 1: Look for ways to improve the situation at your current job.  There will always be ways for you to make lemonade out of your career lemons. Before you go looking for another job, it is wise to make the one you already have more bearable by improving upon some of the things that are in your control. You never want to be in a situation where you’re so blinded by unhappiness that you become desperate in your search for a new opportunity.

Step 2: Map out what your ideal job looks like (using this worksheet) and once you’re clear, begin the process of looking for new opportunities. Remember, you are looking for a job that will set you up to maintain job satisfaction long term. Be sure to measure each opportunity against the satisfaction factors above to ensure you are making the right choice. There are a lot of red flags during the interview process that people ignore because they’re so anxious to leave their current job (again, this is why it’s important to make your current job as bearable as possible while you do your search).

Although the ultimate goal is to love what you do, for various reasons, this isn’t always the case for every person.  What should be non-negotiable though, is the level of satisfaction you have with your job.  Think about it – this is the place you spend 1/3 of your life and you are only hurting yourself by continuing to be in a situation that makes you unhappy. Now that you know what to look for, it’s up to you to make sure you get it.

5 Things I Learned About My Career From My 11 Days in Total Silence

Some of the things I really like about  myself are that 1) I don't get paralyzed by overthinking; 2) I am OK with taking a good amount of risk (on anything that doesn't involve being around animals or large bodies of water) and 3) I'm willing to try something that may seem "out of the box" just so I can have a life story to tell. Sometimes these characteristics work in my favor and sometimes they don't.  Such is life. I'm pretty sure that people who do overthink, take no risks and don't go out of their box every once in a while, experience the same ups and downs in life that I do.  At least I'm having fun along the way.

One of the most life changing experiences I've encountered so far was when I spent 11 days at a silent meditation retreat in a rural area in the middle of some town I've never heard of in Massachusetts.  Basically, I was one out of about 100 other strangers, who for almost 2 weeks, weren't allowed to speak, read, write, watch TV, or eat meat (by far the hardest part of the whole ordeal).

Each day consisted of breakfast, morning meditation, lunch, more mediation, quiet time, more meditation, a snack, more meditation and then lights out (that's right, no dinner).

I know this may seem like torture to some (it did to me before I actually experienced it) and I remember my family asking me if I as joining a cult, but like I said it was one of the most exhilarating and life changing things I've ever done in my life.  There's something about being one with nature, removing yourself from the daily grind and being silent that puts things in perspective and gives you total clarity.

Although this experience happened over 5 years ago and I've since gone back to talking, eating meat, watching TV, etc., there are 5 key things I've been able to take away and apply to my career in the years that followed.

Your Career is a Marathon, Not a Sprint. I mentioned the things I like about myself earlier, but one of the things that I really need to work on is my tendency to always be in a rush. In my world, everything is urgent and needs to have been completed yesterday. I wouldn't say patience is one of my top strengths.

Thw truth is that you'll likely be working for most of your adult life. You have time to accomplish everything your heart desires. I'm in no way saying you shouldn't always be striving to do and be better, but what I am saying is to not work yourself up in a tizzy when things don't happen as quickly as you would have hoped. The pace at the meditation retreat was extremely slow. At first this really annoyed me, but then I got over it. And you know what? I survived. Turns out everything doesn't have to happen instantly and sometimes it's OK to relax.

People May Have Different Motivations, But We All Have the Same Goals. I didn't know a lot about the backgrounds and motivations of the other people who were at the retreat with me, but what I did know was that we were all there for the same exact purpose - to disconnect from everything around us and to reconnect with ourselves.

So often we look at our coworkers and our boss and think they don't get us. Yes, it's true that they may be coming from a different background and have different reasons for being at work, but what unites us all is our goal to provide for ourselves and our families and get through the day with our emotions and sanity intact. Once we focus on what we have in common (being human), instead of what separates us (pay grades and titles), the work day might be just a bit more enjoyable.

You'll Be So Much Happier Once You Get Out of Your Own Way. On day 4 of the retreat, I marched into the front office and told one of the coordinators I was ready to go home. I wanted to collect my phone and my kindle and be on my way. I was hysterically crying and told her the experience wasn't right for me (really, I was homesick and lonely). She told me she would give me my things, but wanted to have a talk with me before I left. We uncovered why I wanted to leave (fear) and I was reminded of why I decided to attend the retreat in the first place (to center myself). I ended up staying and it was a totally positive experience after that.

How many times have you set a goal for your career and as soon as things got a little tough or veered off in a different direction you gave up? If you're like 99% of everyone else, this happens more times than it should. This is counterproductive. Anything in career (and life) that's worth having will most likely include some points of discomfort. You have to push through it. Surrounding yourself with an amazing support system that has your best interests at heart really helps with this as well.

Sometimes We All Need to Sit Down and Shut Up. Think about it, from the moment you wake up in the morning to the moment you put your head back on the pillow at night, you are surrounded by noise. Whether you're talking, singing, humming, yelling, or listening to others do the same, there's a lot of external stimulation happening every day. It's definitely no surprise then how overwhelmed we are most of the time and why we can never seem to find the time to get clear about what we want out of our professional and personal lives.

Eleven days of absolute silence is a huge deal. It's not 'normal' in terms of what goes on in real life. But with this silence I was able to connect with myself and experience a different level of clarity that I never experienced before the retreat and haven't experienced since. When's the last time you took 60, 20, or even 5 minutes to sit still and think about your career? Where would you like to be in the next 3 years? The next 10? What should you be doing now in order to make sure you get there? These are all critical questions that everyone should ask themselves frequently, but with all the noise in our daily lives, these are the questions that often go unanswered.

Zero Distractions Mean Increased Action. When you turn your attention away from Facebook, Instagram, Real Housewives of Atlanta and everything else that steals your focus on any given day, you'd be surprised with much work you can get done. During the retreat I silently made plans, set dozens of goals, came up with business ideas and made decisions that I wasn't able to make before then. The absence of my daily distractions gave me increased clarity and focus.

Social interaction and technology is amazing, but it's critical that you take time to unplug daily to get things done. No matter how awesome your career goals are, if you aren't doing anything to move toward them, then you may as well have not set goals at all.

I realize that going on an 11 day silent meditation retreat is unrealistic, uninteresting and unnecessary for most people. It was something that worked for me and that I learned a lot from. I was able to walk away with valuable lessons I'll use forever, challenge myself in a new way and have a new experience to add to my life story. My hope is that you can apply what I learned during my time there to your own professional life.

-Dorianne