Saturday, December 18, 2010

Developing your management and/or leadership skills

David's mother to her son: "I'm warning you, David.....one of these days,you are going to hurt someone with that sling-shot!"
Let's start today by listing those management and leadership skills you are aware of, and believe you possess.
List at least five skills in each category. What's yours "sling-shot"?

Friday, December 17, 2010

Management or leadership?

Once you define leadership (see the post "Three Key Leadership Skills," then you can contrast it to management. An organization needs both, of course: leaders to set the course and managers to keep it all togtether.

Here are a few key management skills:

Managers are middle people. Karl Marx's economic analysis noted that managers seem to function as parasites in organizations, since they don't produce anything tangible, as workers do. He predicted that the workers would figure out that they don't need managers and would do away with them.

This is true to a degree. In any organization, the people who make the product or provide the service are the heart of it all. Without them, the manager has no purpose. However, competent managers justify their jobs by helping everyone in the organization to do what needs to be done in an efficient, productive way.

The key management skill is effective communication. He or she is the vital link between the leaderships' vision and the daily living-out of the vision by the organization's people.

This communication can go wrong in a hundred different ways. Incompetent leaders may fail to tell management what the organization's vision is, and to work with management to find ways to fulfill the vision. Alienated people in the organization may not take management's messages seriously, thinking that management is out-of-touch with the daily ins and outs of the organization. Frightened managers may hesitate to communicate if they aren't sure about what's really important in the organization (you;ll find these managers hiding in the offices).

Management is a thankless role. If managers do well, no one notices what they do as everything seems to work effortlessly. If managers fall short, they take blame from above and below.

Key differences between managers and leaders:

1. Leaders see the big picture; managers see the details.

2. Leaders are action-oriented; managers are process-oriented.

3. Leaders "do the right thing;" managers "do the thing right."

Leaders are more visible than managers, usually, so they get more glory. But without managers, the leader would spend so much time keeping the boat afloat they he/she would burn out quickly. Competent management is the crucial link in a successfulorganization.

Three Key Leadership Skills

Our business, the International Leadership Institute, has been helping people develop and use leadership skills since 1985.

We've come up with three key leadership skills. If you have any interest in being an effective leader, thse skills need to become second nature to you:

1. Future orientation
2. Graciousness
3. Generosity and compassion

Being future-oriented is the first key skill for leaders. Competent leaders must articulate a vision for the organization, then find practical means of reminding everyone about the vision daily. Just words is not enough; leaders need to model and define both the means and the methods by which they expect the organization's members to live out the vision, every day.

Graciousness is the second key skill for leaders. They must act with grace (forgiveness), respect and courtesy (politeness) to everyone, not just customers or clients. Effective leaders are gracious to all of the people who work with them, from the most prestigious employee to the person who takes out the trash, so to speak. This graciousness needs to be so ingrained that it comes naturally, without effort, and is sincere. There's nothing more forced and phony than "fake" graciousness. Again, just words are not enough. The attitude of graciousness must be behind the words, or they will be useless.

Generosity and compassion are the third key skill-set for leaders. A generous person wants everyone to be fulfilled, not just him/herself. The opposite of generosity (selfishness) leads to greed and immoral deeds. A compassionate person will not inflict undue suffering on others. Compassionate leaders put the needs of others before their own comfort and pleasure.

These skills are crucial for leaders to contemplate, learn about, and practice. If you're fortunate, you may have someone in your life who models these skills. Not all leaders are CEOs of companies, or presidents of organizations, but everyone around them knows that they are competent leaders. These people make organizations flourish.

Tyrants, dictators, monomaniacs, thugs and criminals may think that they are leaders. But they're not--they are simply bullies. They can get people to do their bidding through fear or force, but they don't lead. They punish rather than inspire; they diminish people rather than giving them ways to improve their lives.

Leadership is creative, life-sustaining and vibrant. Anyone who tries to lead without these three skills is merely a killer.

Friday, December 3, 2010

What is new or different about work opportunities (careers, assignments, jobs or callings) in the next decade?

How can you influence those in power concerning your job without feeling you are at the mercy of some remote, distant "management" that controls all aspects of your job? How can you share your ideas, insights, attitudes and skills that influence your job with those who matter? Our next meeting will be devoted to answering the two questions above.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

The change we need

In recent decades both Americans and Europeans have been investing their pride, self-esteem and hopes for a better life and more security in three sacred cows:

 their jobs, their homes and the investment of their monies.

with the recent economic downturns, all three sacred cows have suffered considerable indignities. Perhaps nowhere has the impact of the collapsing economy on the life of "sacred cows worshipers" (read us) have been more evident than in case of the lay-offs and terminations of workers whose jobs are being made redundant due to lack of movement in financial and investment markets. Workers affected by this "freezing" of the labor market both in Europe and in the United States have faced unemployment or underemployment. But it is not necessary to be traumatized spiritually, psychologically, financially, or emotionally, loose self-esteem and the ability to effectively cope under the new circumstances. What can be done about it is the subject of the next Wednesday's seminar at Aventine. See you there.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The next seminar session on industries, companies and particular job assignments that may be right for you

Na Karlovu zadost potvrzuji,ze pristi seminar se bude konat v Restauraci Avantine v Purkynove ulici,Praha 1, ve stredu, 24.11. v 18 hodin.Tesim se na videnou!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

More on the topic of the today's seminar please see my last two posts

In my previous post I  answered briefly the question why is career development so important especially at such times, when many people are loosing their jobs. The next key topic of the tonight's seminar will be how a change in information becomes a change in power.

Why is career devolpment especially important at the time whne many people are loosing their jobs

At this writing, the Czech as well as the European economy and entire way of life are being rapidly transformed by forces we don't yet fully grasp. The shock of financial reversals, and alarming, continuous recession-like developments in the interlinked world economy, are joined by fears concerning global warming and the rising specter of other problems. At such times, when many people are loosing their jobs, and are struggling to find work, any work, career development (approaching the job search methodically and systematically) seems almost frivolous. However, in spite of many outside forces, we know that you can significantly influence your career and thus your future if you will focus on developing and embracing those traits and qualities which are valuable in any career at any time. Tonight we will discuss essential characteristics and patterns of thinking of a successful job seeker at Modry zub at 6:00 PM. See you there!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

How long are you willing to crawl?

How long are you willing to crawl like a caterpillar, waiting for the splendid, diaphanous butterfly you bear within yourself to fly free, enjoy the world and do the job you were designed for? The choice is yours, and this will be the subject of the tomorrow's seminar at Modry Zub.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

New meeting place for 21st Century Jobs seminar this week

We have made a change from  Aventin Restaurant for this week's seminar.

We will meet at

Modry Zub, a Thai restaurant, on Spalena 29.Phone # is 222 540 064

at 6 PM

on Wednesday, Nov. 10

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Next 21st Century Jobs seminar in Prague: 10 November, 2010

We are well into the current 21st Century Jobs seminar, and the participants are digging into their own dreams, goals and abilities to discover the job they can like and do best. Here's an example of the kind of accomplishment that the participants are writing. They write 10 of these accomplishments and then analyze them to make a grid of their common traits, skills, values and abilities.

1.  As the Director of Career Services at a major metropolitan university in New York City, I planned, organized, developed and evaluated a comprehensive career development center, offering programs and services that met the needs of students looking for jobs that best suited their career options and goals.

2. As a result, the students had ample opportunity to plan their careers, beginning in the first year of university studies, enabling them to pursue internships, summer jobs, volunteer positions, coursework and after-school jobs that enhanced their career growth.

3. Therefore I can help people to discern their career vision, to evaluate their personal skills, abilities, talents and accomplishments, and to find the job they can like and do best.

The next meeting of this seminar will be at 6 PM on Wednesday, 10 November at 1800 at Aventin Restaurant, Purkynova 53/4, Praha 1, near the Narodni Trida metro stop.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Young Czechs hit by unemployment

The continuing job crisis is hitting young people especially hard--damaging both their future and the economy unless they learn how one can find a job even in most difficult times. That is the subject of Sara's and mine latest book on career development, 21st Century Jobs. Especially for people just starting their careers the damage may be long lasting, and could result in depressing lifetime income. The worst scenario is getting stuck in jobs that are beneath one's capabilities.The Czech Republic is far from being alone. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), 81 million young people were jobless in 2009. They call them "the lost generation" as they are frequently seen by employers as damaged goods.
Where is the freshness and vitality young people typically bring to the workplace here? Too many talented people are on the sidelines, deprived of experience or losing motivation.Czech experts believe that the number of jobless graduates will be more than 47,000 this Fall of 2010. This will be more than in 2005, the worst year in this century in terms of unemployment among young people in Czech Republic. The next session in our Your Next Job Seminar on Wednesday, October 13, at Restaurace u Posty in Moravska Street, Prague 2, Vinohrady, from 18-19:30 we will discuss how to find a job you like and can do best.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Your Next Job Next Seminar

Pristi seminar se bude konat 13.10.2010 v nekurackem salonku Restaurace u Posty v Moravske ulici v Praze na Vinohradech od 17-19 hodin. Prosim nezapomente si pripravit Vase nejvetsi uspechy za poslednich pet let; alespon 10 prikladu. Tesim se na videnout 13. rijna. Zdravi, Jarda

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

21st Century Jobs seminar this week in Prague

We're very happy to announce that we'll be conducting the first session of the Fall 2010 "21st Century Jobs" seminar in Prague. This seminar will be in Czech, using selected exercises from our book. We know that the way to job success and fulfillment is to first assess yourself: your dreams, goals, skills, talents and accomplishments. This first session will focus on the most satisfactory and significant accomplishments of each participant's life.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Creating your own career

Last week a Facebook friend challenged me by stating that not everyone can choose the job they like and can do best. Sometimes people just have to take whatever job they find, to make enough money to live.

This is, of course, quite true. When I first went to Norway to live in the 60's and couldn't speak the language, I got a job unloading bananas at the docks to earn some money. I later found a better job as a dishwasher.

But I had higher ambitions than washing dishes. I kept my eyes and ears open as I learned Norwegian, met new people with whom I could talk, and became more familiar with the culture around me. I practiced these elements of career development:

1. develop new skills that will help you advance your career.
2. talk with people about their lives, to find out what gaps there might be in the society that could become a job for you.
3. think entrepreneurially, as a job creator, creating the perfect job for the person you know best--yourself.

In a matter of months I was coaching volleyball with the Norwegian national volleyball team and was enrolled at the University of Oslo, on my way to building myself a wonderful life in Norway. All it took was putting some principles into practice and believing that I could succeed.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Why is getting the job you like and can do best so important?

As Woodrow Wilson put it, "We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world". Over the past three decades my wife Sara and I have helped thousands of American and European executives, mid-level professionals, students, career changers and people just entering the job market after completing their Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees to get jobs which match correctly the career goals, qualifications and interests of individuals with specific needs of organizations. As a result, we have found that all job seekers who want to arrive at a job they can like and can do best need to be proficient at one essential task:
Presenting themselves directly to potential employers in ways that produce job interviews and offers.

We have outlined and explained the basic job-search essentials in our 9th book on careers and career development called "21st Century Jobs" in order to help people secure what just about everyone wants: THE JOB THAT YOU LIKE AND CAN DO BEST. This blog, "Your Next Job" is devoted to helping you to better understand how to use our book, "21st Century Jobs" to  your best advantage and get the job of getting a job you like and can do best done as soon as possible. In fact, we are enabling you to have your own system to beat the system.

International Leadership Institute zahajuje nove programy v Praze

Ucelem naseho blogu , "Your Next Job" je pomoci tem kvalifikovanym jedincum, kteri se zajimaji o zapojeni do pracovniho procesu nebo hledaji lepsi misto uspet co nejrychleji v tom, ze najdou pracovni prilezitost, ktera jim bude vyhovovat a kterou dokazou dobre zvladat. Po 20 letech cinosti Institutu v Cesku a na Slovensku rizene z USA je nyni ILI etablovan v Praze. Komunikace na tomto blogu mohou probihat v Cestine a take v Anglictine, Francouzstine, Nemcine, Norstine a Rustine. This is just to let know our FB friends that ILI's programs and activities are now available here in Prague on the full time basis.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Looking for work

My wife Sara and I own a business. This seems to be the answer for looking for work--start your own company. But in reality, owning a business means you're always looking for work--for customers, projects and programs that people need. We're looking for work in Prague, both with our established programs and with new ones, to meet newly-discovered needs. Something about work itself declares that it's always changing. People's needs and what's available to meet those needs work together symbiotically--the need causes the new offering, which gives birth to a new need. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Why work?

photo: Sara and I with Czech Deputy Minister Petricek of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, CR, when we were running the EEP-CBL executive education programs. For details, visit www.ili.cc

Too often people get jobs because they need money. Well, you say, why else would they get a job? I look at it differently. I believe that we need to work, to be productive, to be useful, in order to be fully human. We need to be part of our society in a meaningful way, and that's what work accomplishes. The fact that we need money is only a spur to overcome any natural inertia or laziness that would keep us from working.

Friday, August 6, 2010

New Continent, New Job Seminars

My wife and I have just moved to Prague, Czech Republic. Our business, the International Leadership Institute, has been operating in the U.S. (mainly in Florida) and the Czech Republic since 1990, after the collapse of communism in Czechoslovakia. We run educational programs that assist participants in developing key leadership skills. These five programs (listed beginning with our first programs) are the core of our business:

1. Executive Education for Czech & Slovak Business Leaders (1990--1997). These programs, run in conjunction with the Czech Ministry of Industry & Trade, the Jacksonville, Florida Chamber of Commerce, the University of North Florida, and hundreds of American companies (such as General Electric, Barnett Bank, the Port of Jacksonville, Westinghouse, Toyota, and Ford), gave Czech and Slovak executives the opportunity for hands-on experience in Western business strategies and techniques. The participants lived with American host families, attended university classes and had an internship with an American company in a corresponding industry.

2. US AID/US Department of State Agency for International Development (1995-2004). These training programs, delivered on behalf of US AID, gave executive participants from Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania and Macedonia the chance to be part of the American way of life. Through business meetings, tours, receptions and recreational activities, the participants became better acquainted with American ways of doing business. The participants developed leadership and career-related skills through program activities and exercises.

3. Travel-and-Learn Programs (1990-present). These programs combine tourism with opportunities to meet people, learn about the history, social life, politics and religions of the countries visited. Travel-and-Learn programs have visited Florida, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Colorado, Wyoming, Germany, Utah, Arizona, Austria, Slovakia, Tennessee, and New York City, among other countries. Participants can be any age, of any nationality.

4. English Language Immersion Programs (1990-present). These programs give participants the chance to learn English in the U. S. Living with a host family, as well as attending cultural events and educational activities, gives participants the opportunity to gain fluency in English. Two years of previous English study in school is required. Leadership and career development activities are included in these programs.

5. 21st Century Jobs Seminars (2009-present). These programs have been developed out of our 30-year experience in helping people find the job they can like and do best. The book 21st Century Jobs is used for the seminars, which consist of exercises and activities that have been proven to help people advance in their careers.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Your changing workplace

In the world of work, the newly emerging ability to influence those in power means that the employee no longer feels at the mercy of some remote, distant "management" that controls all aspects of his or her job. Workers can now share ideas, attitudes and insights through a variety of means, the Internet being only the most obvious. Face Book, Twittering,chat room, instant messaging social network websites and text messaging on cell phones make it easier to keep in constant touch with your peers at work, exchanging information that effects your job and your entire workplace.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

If you are trying to advance your career or find a new assignment which is just right for you.....Or, if you are looking for a way to correctly match your spectrum of skills, values, abilities, qualifications, accomplishments and interests with the vital needs of businesses, organizations and institutions both in the U.S. and world-wide, this book, 21stCentury Jobs, may help you to do just that.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Looking into the second decade of the 21st century, we can begin to discern the new emerging economy which is taking shape and which is rising like phoenix on the ashes of the economy left behind by the previous right of the center administration. It is a global economy, establishing itself in a climate of diminishing importance of long-establish national boundaries. It is the economy which embraces the new generation of progressive leaders who are in touch with the 21st century world and its technology as the old guard bureaucrats, politicians, military leaders and corporate business executives are relegated to the background. As many traditional and now obsolete industries continue to decline, along with their outmoded and outdated management styles and systems, new rules are emerging along with the new economy. We discuss those which we consider to be pivotal in 21st Century Jobs book.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Networking or "you know more people than you think!"

Effective networking rests on knowing and being interested in people and in their lives. True networks consist of individuals with some common experiences,shared values and knowledge f each other's abilities. Real , functional networks are made of people who care about each other, and are willing to help and be helped in their lives. Such networks are precious and should not be misused by careless people who are just looking for a job, with no intention of reciprocating the favors gained from the network.
Practically speaking, more people you know, the more jobs you will hear about (especially the great majority of jobs, which are never advertised publicly.)

Friday, February 26, 2010

Doing what you are good at and enjoy doing is the key to your career satisfaction. The biggest changes in the 21st century are the speed and unpredictability with which the labor market changes. The most hopeful aspect of the new opportunities the new 21st century economy provides is the fact that, if we take time to find out who we are and what we can offer, and are ready to put our qualifications to work, we will most likely find the opportunity to do so.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Recent interviews with business executives, government officials and entrepreneurs reveal some emerging job growth areas. In all of these newly emerging areas of employment, regardless of the particular industry, organization or job description,there are behaviors, skills, traits and characteristics that most employers need from those they hire. Our book pays special attention to these behaviors, traits and skills that employers are seeking. No one expects you to have it all together before you will be hired, as such necessary skills are developed over a lifetime in various work settings. However, employers do expect you to demonstrate your potential in these vital areas.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Following up on the "most influential person" post--now that you have chosen a person to profile, write in a few paragraphs what that person has done or said that made a difference for you.
"You have had so many conversations in your life that you certainly can't remember them all. Now think about a conversation that changed your life. It could have been with your parents, a friend, a minister, a sibling, a teacher or a professor. The "who"of the conversation may not be as important as the "what". Literally, after this conversation ended, your life changed forever. In approximately 2-3 pages, write about this conversation."

Monday, January 18, 2010

Think about a person who has influenced your life in some important way. What did that person look like? Spend a few minutes jotting down your memories and impressions of that person's physical appearance.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Living without self-knowledge is not fulfilling or rewarding; you need to undertake the hard task of recognizing your own talents, skills, gifts, abilities, values, qualifications, dreams and goals.

Through this blog you can find out more about how the career development process can work for you, by providing a framework and strategy for this task.