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Articles from Jane Cranston | Selfgrowth.com
- The 3Cs of Communication: Clear, Concise, and Correct - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2010 from Jane CranstonBob Sheppard, the announcer for the New York Yankees, for more than almost six decades, applied three simple principles to his extraordinary delivery. Surely his beautiful baritone made him highly listenable and memorable; however, it was his discipline that made him a lifetime member of the ...
Views: 8690(4 votes) - Extroverts in the Workplace - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2011 from Jane CranstonIn contemporary psychological terms, “extrovert” is used to describe a individuals whose temperament type or preference directs and receives their energy from external sources. In the practical sense, they are action people who plug into others for their juice. They’re not generally drawn to ...
Views: 7320(1 vote) - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats--SWOT - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2010 from Jane CranstonHow do you predict the outcome of a behavior, project, or idea? A few days ago, an executive career-coaching client came to a session with an interesting PowerPoint presentation. It was a proposal to a potential employer. My client hoped the company would gain a better appreciation of his ...
Views: 6354(3 votes) - Love My Work Hate My Job - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2010 from Jane Cranston“Love my work, hate my job” is the lament of too many people. Since layoffs appear to have reduced in numbers and the workplace seems to be settling into the new normal, people have the luxury of contemplating whether they're happy in the workplace. Being out of work, or even the threat of ...
Views: 5820 - Why am I Talking? Saying too Much at Work - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2010 from Jane CranstonI learned the W-A-I-T acronym in my graduate school training. I’ve always posted a small note on my wall, out of the client’s view, as a reminder. The letters stand for “Why Am I Talking?” Why do people talk too much in business situations? They’re anxious. Maybe the gathering is about a ...
Views: 5688(1 vote) - Introverts in the Workplace: How They Operate; How They Succeed - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2011 from Jane CranstonIn modern behavioral terms, “introvert” is used to describe individuals who are most comfortable in the inner life of the mind, come across as more reserved, and are less likely to seek numerous or large interactions. They represent approximately half of the population. In the workplace their ...
Views: 3441(2 votes) - Watch, Wait, and Imitate: What I Learned from a Person with Asperger’s - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2011 from Jane CranstonDiseases, disorders, and conditions seem to go in and out of public favor. Not so long ago everyone seemed to have dyslexia, and then it was ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder). Charlie Sheehan put mania back on the radar. With the widespread success of the movie “Social Media,” ...
Views: 2721 - Must I Leave My Company to Advance My Career? - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2010 from Jane CranstonToo quickly, and too often the answer given to this question is “yes.” “Of course you have to move to get to the next level, make more money.” “Everyone knows home-growns are paid less.” True? Not necessarily, according to Monika Hamori, professor of Human Resource Management at the IE Business ...
Views: 2718 - Passed Over For A Job Promotion - 4 Career Management Steps Before You Quit Or Stay At A Job - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2010 from Jane CranstonYou just heard the news - you were passed over for the big promotion. Now what should you do? Here are some simple steps that might ease the frustration, give you some insight and help you plan your next career move. Step 1 – Take a deep breath, assess the situation and ask yourself ...
Views: 2658 - Difficult Conversations – 3 Essential Steps to a Positive Outcome - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2013 from Jane CranstonNo one likes having the difficult conversation whether it is in his or her personal life or at work. Unfortunately they often are essential. What makes the interaction scary is the unpredictability of the response and reaction of the receiver as well as your issues about the topic at ...
Views: 2655 - Taking a Part-Time Vacation - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2010 from Jane CranstonAre you envious of people who can go on vacation and not give work, home, or other obligations a thought? I use to be but then decided it really wasn’t the right mindset for me. As many of you know, I am an advocate of “the blended life” (to read more take a look at my past article on the ...
Views: 2466 - Leadership Lessons Learned from My Father - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2011 from Jane CranstonNo matter how much individuals like their jobs, they’re entitled to be paid. Years ago the company my father was an executive with was purchased in a hostile takeover. The new owners were unable to deliver the paychecks on payday. Their response was, “They’ll just have to wait ‘til Monday.” “My ...
Views: 2423(2 votes) - Civility in the Workplace -- Four Ways to Achieve It - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2011 from Jane CranstonThe word civility is surely not new to the language, yet it is not a term you hear spoken every day. It took a “shellacking,” a tea party, and a deadly shooting for a few people to step back and ask “is this really the way ‘we’ want to treat one another?” Of course, most of us, myself included, ...
Views: 2340 - Curb Anxiety -- How to Keep Calm and Carry On - by Submitted on Dec 03, 2010 from Jane CranstonThe tone and stiff upper lip image the phrase “Keep Calm and Carry On” portrays tells a lot about its origins. It’s 1939 and Hitler’s forces are bombing England day and night. The government prints motivational posters telling the people “Keep Calm and Carry On.” And they did. Fast forward ...
Views: 2219(2 votes) - How to Get the Offer - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2012 from Jane CranstonI see it over and over again, a client goes on an interview, makes it past HR (in my book the highest hurdle), is sent up to meet the department head, onto the hiring manager with a stop by the top person, and then no offer. What happened? Ruling out the circumstances beyond your control, ...
Views: 2215 - Three Essential Qualities of a Great Supervisor - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2012 from Jane CranstonWe’ve all had our share of poor or mediocre bosses, but what qualities do most great supervisors seem to have? I would argue three of the essentials are transparency, flexibility, and leadership. Here’s what they look like in action. Transparency: A tremendous amount of workplace time is ...
Views: 2154 - Gratitude is Good for Your Health - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2012 from Jane CranstonI’ve never understood why it is so difficult for some people to say “thank you.” It begs the question, “Are we really grateful?” and, “For what and whom?” And most important, “Can we admit it to ourselves and share it with others?” Recent research by Micheal E McCullough, a professor at the ...
Views: 2140 - No Off-Season in the Workplace - by Submitted on Sep 26, 2013 from Jane CranstonI was walking in the Times Square area the other day when I spotted a person wearing a very graphic tee shirt. It read, “No such thing as off-season.” While I'm sure he was thinking NFL, NBA, or MLB, my wheels turned toward the workplace. I can't tell you how many times people have told me, ...
Views: 2000(1 vote) - Articulate Your Workplace Brand - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2014 from Jane CranstonOver this past weekend, I had my annual “lunch on the lawn” party, big long tables in the garden laden with fresh food from the local farms and the ocean. It is an event people look forward to, so no one ever turns down the invitation. Note to readers — invite people to lunch on weekends. They ...
Views: 1999 - Quick to Say “No”? - by Submitted on Apr 24, 2013 from Jane CranstonI’m standing on line at the supermarket behind a mother and her five year old son. Bored, tired, and cranky, the child wants out, as does the mother. The boy starts asking questions and for things. “No!” says the mother. “No” is the answer so many time that she is ahead of her son’s requests. ...
Views: 1974(1 vote) - Become More Creative By Remembering Less - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2012 from Jane CranstonMy first kindergarten assignment was to go home and find out the family home phone number. The next day we practiced memorizing those digits. As I recall the teacher helped us put the number sequence to some kind of rhythm not dissimilar to those 800 ads that help you remember where to buy a ...
Views: 1933 - Creating Awe-inspiring Presentations like Steve Jobs - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2011 from Jane CranstonWe all have attended presentations. I’m sure you will agree most were terrible – boring, redundant, and/or visually offensive. I am guilty of giving a few myself. You too? To improve my knowledge base and skills, I started studying the product launches of Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, Inc. I then ...
Views: 1926(1 vote) - Your Future-Focused Resume - by Submitted on Jan 31, 2013 from Jane CranstonAs most of you know, I’m a strong advocate of everyone having an updated resume and bio. It prevents you from being placed in the embarrassing situation of being asked to “shoot me over your current resume” and having to say you don’t have one or lying and scrambling to create something. The ...
Views: 1896 - Are You the Boss to Work For? - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2013 from Jane CranstonFirst let me correct my title — I would prefer the phrasing, “Are you the boss people want to work with?” because “with” sends a message of partnership and collaboration rather the servitude. Let’s hope we’re past the later. I’ve spent most of my career(s), be it in a corporate environment, ...
Views: 1854(1 vote) - Do Women Lack Ambition? - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2011 from Jane CranstonHave you recently observed the steam coming out of the ears of a few women over forty? Not sure what’s up and what started it all? Let me clue you in. It’s a reaction to a just published McKinsey & Company report in conjunction (some would say cahoots) with The Wall Street Journal. In the spirit ...
Views: 1849 - Responding is Key to Your Success - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2012 from Jane CranstonIt shouldn't surprise me anymore, but it does. When a potential coaching client contacts me, I often ask two questions, "How did you find me?" and "What made you interested?" Ninety percent of the time, the answer to the first question is "I Googled 'career coach.'" No surprise, I work hard to ...
Views: 1809(2 votes) - Other Ways to Communicate Besides E-Mail - by Submitted on Dec 31, 2011 from Jane CranstonHas someone IM’d you recently? I don’t mean someone down the street or in another region, I’m talking about the person sitting next to you. Is every “conversation” you have with your boss on e-mail? Gotten a text condolence note lately? (I did, no kidding, can’t say it was very consoling.) Have ...
Views: 1797(2 votes) - Is Your Best Employee About to Quit? - by Submitted on Mar 31, 2013 from Jane CranstonThe job market in many parts of the United States and the world is shifting for the better. I have a number of clients and colleagues who are voluntarily choosing to make a move, often for more money and a better title. It should put all of us who work with and for others on constant ...
Views: 1780(1 vote) - Humanizing Your Work Place - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2011 from Jane CranstonThe statistics speak. Most people spend more time at work than in any other activity; more than hours with their family, eating, sleeping, or interacting with friends. That said, wouldn’t it seem logical that we would spend an hour and some effort making our workspace as conducive to the job at ...
Views: 1759(1 vote) - Learn from Success not Failure - by Submitted on Jun 26, 2013 from Jane CranstonYou’ve heard people say again and again, “I learned more from my mistakes than my successes.” My reply is “I doubt it.” They’ll spend hours, days, and endless energy trying to correct (or worse defend) a mistake by analyzing and dissecting in post mortem, generally producing a patched up ...
Views: 1758(2 votes) - Branding Yourself in the Workplace - by Submitted on Apr 29, 2011 from Jane CranstonExecutive coaching clients wanting to enhance their role and impact in their current workplace continuously ask me, “How do I get greater recognition?” “Make sure my boss doesn’t get all of the credit?” “What’s the best way to be found by potential employers and thought leaders in my field?” My ...
Views: 1747 - What to Do When an Employee Says, "I Quit!" - by Submitted on Mar 31, 2013 from Jane CranstonTurnover, voluntary or forced, is part of the workplace cycle. As in nature, some changes take place a leaf at a time while in other instances a hurricane performs the serious pruning. This article addresses some things you should consider when an employee enters your office and says, “I ...
Views: 1747 - What Do Employees Want? - by Submitted on Jan 31, 2013 from Jane CranstonI came upon a survey by Universum, a global employer branding company. They asked more than 65,000 college students to list what they considered to be the top 250 employers. No surprise Google ranked #1. Consulting companies such as McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting were high on the list as ...
Views: 1729 - First Step to Changing Behavior - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2012 from Jane CranstonI recently had the opportunity to invite a friend and her grandchildren to a local fair. I’ve been going to the event for years and like the predictability and tradition; plus it supports a good cause. The carousel is always in front of the big house, the face painting under the elms, and you ...
Views: 1715 - Getting a Raise in a No Increase Environment - by Submitted on Dec 31, 2011 from Jane CranstonMoney is tight everywhere. Even people doing well are feeling the impact of local, national, and global slowdowns in the economy. That said, it doesn’t necessarily mean no one is getting merit increases, promotions, and salary adjustments. Whether you work for a company that has a very ...
Views: 1699 - Advance Your Career -- Get Out of Your Comfort Zone - by Submitted on Jun 29, 2011 from Jane Cranstons I see it, there are really three places you can exist in your career--Comfort, Growth, or Fear zones. Let’s assess where you are. Think of a work issue, your current status, or even take a bird’s eye view of the recent past. Ask yourself “Where am I?” “Am I operating mostly in my comfort ...
Views: 1682 - Time vs. Things. What Makes You Happier? - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2010 from Jane CranstonIn the Business section of the New York Times (August 8, 2010 ), the author, Stephanie Rosenbloom, wrote about people who had successfully downsized their lives, sometimes to a level many of us would deem extreme, particularly when it came to possessions. Whether by choice or circumstances, such ...
Views: 1656(2 votes) - Tips to Being a Better Boss - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2013 from Jane CranstonNo matter what type of workplace you choose to operate in, you undoubtedly have to manage people. They might be direct reports, clients or customers, interns, freelancers, vendors, colleagues, and of course the often most challenging of all, your boss or business partner. Here are a few tips on ...
Views: 1644(2 votes) - Executive Coaching -- What it is and Isn’t - by Submitted on Dec 03, 2010 from Jane CranstonOne of things I love about being a coach is the variety of people and situations that come to my office or call on the phone. In no particular order here are some of the presenting challenges brought to coaching sessions. You will note—I fired no one. A client comes to executive coaching ...
Views: 1639(1 vote) - Have you put in your 10,000 hours? - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2010 from Jane CranstonMalcolm Gladwell made a name for himself by writing three bestselling books “Blink,” “The Tipping Point,” and now “Outliers.” His latest is currently number 5 on the bestseller list. The word outlier refers to “a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from others of the ...
Views: 1637 - Raise the Bar -- Focus on Successes - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2012 from Jane CranstonThe story tells of an interaction between a parent and his high school-age child. The adolescent presents with a report card of four As and one D-. Because of our prejudices and experiences, we the reader are inclined to think the parent is going to either lecture or at least focus on the low ...
Views: 1629(1 vote) - Encouraging and Making Progress - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2011 from Jane CranstonDo you have days when you feel like you’re getting nowhere or sense a project will never end? Worked on initiatives where you were only part of the solution and would never see the finished product? Wonder what happened to that suggestion that received such a positive reception and now seems to ...
Views: 1612(2 votes) - Building Trust at Work - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2011 from Jane CranstonI had a boss, I’ll call him, Ted. Ted was very political and used his high emotional intelligence to play all sides of every issue just to make sure he was always covered. I heard him lie by fact and omission. So clever was the man that when opinions were asked, he was able to shift positions ...
Views: 1607(1 vote) - What Top Employees Complain About - by Submitted on Aug 28, 2013 from Jane CranstonI am fortunate to work as an executive coach with people at many levels, in different stages of their careers, and in a variety of industries. Even though there is significant variety and diversity in my client base, I am often struck how similar their thought processes and experiences are. This ...
Views: 1606(2 votes) - Commitment to Diversity in the Workplace - by Submitted on Jun 26, 2013 from Jane CranstonOver past decades the issue of diversity has taken a very visible place in the growth and structuring of the workplace population. Whether it was caused by mandates or natural shifts in population, the job sites look quite different. The challenge, as I see it, is not only to continue to push ...
Views: 1604(3 votes) - Hire for Skill, Retain for Results, Fire for Chemistry - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2011 from Jane CranstonWhen working with managers and executives in a coaching relationship, I’m often struck as to how naïve some are to the realities of the day-to-day operating on the job and the politics of the workplace. All too often people tell me how many hours they work and about all the effort they ...
Views: 1601(1 vote) - Too Tough on Yourself and What to Do About It - by Submitted on Oct 31, 2012 from Jane CranstonA behavior common among very successful people is setting high standards for themselves as well as others. Whether the actions are going to be seen by friends or colleagues, or done strictly in private, doesn’t seem to matter, high achievers place the bar at the top rung for almost anything and ...
Views: 1581(2 votes) - Are You Bold Enough? - by Submitted on Sep 26, 2013 from Jane CranstonRecently, my assistant, Naomi, shared a TED lecture with me. The speaker told an incredible story of a childhood riddled with extreme poverty, homelessness that was saved by love and encouragement. He spoke of taking bold moves to create an adult life of true abundance, contribution, and ...
Views: 1574 - Who’s Stealing My Energy? - by Submitted on May 31, 2013 from Jane CranstonThe April 2013 issue of Inc. features Tim Ferriss, the author who brought us “The 4-Hour Workweek” and other productivity books, blogs, and seminars. Ferriss’ 80/20 rule says that “eighty percent of one’s productivity comes from 20% of one’s efforts and likewise 80% of your wasted time comes ...
Views: 1568 - Getting Great Employees for Less Money - by Submitted on Dec 31, 2011 from Jane CranstonIt’s just a fact of work life -- not everyone has the same amount of dollars to invest in opportunities or challenges. In today’s economic environment the numbers with less is accelerating and even those with resources appear to be hesitant to spend. This is true especially when it comes to the ...
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