Presently, I am developing a new EEO workshop for a client. New laws have been added and some of the laws have been amended (go to www.eeoc.gov). Discrimination is still alive and well in the workplace. However, sometimes the discrimination in the workplace is not as blatant as 40 - 30 years ago. What definitly exists are micro-inquities. Micro-inquities are like small paper cuts that still sting and hurt others.
Jun 14, 2010 - Shout Out to New Leader Program by: Diane
Shout Out to the New Leader Program
Well I am back after a week on the road - working in Williamsburg, Virginia as a faculty member of the Graduate School New Leader Program. This is a six month leadership development program for grades 7 - 11 in the Federal govenement. My topic for the week was Meeting the Diversity Challenge. While I may have been the instructor and facilitator I learned much from the participants.
This award is the highest honor of TOC. It is awarded to senior trainers who during their careers not only contributed substantially to TOC but through their ethics, dedication and leadership, served as role models for the training community. You get the idea!
I feel like a super rock star who gets the award and goes to the microphone and thanks God and all the people who were instrumental in their success. I can understand because, the rock star would not have made it had not been for the help and encouragement they received. I feel the same way.
I would like to thank the Great Creator for allowing me to be honored by my peers while I am still alive.
I would also like to shout out to a few people.
Dr. Bill Shelton (George Washington University) and Ron Gurley (Department of Agriculture), my TOC mentors over 20 plus years ago. They were practicing diversity before it had a name.
I would like to thank my grandmother, Willie Bright Woods, a graduate of Fisk University, who taught me how to be independent and how to read and write at the age of four.
I would like to thank my grandfather, Otey Douglas Woods who taught me about the civil rights movement in the U.S. and the value of each human being.
I also would like to thank several role models no longer with us.
Dr. Dorothy Height for her leadership as the Chair of the National Council of Negro Women
Lena Horne, entertainer and civil rights advocate, for her talent, courage, style and grace.
Ruby Bowerman, my mother-in-law and an original "Rosey the Riveter" who has taught me about courage, perseverance and faith.
I am so honored. I accept this award with gratitude and a deep sense of humility.
I will end with this quote by John Ruskin:
"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."
Feb 23, 2010 - What Do You Know About Your Supervisor? by: Lady Dianne
Establishing a positive productive relationship with your supervisor is one of the most important factors in achieving career success.Understanding how your supervisor thinks and works is the key to building a productive partnership.The following questions may give you insight into how your supervisor operates.
Sep 29, 2009 - Last Words to New Leader Program - Just S.M.I.L.E. by: Lady Dianne
Just S.M.I.L.E
Last week I had the opportunity to close out another New Leader Program (NLP) of the Graduate School (graduateschool.edu). What a wonderful group of Federal employees. Most have the right stuff to be excellent leaders.
My last thoughts to the graduates: Sometimes all you can do is S.M.I.L.E.
Jul 15, 2009 - More Shout Outs - Homeland Security by: Lady Dianne
There are a bunch of dedicated people who work for Homeland Security who risk their lives for the U.S.A. A special shout out to the employees of Homeland Security.
Jun 29, 2009 - Discrimination is Alive and Well in the U.S. by: Lady Dianne
Discrimination is Alive and Well in the U.S.
Many people would like to think discrimination is a thing of the past, like slavery, since President Obama took office.Not so.Most of my professional career has been about eliminating discrimination in the workplace - Ten years with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as an EEO investigator, conciliator, and trainer.I have spent twenty-two years as the President of Sutton Enterprises designing, delivering workshops and retreats on Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Valuing and Managing Diversity.
While blatant discrimination may sometimes seem as though it has diminished, I get examples in every class to the contrary. For example:
·In a meeting of Federal representatives one of the individuals was reported saying “why don’t gays stay in the closet.”
·Last month in a diversity session, a participant heard a white man on the street call a black man a nigger because he got the cab first.
The SPLC Report (Spring 2009) published by the Southern Poverty Law Center (www.splcenter.org) writes the number of hate groups active in the U.S. continued to grow in 2008 as racist extremists were fueled by immigration tensions, a faltering economy and the election of the first President of “Color.”The SPLC’s annual hate group count identified 926 hate groups a 54 percent increase since 2000 and a 4 per cent gain over 2007.
According to the SPLC Report Neo-Nazi David Duke claims that President Obama will be a visual aid for angry white Americans and will provoke a backlash among relatively mainstream whites that will result in a dramatic increase in the ranks of extremists.
To quote Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, author, journalist, etc, “America is not post-racial; we need to be post-racist.”
Also subtle discrimination is quite active.It is the “paper cuts” of personal interaction that creates a lot of problems and tensions in the workplace. In the DVD Drop by Drop, micro-inequities are examined. Micro-inequities are the small messages of prejudice that are sent from one person to another, often without knowing. Really, these small communications of disrespect and inequality can be destructive. It is estimated that we send 2000 4000 micro messages every day. Some typical examples include failing to acknowledge someone’s presence, never bothering to learn the correct pronunciation of a person’s name, cultural slights (ignoring cultural needs/differences and sensitivities) or excluding someone from relevant e-mail. (Refer to www.costal.com)These micro-inequities may be too subtle to be eliminated by legal mandate but micro-inequities are large enough to lower self-esteem, decrease morale and productivity, increase frustration and employee turnover.
I know I do not have all the answers but I would like to believe that the election of President Obama and the immerging Generation Y into the workplace represents the new wave of human development and interaction.However, I am not sure how quickly this new wave will take effect.What do you think????
Jun 29, 2009 - A Book Review of Workplace Etiquette by: Lady Dianne
For your review.
WORKPLACE ETIQUETTE
BOOK REVIEW EXERTS
By
ReneeJohnson GraduateSchool - New Leader Program Participant ISSC-Cherry Point
This book is excellent for any person like me that is a blue collar worker trying to move up into the business office or white collar work.The relationships, politics, and everyday actions on the production floor are so different from management that I didn’t even realize the enormous gap until I read this book.This book not only covers what I should expect in an office setting but what will be expected of me as well.By this I mean simple things such as grooming, dressing, and the manner in which I speak and convey verbal and non-verbal communication.The book discusses exactly what etiquette is and its importance in the work environment.It explains professional presence which has already impacted me to where I am constantly aware of the presence I give off when I enter or am in a room.Another important issue in our ever growing diverse work force is the mention on how to deal effectively with people from different cultures, ages, and those with disabilities.The knowledge in this book makes me much more confident that I can control myself in any office setting now and I don’t have to guess what is appropriate to do.I can’t believe that so much information can be packed into one book.The book is very basic with the main topics being the introduction that defines what the book is about, etiquette basics that really covers manners and courtesies, introductions and small talk that covers everything from how to shake hands, touching, and personal space.Another really important section of the book covers business dress and grooming because it is very awkward to dress in a manner that a person is not use to.Other sections of the book include dining etiquette, nonverbal communication, verbal communication, electronic communication, and last but not least is the political savvy which is one of my developmental deficiencies that I am working on.
I believe that even though I had a general idea of etiquette basics that I did not realize how inadequately I was prepared until I read this book.Everyone knows how to shake hands but I am noticing that not many know how to shake hands properly.Although we don’t really have elevators the section on elevator etiquette is really useful when I travel because the hotel elevators are usually packed and now I know exactly what to do.I now know the proper way to introduce people and the sequence they should be introduced in.I know how to respond to a compliment instead of not accepting it to accepting it and responding appropriately to it as well.One of the biggest issues for me is the business dress.I am so use to wearing steel toed boots, jeans, and a T-shirt that I tend to go to the other extreme which made me feel phony.In our last session I spoke with Dr. Z about this and he said I had to work on it until I reached a happy medium where I was in business dress but it didn’t feel phony.The section in this book made things so much easier.I am not denying that it cost a small fortune but I am getting better at hitting that happy medium and fitting in.I don’t stand out as under dressed or over dressed.I confess business dress is where I needed the most help and this book gave me the edge I needed to get started.
I also thought I knew most everything about dining etiquette because I have done high class catering for most of my life where I had different patterned china that had to be served in the appropriate way so the china was served to the correct table in the right direction with the host and hostess being served last.When reading this book I found I have never even heard of a fish fork or a fish knife.I didn’t know which way to eat soup, the etiquette for ordering at a business lunch, what to do with the napkin if I were to leave the table, and I didn’t know how to place my silverware so the server will know if I am finished or not.
I pretty much know verbal and nonverbal communication because I deal with it constantly and I am aware of the dos and don’ts of electronic communication.However, I was very shaky on political savvy and this book gave me great insight as to what I need to do to keep others from finding out what my hot buttons are and keep them from pushing them.In a production area there are rumors and different clicks of people but none that have any power.In the business office I see how important political savvy is and the importance of being involved and networking which has been hard for me to do in the past because I am an introvert.
I would highly recommend that this book continue to stay on the suggested reading list.I have really had to struggle to get this book read but once I reached a certain point I couldn’t put it down because so many things started making sense.
There is a great deal of information in this book and I would like for everyone to have the knowledge I now have.This is an absolutely fantastic book!
The DC Pre Trial Services Training and Career DevelopmentCenterpresents an Annual DC PSA Training and Professional Development Conference, May 7-8, 2009 (refer to www.psa.gov). Sutton Enterprises presented three sessions (Intro to Emotional Intelligence, Diversity - Beyond Race and Gender and Generational Identities).I personally had the opportunity to sit in on a great workshop entitled Murder 101 by Professor Cynthia Jones, Associate Law Professor at the Washington College of Law, AmericanUniversity.Boy, did I learn a lot and it was fun!!!Hats off to the staff of the Training and CareerDevelopmentCenter lead by Laura DeVol.
2.Laid off employees ofRexel Electronic Supplies in Denver, Colorado.
Sorry to hear you were laid off.Just remember that you have transferable skills.What ever your skills were for Rexel, you can transfer those skills to another job. (Refer to www.rexel.com)
3.NAACP wins on changing the meaning of "Nigger" in dictionary Thanks NAACP - A Small Victory...A Giant Step
There has been a change in Webster's Dictionary. Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), recently gave a speech at Virginia Tech.
Everyone was informed that a landmark decision was made with the people at Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (Refer to www.naacp.org)
Beginning with the next edition of Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “nigger” will no longer be synonymous with African-Americans. It shall be duly noted that it's a racial slur and not what African-American see them selves as. Along with this, all racial and religious slurs will finally be indicated for what they really are - cruel and evil slurs too often used to degrade people who are different.
Please pass this information on to others. This change should serve notice to people and organizations that when individuals stick together to right a wrong it can be done. This wasn't just a victory for African-Americans, but for everyone in the United States.
Now if we can only get some of our young black men and women to stop using it so freely...then we will truly win. So, pass this messagealong so we make sure that we all know the change.
In an earlier blog I discussed the three B’s of dress at work.I stated that organizations did not want employees exposing the three Bs (boobs, belly and butt) at work.Today, I am also adding the fourth B which is the back.We don’t want to see your boobs, belly, butt or back.Many young women in particular like to expose their back to others at work.Most have tattoos either on the shoulder or at the small of the back (just above the natural waistline).Usually when the small of the back is shown, the top of the panty (commonly a thong) is also showing.There are also some men who wear their pants so low that they expose their underwear or the crack of their butts. Please, please stop it !!! It is just too much to show at work.These looks give the impression that you are unprofessional and that you don’t take your job too seriously.
On the same note, we are coming into the season of wearing sandals and all sorts of open toe shoes.Please, please clean up your feet.No one wants to look at unkempt, dirty toenails and crusty heels.
Another no-no --- no flip flops at work.While flip flops may be great for home and the beach, they are not appropriate for work.In fact, flip flops are not appropriate for a visit to the White House.Check out the sign outside the West Wing at http://www.ehow.com/how_4671510_tour-west-wing-white-house.html
I love to watch the court programs on TV.I am a fan of Judge Mathis, Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Christina, The People’s Court, etc.While people want to win their case, I have seen some very inappropriate behaviors which diminish their credibility.It has come to my attention that people, particularly young people, have no clue as to how to act in a court of law, even if it is on TV.So in an effort to help people stop making a fool of themselves in TV court or any court, I have developed some guidelines.
1.Dress appropriately Remember the 3 Bs no boobs,
belly or butt should be showing.Conservative dress
is best.For men a suit and tie are best - at least an
ironed shirt with a tie and long pants.For women a suit or
dress and heels are best something that covers the
body but not too tightly.
2.Address the Judge as “Your Honor” or Judge (last name).
3.Do not try to talk at the same time the Judge is speaking.
Pay attention to the questions asked by the Judge and answer
appropriately.
4.Watch your body language.Do not roll your eyes, wave
hands or clinch fists.If nervous, hold on to the podium or
chair.
5.Never walk out before you are dismissed.
6.Bring all your documentation relevant to your case.
7.Never use curse words.
8.Do not argue with another person in front of the Judge.
9.Stop talking when the Judge tells you to stop talking.
If you want to win your case, project an image of respect for the court.Understand the image you project impacts your credibility.
The use of cell phones, Blackberrys, speakerphones, voice mail, email and faxes has become a way of life in business. However, the rules of etiquette have not always kept pace with the innovations of technology. Below are some guidelines on email etiquette.
Business e-mails are a tool, and that tool represents you.
Email has become the preferred method of communication for many people in business, but if not used properly, can become hazardous to relationships and careers. Email is a silent form of communication. One can neither see you as you say the words nor hear your vocal inflections; the message is contained entirely in the words you choose to write and send. Because the reader misses out on the nuances of your verbal and visual delivery the results are often miscommunication and misunderstandings.
Email quickly provides organizations written information. But never let the convenience of email overshadow the value of a phone call or face-to-face meeting. The “human touch” is often missing from our communications and customers and co-workers alike may appreciate the time and effort it took for you to call or stop by. Try doing both at once send an email, but call as well to give the recipient a “heads up.” Hearing your message will enhance their reading of it.
·Email is best used for short, simple and straightforward information.
·Before you hit the send button, it’s important to proof the content for spelling and grammar mistakes. But it’s also important to read the message aloud to check the tone of the message.
·Don’t forget to add “please” and “thank you”. Those two phrases can transform the snippiest of demands into a polite request.
·Any message longer than about half the computer screen is too long. If your content is long, consider introducing the subject in a short email and sending the details as an attachment or fax.
·First ask permission before attaching any large files.
·Assume any message you send is permanent and may likely be forwarded to others.
·Start with a salutation, i.e. Dear James. Continue to use salutations until the relationship is well established.
·Be concise.No one likes long emails.
·Respond to all questions when returning e-mail.
·Do not use email to send trivial, confidential or sensitive information. Anything truly urgent should be telephoned. Anything sensitive should be hand-delivered.
·Never use email to reprimand someone.
·Never express political or religious opinions via office email.
·Never use office email to send jokes.
·Use humor and sarcasm in your emails sparingly. Recipients may not “get” the joke.
·Use industry or email acronyms, abbreviations, or emoticons sparingly.
·Define your subject in the subject line.
·Use upper and lower case when writing.
·Use signatures with complete personal contact information.
·Allow 1-2 days for a response. If you need an immediate response, call as well.
·Respond to your incoming emails within 24 hours. If you need more time to respond, call or email that you are looking into it and will get back to them ASAP.
Remember, the world does not revolve around you! Most of us are not that important or busy.
Mar 05, 2009 - Workplace Etiquette: The Political Savvy Individual by: Diane
Workplace Etiquette:The Political Savvy Individual
To be successful in today’s evolving workplace, you need talent, hard work, good job performance, a share of good breaks as well as political savvy.Political Savvy means ethically using office politics to your advantage.To some office politics means deceit, deception, and selfishness.However think of political savvy as the ability to practice sensible and ethical office politics.
At one time, it was assumed that office politics were played primarily by supervisors and managers who were attempting to climb the ladder of success, and executives who were still either climbing or trying to maintain.Not only are office politics tougher today, but the stakes are at their highest.In an era of organizations trimming down to reduce costs, corporate takeovers, downsizings, and mergers the use of political savvy is needed for survival.
Office Politics are played to obtain power the ability to control people or resources, or to get others to do things you want done.Understand that office politics are omnipresent every where all the time.
People who understand and use office politics to their advantage are much likely to succeed than their politically naοve counterparts.Therefore, to gain a competitive edge you need more political skill and knowledge.To ignore office politics is to ignore those underlying forces that account for the success between equally talented people.
Let’s Start With Some Definitions
Political the use of strategy or intrigue in obtaining power, control or status; to deal with people in an opportunistic or manipulative way, as for job advancement.
- Random House Webster’s College Dictionary
Savvy understanding, knowing how, shrewdness
- Webster’s New Century Dictionary
Ethical being in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice
(the body of moral principles and values held by or governing a culture, group, or individual); conforming to the principles of proper conduct, as established by society.
- Webster’s New Century Dictionary
Think of political savvy as a practical understanding or shrewdness of how people operate on the job including the strategies and motives involved.Think of office politics as the subtle and informal methods of gaining power or a competitive edge.
Characteristics of a Political Savvy Individual
- Chooses to become an active, ethical player
-Believes in and cares about the issue at hand
-Plays above board
- Avoids political blind spots
-Uses power to get things done
-Spreads the credit
-Is an effective team player
For Federal employees political savvy is listed under the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Executive Core Qualification of Building Coalitions/Communication.As a leadership competency it identifies behaviors such as:
-Keeping current with internal and external political and
issues that impactthe work of the organization
-Approaching problems with a clear perception of
organizational andpolitical reality
-Anticipating the internal and external implications of
statements and actions
-Recognizing the impact of alternative courses of action
-Considering political and organizational reality, the media
and specialinterests in decision making.
There are fundamental reasons as to why people politic.Knowing these reasons can help you in developing your political savvy or when it is likely that others will be using political tactics to win or discredit you.
Mar 05, 2009 - Managing Your Multi-cultural Starship by: Diane
Managing Your Multi-cultural Starship
by
Dianne Floyd Sutton, President
Sutton Enterprises
In this artle written years ago, I combined my love for the TV series StarTrek with my professional work in diversity awareness training. (Yes, I was a trekie and I sill have my Startrek communicator) I still think the message in this article is relevant to the workforce today. What do you think?
In 1966 the Starship Enterprise set out on its five year mission with an unusual crew on the bridge.A crew which represented every color and creed in the human spectrum., and one race not even from earth.It was a minor miracle for televisionto show a Black woman and an Asian in positions of managerial responsibility.Now, more than thirty-five years later, it has become a commonplace corporate reality.No one notices the "miracle" of interracial presence in the StarTrek reruns anymore.No one notices the even more miraculous management achievement of Captain Kirk.He is a multi-cultural manager and -- at least on television -- a very successful one.
Let's take a look at the Starship crew.Dr. McCoy, from the State of Georgia, has the prickly personal honor of a "southern gentleman" and is quick to react with outrage at anything he sees an as affront to his sense of dignity.Lt. Uhura -- whose name is the Swahili word for freedom -- grew up in Africa.Lt. Commander Scott ("Scotty") may have a Scottish brogue, but he is the true spiritual brother of every competent blue collar worker who ever came up through the ranks to management.Ensign Chekhov is a Russian Chauvinist who seldom misses a chance to explain how a Russian invented the airplane, radio, and the impulse engine.Ensign Sulu's family tree includes people from many parts of the orient and as such he is heir to the oldest human cultural tradition.And Mr. Spock is . . .well, Mr. Spock is Mr. Spock -- someone whose cultural background is ultimately unknowable.
First, Captain Kirk is clear about his mission and he makes sure that it is clear to everyone who works with him. He is also clear that "seeking out new worlds" has nothing to do with what language his crew members learned at birth, how long their hair is or how they decorate their cabin.Kirk does not allow himself or anyone else to act as if the goal of the Enterprise is to have everyone conform to a stereotype.
Next, Captain Kirk pays attention to the differences among his crew members and he respects them. When Mr. Spock states that the probability is "point nine three" that evacuating the colonists from Rigel Nine will fatally infect members of the Enterprise crew with their plague, Kirk does not tell Mr. Spock that he is an inhuman calculating machine.When Dr. McCoy says:"You can't just leave them down there to die, Jim.Let me get some of the colonists into sick bay, so I can try to find an anti-toxin," Kirk does not tell McCoy that he is a bleeding heart who is completely ignoring the danger to the Enterprise.Captain Kirk -- the multi-cultural manager -- is aware of the personality and cultural background of his subordinates.Spock and McCoy have both made important points.If Kirk insists that his crew conform to a single cultural style in all their expression, he will not only alienate a substantial portion of his crew, but -- much worse -- he may never hear anything at all from many of his subordinates.
Captain Kirk also insists that the members of his crew respect each other.It is never acceptable for one crew member to insult another.Russian, Georgian, Black, Female, or Vulcan . . . any crew member who attacks another on that basis is wrong.It is the act of making the attack that is important.Kirk knows that he cannot change the personal prejudices of his crew, but he can and does insist that those prejudices are not expressed in any work context.No doubt Captain Kirk does not accept new crew members who cannot communicate around their cultural bias.
Captain Kirk knows that he has blind spots.I am sure that Kirk spends some of his off duty hours on "continuing education for Starship Captains."No doubt this includes studying the different ways that people in the Federation think and behave.Kirk knows that the attitudes of his crew will surprise him from time to time.When it happens, he makes an extra effort to discover the crew member's point of view before he assumes that the crew member is behaving irrationally or committing a breach of discipline.
There is really nothing about the management style of Starship Captain James T. Kirk that is unknown to enlightened managers of the twenty-first century.Kirk focuses on organizational goals, listens and communicates well, and enforces mutual respect among his subordinates.Nonetheless, Captain Kirk benefits from a multi-cultural perspective.We all know that if we want to manage from a multi-cultural perspective, we must:
Recognize that differences (cultural, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc.) do exist.
Learn about other cultures
Learn about our own cultural background style and conditionaling
Respect and be sensitive to individual differences and cultures.
Root out stereotypes
Set and communicate the goals for our organization.
Explain the rules for workplace behavior
Hold people accountable after explaining the rules
Demand that workers respect one another on the job
Aspire to flexibility.
We can only guess what the StarfleetAcademy taught Captain Kirk about managing a multi-cultural workforce, but I believe that we are going to have to learn those lessons much sooner than most people think.Managers with a mono-cultural perspective will not be employable in the twenty-first century.
A few days ago, I was at a shoe store in Maryland.The young woman who waited on me showed an awful lot of cleavage.In other words her “boobs” were exposed.I can imagine my husband was amused at such a site but I was appalled.So in hopes of helping young people improve their professional imagine I am sharing the following information.
There are three things we do not want to see when you provide services for your organization your boobs, your belly and your butt. These are the three Bs to avoid in workplace dress.For over twenty years I have talked about the prevention of sexual harassment.While the courts have said that provocative dress is not an excuse for sexually harassing someone, when you reveal the three Bs in the work environment, it can create other problems.People may not take you as seriously.People may see you more of a sexual object as opposed to a skillful and knowable employee.
While many employers can no longer tell employees how to dress, I can advise employees about what not to wear.Dress and grooming does matter in the work place.If you want the job, look the part.If you want the promotion, look promotable.If you want respect, dress in a respectful manner.
It is important to look at the effectappearance has on you and others.For more information see Workplace Etiquette, A Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Workplace.
It was twelve years ago when Tom Peters www.tompeters.comwrote his article “The Brand Called You” in the magazine Fast Company www.fastcompany.com.The idea is to differentiate yourself and your services from others.Instead of such terms as employee or manager you must think of terms such as “CEO of Me, Inc”.Everyone brands you - politicians, marketers, your supervisor and coworkers.If you don’t take control of your brand, you could be stuck with how others judge you and not how you want to be judged. Onceyou have identified your brand, you must work on establishing your professional presence and letting people know about you. Through a series of thought provoking exercises, this 90 minute presentation will ask participants to identify how they define themselves, how they want to be perceived by others, and how they will develop their professional presence.Bottom line:What do you want people to think when your name is mentioned?When you walk into a meeting how do you want to be perceived?Are you new?Improved?Fast-acting?What is your brand?
Branding is the first step in developing your professional presence (how you package yourself internally and externally).The main outcome of personal branding should be a clear, deep, and profound understanding of who you are, what you stand for, and what you want to be known for. It is not enough to be known for what you do you must be known for what you do differently and effectively. You do not merely want to be known as another employee in a classification. You want to be known as the best (perhaps the only) solution to improve productivity and solve problems.
There are three areas you can focus on when developing your "Brand Me" strategy:(1) Develop your brand. (2) Package your brand. (3) Communicate your brand.In developing your brandyou need to ask yourself some basic questions. What are your values? What do you love? What do you hate? What are you insanely great at doing? What are you most proud of? What do you want to be? What is important and valuable to you? What do you want to be known for?What is your mission?The concept of branding yourself goes far beyond marketing yourself to others.Once you formulate your brand, it will serve as the basis for everything that connects people to you.Your brand is powerful.
How will you package your brand?Like it or not, people judge people based in part on appearances.Your appearance also takes into account your nonverbal communication. First impressions are very important.Once you have established who you are, what you are about and how you want to be perceived, you must then begin to develop the professional presence that identifies your brand. Professional presence is comprised of all the resources you have to influence others.Your professional presence is the way you present yourself in the workplace:your appearance, your speaking style, and your way of interacting with others.
Next in the equation, people have got to know about you and your great work. They have to see you and meet you. If you want people to talk about the wonderful things you do, then you must give them the opportunity to experience you. This means attending networking meetings (both social and professional) and getting involved in external organizations in your field.You may want to do volunteer work related to your field.When you share what you know, you will reap far more than you sow.
Personal branding may have been a unique idea in the 1997 when Tom Peters first wrote his article but in today’s global economy personal branding is vital. The market place is crowded and the labor market is very competitive. To make your lasting impression and rise above the other “superstars”, you need to have a clear and concise idea what you're all about, what you have to offer and to whom. What
makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd? What do you have that is unique, better, richer, wiser? Dig deep inside yourself and find out. Once you have the message down, create the opportunities to tell others what you're all about and how you can help them.Make your brand known!
Dec 03, 2008 - Don't Drag a Dead Horse! On Letting Go by: Diane
Don't Drag a Dead Horse Across the Desert!!!
In Transitions, Making Sense of Lifefs Changes by William Bridges
, the transitions of life have three distinct stages (Ending, Neutral Zone and Beginnings). Bridges states we have a life time of transitions. However, it is very important to understand that before you can begin a new phase of your life, you must end the old phase. An ending is actually the first phase of the transition process and a precondition of self-renewal. You must end before you can begin. Many times the endings are ones dealing with past experience and thoughts.
Don't let the past control your future. Remember this "Don't drag a dead horse through the desert. The burden will kill you - your spirit." The dead horse represents past experiences - which may incorporate the demons that haunt you - your anger - your fears. The desert is part of your life journey. If you drag your fears, your anger, your negative past experiences through your life journey, it will destroy you.
Now some people when they realize they have a dead horse will:
blame society for the dead horse
form a committee to determine why the horse died
daily curse the dead horse
move the horse to another location in hopes the horse will
revive itself
lie down and die next to the dead horse
get a stronger whip to beat the dead horse
sue the dead horse
drag the dead horsethrough the hot desert
My American Indian friends taught me that you take what you can from the dead horse and move on. You take the hide of the horse to shield you from the heat of the sun during the day and keep you warm from the cold of the desert at night. You can take any sustenance (i.e. heart, liver) from the horse to help nurture you. In other words you take the learnings (what can keep you moving forward) from the dead horse and move on. The horse is dead - the experience is dead - it no longer exists. Every ending is a new beginning.
Oct 24, 2008 - More on Cublicle Etiquette by: Lady Dianne
MORE ON CUBLICLE ETIQUETTE
PHONES
·Try to pick up your phone on the first ring.Set the ringer volume at the lowest level you can hear.
·Never use a speakerphone in your cubicle.If there is someone else who needs to listen in, use a meeting room for conference calls.
·Watch your volume when talking on the phone. A headset can help keep your voice low.It can also free up your hands to work on the computer while you are talking.
·When you leave your cubicle, turn your phone ringer off and let it go to voicemail or forward your phone number to your new location.
·Never leave your cell phone behind in your cube without first turning it off or to vibrate.
·With personal or sensitive calls, be aware that your neighbors can hear your end of the conversation.
·Don’t interrupt people who are taking calls or stand over them.
TALKING
·Use your “library voice”. Talk softly Don’t shout.
·Don’t talk through cube walls or congregate outside someone’s cube. For impromptu meetings, go to a conference room or break room.
·Don’t bring clients to your cube to meet with them. Go to an office or conference room.
·Don’t yell across the “cube farm”. Get up and move to the other person’s location.
GENERAL NOISE
Use email or instant messaging to communicate silently with your coworkers.
Use a headset when using a MP3 player, IPOD, radio, etc.Do not sing or hum along.
Set your PC volume to a low level and turn off screensaver sound effects.
Set cell phones and pagers to vibrate.
Work out an arrangement with your neighbors to take lunch breaks at different times. This will give each of you some quiet time in your cube.
Eat quietly. Avoid gum-popping, smacking your lips, slurping and pen tapping.
Just because you have some visual privacy, don’t assume your annoying habits are a secret, i.e. chewing ice, clipping nails, eating crunchy stuff.
SMELLS
·A good rule of thumb is to never eat hot food or strong-smelling foods at your desk. Food odors can bother your hungry or nauseous neighbors. Remember that other people will have to live with those odors all afternoon.
·Perfume and cologne should be avoided in a cubicle arrangement. Your neighbors may have allergies.
Keep a neutralizing air freshener handy.
Keep your shoes on!
Keep snacking to a minimum at your desk.Choose quiet foods to snack on.
If you are a cube lunch eater, keep in mind that other people are also enjoying your meal with you.
DECORATIONS
Take pride in your work area it is a reflection of you.
Maintain a clean and tidy workspace.
Keep decorations simple and not offensive to others.
Keep plants clean and trimmed.
Do not intrude on your co-worker’s space with your cubicle plants.
Do not clutter your work area with too many pictures, posters, etc.
In conclusion, remember that your cubicle is the property of your organization, not your personal kingdom.You are at work to work.
I am horrified by the stories my clients have confessed to me regarding their employees working in cubicles, like employees cutting their toenails, painting their fingernails, and discussing very intimate personal business on the telephone.
Cubicles are now very common in office settings.Many of us work in office cubicles or other open environments.An employee can spend 40 hours per week in a cubicle. However, studies show that most workers are not thrilled with the idea of working in a cube because of the lack of privacy and the increased noise.
Life in a cube can present challenges. One of the challenges is how coworkers with different personalities and working styles and from different cultures can work successfully in a cubicle environment. Some people are more extraverted and need to talk to others to get their energy.Others are more introverted and prefer to work all day with very little talking. They get their energy from within.
Cubicles offer more of a psychological than a physical barrier between employee workspaces.It is hard to keep noise, smells, and other disturbances from spilling over the partitions.But if people realize that they must minimize their “spill-over,” life in cubicles can be easier and the workplace can be very productive.
In cubicle environments, "common" courtesy is very important.A little bit of politeness goes a long way toward smoothing problems. Everybody should model good behavior and expect it from co-workers.Supervisors can play an important role in setting the tone, creating policies for healthy office culture, and, when necessary, negotiating conflicts between employees.
Here are some ways that you can exercise proper cubicle etiquette and make your work environment more conducive to getting work done.
PRIVACY
Conceptualize invisible walls and doors.Do not talk or holler over the top of your cubicle.
Never enter someone’s cubicle without permission. Do not barge in and begin talking. Behave as though cubicles have doors. Do not enter before you have eye contact “permission” from the occupant.
Try not to sneak up behind someone in a cube. Announce yourself at their doorway or lightly knock on the wall.
Post a sign or flag at your cube entrance to signal when you can be interrupted. Avoid making eye contact with people if you don’t want to be interrupted.
Don’t “prairie-dog” over the tops of cubes or peek in as you walk past each one.Keep your eyes straight ahead.
Don’t loiter outside someone’s cube while you wait for him or her to finish a phone call. Come back at another time.
Never read someone’s computer screen or comment on conversations you’ve overheard. Resist answering a question you overheard asked in the cube next to you!
Keep your hands off a cube dweller’s desk. Just because there’s no door doesn’t mean you can help yourself to their paper clips.
Kick others out gracefully.Let others know you have work to finish.
Respect quiet think before interrupting someone who appears to be deep in thought
Don’t discuss confidential and personal information in your cubicle.General Rule:Would you want this information on the internet or the PM news?If not, don’t discuss it in your cubicle; find a more private space instead.
If you are having a break or lunch with someone else, do so in the break room, not in your cubicle.
Do your grooming in the rest room, i.e. do not trim your eyebrows, beard, nails or floss your teeth in your cube
In Blog #5 Lady Dianne will share some more tips on Cubicle Etiquette.Stay tuned.
Oct 07, 2008 - Independent Followership by: Lady Dianne
Independent Followership
Today I would like to address the concept of leadership.A week ago I had the honor, as a faculty member, of closing out a leadership development program for Federal employees, grades 7 thru 11.The New Leader Program (NLP) is one of many developmental programs offered by the GraduateSchool, USDA (http://www.grad.usda.gov).Six months ago when the program began the participants then were fearful, untrusting and lacking in self-confidence.Some even thought about dropping out of the program.After six months I witnessed a total change.Through successfully meeting a series of program requirements (i.e. book reports, shadow assignments, impact papers, 30 day details) the participants realized how good they are.They empowered themselves.
While they learned a lot about leadership, they also learned what it meant to be an independent follower.One cannot be a leader all the time and one cannot be a follower all the time.The participants learned what successful leadership is and what it takes to be a leader.But they also know what it takes to be a successful follower.An independent follower is someone who has the skills to be a good team member and contribute to their full potential.An independent follower is not a yes man or a yes woman, but someone who can share opinions and ideas in a constructive way, even when it means respectfully disagreeing with a team leader, supervisor or manager.
For the U.S. government to successfully carry out the mandates and laws of the country, there has to be an intelligent and loyal group of employees who understand the missions of their organizations.Programs such as the NLP give Federal employees the opportunity to develop into the independent followers needed to carry out these missions.
Sep 15, 2008 - A change is going to come! by: Diane
The Upcoming Presidential Election
Since everyone has an opinion about the up-coming presidential election, I thought I would throw in my two-cents from my professional perspective.After many years of giving diversity awareness workshops to thousands of people in the workplace, I found myself looking at the current events from the perspectives of generational diversity.Who are the voters?As many of you know there are four generations in the workplace so that means there are four generations eligible to vote in this election.Based on the demographics, change is going to come regardless of who wins.
I identify each generation as follows:
The Radio Babies better known as traditionalists
The TV Babies better known as the Baby Boomers
The Computer Babies better known as Generation X
The World Wide Web Babies better known as Generation Y
Remember each generation sees life differently.Of course, each has a different set of experiences which impacted their values, thinking and behaviors. Now Senator McCain (age 72) is a cusper (people who share the characteristics of two generations and can relate to both).He can relate to Radio Babies and TV Babies and has a broad appeal to those generations.He was a part of experiences such as Kennedy, Vietnam, civil rights, assassinations, women’s rights, and he can also relate to the experiences of WWII, depression, FDR, Truman, etc.
Senator Obama is a Computer Baby (age 47) and has a broad appeal to the Computer and World Wide Web Babies as well as some TV Babies.(TV Babies are all over the place!)He is connected electronically with the World Wide Web Babies.This generation can identify with him.He is the first post-boomer politician to run for president of the U.S.
The demographics indicate that the Radio Babies are living longer but are starting to die out.(However, John McCain’s mother is a healthy 96 years old.)The TV Babies, a much larger population, are maturing and will eventually start dwindling in numbers.The much smaller population of Computer Babies are now raising their children.The World Wide Web Babies are coming of age.This group is about as big as the TV Babies.
It is just a matter of time.Change is going to come.Will the World Wide Web Babies vote?Will this generation make their impact similar to that of the TV Babies?
Today and every Friday, I will be commenting in my blog about my personal and professional reflections on subjects relating to the workplace. I will be making observations regarding behaviors and attitudes in the workplace. Readers are asked to submit questions and comments.
SHOUT OUTS!
1. Congratulations Training Officers Consortium for 70 years of services to the Federal Training community, go to www.trainingofficers.org
Background: The Training officers Consortium (TOC) was founded in 1938 and is one of the oldest professional organizations actively involved with the improvement of training functions and Human Resource Development (HRD) within the Federal government. TOC provides services and networking opportunities to not only the Federal training community of the metropolitan Washington, DC area, but also to state, local and academic communities. TOC creates an environment for exchange and development of ideas by sponsoring activities such as the Professional Development Series Program, Annual Institute, Annual Awards Program and the TOC News.
2. Kudos go to Salsa Express for quality customer service, go to www.salsaexpress.com
Background: My son sent me a large gift box of hot salsa and condiment products from Salsa Express (fine gourmet and fiery foods). Since I am unable to eat spicy/hot foods, I contacted Salsa Express to see if I could exchange the products. Salsa Express told me I could not return the products but that I should keep them and give them as gifts to others. They asked me to pick out other products I could use and they sent them to me promptly and at their expense. They kept me informed throughout the process. Now that is quality service. Why? While my customer request was not anticipated, the organization made it a win-win situation for me. I now have become a new and loyal customer. Quality customer service means going beyond the expected, it means
·
Showing the customer respect and understanding
·
Making adjustments when necessary
·
Providing a win solution for the customer
Your Questions!
Today, I will start with a situation posed to me in my Workplace Etiquette class this week.
Question: What do I do about the guy who likes to touch and rubs my shoulders when I am sitting at the computer? I don’t like it but I am not sure what to do.
Possible Answers: You could:
a. Turn around and punch him out. I do not find this option expectable. While this would stop him, it might get you arrested and sued.
b. Tell him not to touch your unless he means it and wink.
c. Let him know that you are uncomfortable with his touch and you do not want him to touch you. (If he continues, tell him you will have to report him.)
I would advocate c. What do you think?
Keep in mind that no one has the right to touch you without your consent. This behavior could be construed as sexual harassment
Dianne Floyd Sutton is President of Sutton Enterprises, author, trainer, educator, facilitator, expert witness, coach and actor. She has twenty-five years of combined experience in Human Resource Development (HRD) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) training. And she has twenty years of business experience as Sutton Enterprises.
Just S.M.I.L.E
