Hello again , I hope you are well? I'm getting in touch from time to time as often as our family illness allows, and so
here I am again. You are still welcome to contact me with thoughts and queries,
and I'll answer as soon as I'm able. I'm continuing to take a limited number of individual clients, so don't hesitate to get in touch if this is something you are thinking about.
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If you've been following me on Twitter you will know that I regularly send out a thought or a question for you to ponder. (If you haven't you can do so below!). One of these was ' What do you want to have happen?' This seemingly innocuous little question hides
a lot of complexity. I've noticed that many people, especially women, don't actually know what they want as they are so bound up in looking after and helping other people. Often they don't even know that you CAN want something, that it is OK to long for and to express your own purpose. Another one that I particularly like is
from Star Wars (personally I'm more of a Trekkie, but this is a good saying!). Yoda, when training Luke Skywalker, says to him, 'Do, or do not, there is no try.' How often do we say, 'Well, I'll try....' and actually this is full of doubt and gives permission to fail whilst claiming the credit of attempting the task. Obviously we don't get everything right first time but if we let this little word loose inside our heads we might as well tie our shoelaces
together! One more tiny little word that can change everything is BUT. It has the effect of negating what comes before. So if you say, 'I really want to run my own business and work for myself BUT I don't know how to do it/I might go bust/ nobody will buy/it costs a lot of money', and so forth then you are hampering yourself
before you start. Why not undertake a little experiment - whenever you nearly say BUT, say AND instead. See what a difference it makes.
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Are you preparing for a new job? How to wow the interview
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Everyone I know seems to be getting a new job these days, and the interview can feel a bit scary. So here are a few points to ponder - and share with others who might find it helpful... You've got the interview. Great. Now what? How can you ensure that you do your best when you get there and that you use it for what's it's supposed to achieve? What do I mean, what it's supposed to achieve? Well, a lot of people will think that an interview is just about getting a job. Well, yes, to some extent, obviously it is. But it's more than that. It's making sure that you get the right job and that the employer gets the right person for the role they want to fill. So here's a few tips for what you can do to get to that happy state; - Congratulate yourself. If you have got as far as an interview then this means that the appointing team already think you have probably got what it takes. They will have gone through the specifications for the role, and decided that
you meet at least most of it.
- Remember that this is a two way street. It's easy to feel nervous and to think that you are on show, and you are going to be grilled - but actually you are also interviewing them. You want to find out if this is a place you
want to work. Will they offer you what you want and need, so that you can perform at your best? Is this a trustworthy organisation to work for? They might be nervous too - maybe this is the first time they have interviewed or chaired.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. Make sure you are familiar with the job description and person specification and be ready to give at
least one concrete example of how you meet it. The more specific the better. What exactly did you do, when, who with, what was the outcome, who can prove it? - Know your bottom line - and I'm not talking about your skirt hem. What
is absolutely essential, for you to accept the post if offered? What are the deal breakers for you? What can you not put up with, as opposed to what you can cope with for now and maybe change later on? Be prepared not to accept the post!
- Be
presentable - in the absence of any dress code, usually a plain business suit is fine. Polish your shoes - unfashionable these days but basic grooming really shows. Your first impression will count, so make it smart and neat, with the minimum of baggage. Don't do what one interviewee of mine once horribly did - call in on your way back from the shops with all your carrier bags!!
- Make sure you know where the interview will take place and how you're going to get there. You want to arrive about 20 mins before so that you can compose yourself but not have so long to wait that you get overly nervous. Consider staying overnight if your route is more like a stationary car park at rush hour. This could be money well
spent if you get the job you want. Do what it takes to be nice and relaxed beforehand.
- Be honest about any gaps in your CV, whatever the cause. Even if you did walk out of your last job, you can say why in a way that makes it clear that you have principles and are prepared to stand by them.
- Have a notebook and working pen handy with a few questions - you will almost certainly be given the chance to ask them. And if you're not - is this someone you really want to work for?
- Act confident but not cocky, however you feel. Dress up and show up! Take a deep breath and steady yourself. Remember - they wanted to see you.
- When you get into the interview room, smile, make eye contact with each panel member, sit
in a composed and comfortable posture and remember - you are also interviewing them!
Good luck - next time I'll have some tips for when you've actually got the job!
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Other things I'm still doing...
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- As ever, the wonderful Harrison Assessments, which I described in one of my previous issues. The assessment consists of a short 'smart' questionnaire which indicates your traits, such as Optimistic, Authoritative, Influencing, and about 170 others. It's
also brilliant for everything HR that you can think of, plus individual career guidance and planning. Coaching is then based on this information. I'm bringing in Harrison Assessments to most of my coaching, which you'll soon see in my Shop. With my international partners in Paris, San Francisco and Perth, I can now offer this at a considerably reduced price - contact me for more details.
- I have several downloadable exercises and worksheets on my website here, to give you a taste of what you might get when you work with me. Everything else is in the Coaching Shop. Enjoy!
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That's it
for today, - stay well, keep safe, and I'll be in touch again when it's possible. Thanks for your understanding, All best wishes, Barbara P.S. if you like this update and you got it elsewhere, you can get your own personal regular copy by subscribing safely here. Please feel free to share, just keep the attribution to me. You get a short free email course on sign up about well being, effectiveness and resilience. NB The information contained above is provided for information purposes
only. The contents of this email are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this email. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this email. Barbara Bates disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this email. |
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