Laura Rose, author of the business and time management book: TimePeace: Making Peace with Time, the Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations and Business Marketing for Entrepreneurs is a certified business and efficiency coach.
Laura Lee Rose has been in the software and testing industry for over 20 years. She’s worked with such companies as IBM, Ericsson, Staples, Fidelity Investments and Sogeti in various client advocacy and project management roles. The techniques she used in her business coaching and client advocacy work saved these companies both time and money, which resulted in on-time, quality product delivery with higher client satisfaction.
Even though Laura excelled in the corporate environment, she felt a calling toward something more. Laura now uses her time management, work life balance and personal development skills as a efficiency coach and Corporate Exit Strategist. Laura Lee Rose helps people blend their goals and dreams into their everyday lives. Laura uses creative transition strategies to help her clients realize what really matters to them. Combining inspired action with practical, tangible techniques easily lead you toward more autonomy, freedom and balance.
If you are ready for your next chapter, learn more about Laura and her products at www.LauraLeeRose.com
In these uncertain times, it is important to continually set yourself apart from the crowd. One way to receive the right attention is with a well-designed personal or resume website. It’s hard to write a resume. Bullet points and black and white text don’t always show what you can do, or help you stand out. Fortunately there’s a better way for job seekers to put their resumes online and find a job, and that’s building your own resume website
Why build a resume website?
Here are some reasons why a resume or personal website can help with your job search:
Control your online presence. If a hiring manager Googles your name, your personal resume website can be the first result that appears
Shows off your personality. Employers want to know about your job experience, but they also want to know what it’s like to work with you. That’s easier to convey with a dynamic website than a piece of paper
Makes you more find-able. Let’s say hiring managers don’t know your name, but they know the skills they want. Building a resume website with specific, well-written content will help you appear in their search results for the kinds of jobs you’re looking for.
Shows that you are web-savvy. For many kinds of jobs, it’s important to demonstrate that you are tech literate and familiar with current web trends.
Only about 7% of job seekers have personal websites, so a resume website of your own will help separate you from the pack.
Let me know if you need help designing your personal or resume website.
Because so many people find themselves without jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to extend a special offer.
Normally I charge $150 an hour for my career coaching sessions. But for a limited time, you can receive 90 minutes of Rose Resume Coaching for just $75.
This includes unlimited email advice between each session.
We will cover various types of resume and select the right combination for your goals:
Reverse Chronological Resume
Functional Resume
Video Resume
Info-graphic Resume
Personal Resume Website
We will also cover all the needed supporting documents and assets:
Cover Letter Template
30-second Elevator Pitch
What I Do Statement
LinkedIn Profile Audit and Recommendations
Business Cards with contact information
1 – Mock Interview Practice Session
Email Laura@LauraLeeRose.com with the Subject Headline: Resume Offer
All three sessions are required to be scheduled and executed with a 1-month time frame, for the discount to be valid.
There are several different definitions of a “project completion”.
Agreeing on definitions
There are several project managements terms that you need to clarify and define before a project starts. Some of those terms are:
Schedule
Staff and roles
Quality level
Management/Decision hierarchy
Success Criteria
Milestones
Done – Complete
Triage terms (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
Priorities
Recovery Protocols
Because there are many different departments and agendas involved in any one project, each department or organization/team needs to agree to the terms that they are going to use (and abide by) throughout their phase of the project.
Agreement on “Project Completion” meaning
Before beginning the project, you will need to clarify and define what “project completion” means to this particular team or organization.
Does it mean:
When the project is initially released to GA (general availability)?
When the project defect/support calls flatten out to single digits a month?
When the project has had it’s final Lessons Learned/ Post-Mortem?
When the project received it’s first bonafide sale/client?
When the development work of the project is completed – but deployment is stalled due to funding, availability, etc?
When the development staff are completed and move onto another project?
Or When the product has hit their “success criteria” – which is also defined at the start of the project.
Any definition is totally acceptable, as long as it’s clarified and agreed to by all involved (including internal and external stakeholders).
Life-Span of a Project
Most projects and products have a life-span that far exceeds the development portion or phase.
Projects go through many stages:
Inception
Planning
Execution
Testing
Monitoring/Control
Maintenance, Fixes, Support (often times cyclical until project’s end-of-life)
Project end-of-life
You should be announcing and reporting each phase, milestone and status on the project until the project’s life-cycle has ended.
Each organization/team needs to define what their “project complete” means as well as their “success criteria” for their individual completion. It is normal for each organization to have a different definition. Development and Test departments will have a different definition than that of the Deployment, Support, Sales, Marketing, etc.
Setting Success Criteria
The success criteria often include number of features released, and number of known defects (triaged into High, Medium, and Low impact). These defects are collected from in-house testing, external Alpha and Beta testing, as well as initial GA releases. Most organizations track/triage the number of incoming defects/complaints to continually schedule maintenance revisions with the goal to get 0 HIGHs reported in a certain time period (as well as low/single digit medium calls).
There will also support and maintenance on a project, long after delivery. This often includes additional releases and bug fixes.
In this way, a project never completes – it just becomes obsolete.
If you need want to discuss in more detail, please setup a one-on-one consult session.
To participate in a confidential One-on-One Laser Coaching Session with Coach Laura, just email Laura@LauraLeeRose.com. Each session will include 20 minutes of Laser Coaching with time afterward for a few questions. Take advantage of this opportunity to experience coaching. Sign up now and come ready to chat. One-on-One Laser Coaching Signup
Recently I have been getting several calls around the fear of getting hired post-COVID. Many have asked me how can they compete with the number of “now” unemployed?
COVID Effects on Jobs and Finances
Since the lock-down has temporarily closed most businesses, and many people are unemployed, the COVID-19 virus is not only a health crisis, but one of Finances. Many businesses are in jeopardy of permanent closure and bankruptcy. Even if the businesses do re-open, it is uncertain that everyone will get their original full-time jobs back.
Then there is the added new-graduates onto the job scene. They will be vying for the same positions that were lost during the mandated business shutdown.
Therefore, this has become a real fear on many fronts.
Career options that are always in demand
Below is a chart from the U.S. Bureau of Labor charted the careers that are always in demand. Even though they will always be demand, they will also continue to evolve.
For instance, many of the medical services and physical therapy have moved from just phone consultations, to full appointments by phone or video sessions. Personal Financial Managers are now done fully remotely.
Software Developers – although always in demand – need to make sure they skills are relevant and viable. Software languages become obsolete as quickly as new languages and technologies come online. The world is moving toward virtual and augmented reality environments. Therefore, your IT skills must keep up.
Things to consider in any field
Not everyone is suited for the above industries, but everyone can do something to make themselves more relevant and valuable in today’s market place.
Consider the following:
Continue to stay updated on virtual and augmented reality technology like Zoom, Webex, remote management of distributed and global work environments.
Study tools and methods to lead and manage distributed and global work environments.
Consider contract (part-time) positions in Finance Management and HR. Most companies have lost a great deal of revenue. Several are on the verge of bankruptcy. Once COVID-19 is over, they still may not be able to hire full-time staff right away.
Since many companies may be streamlining to cut costs and overhead, they may not want a “full-time” HR or Finance Manager at this time. Consider offering your services on a part-time bases for 2-3 companies as an intermediary option.
Once a company that you are currently working part-time, can recover from their losses – they will be able to increase you to full-time.
Many companies may choose to release their conventional office space – reducing their operational overhead. Therefore, many organizations will continue to work remote and distributed teams. Highlighting leadership in remote and distributed teams would be advised.
Few Part-Time versus One Full-Time
People with full-time employment either had their hours cut or were put on leave during the COVID shut-down. Other’s with a few part-time jobs or were already working remotely, had less of an impact. As businesses come back on-line, they may not be able to hire everyone back full-time. They be waiting to see how long it will take them to recover their loss of revenue before hiring staff back full-time.
Therefore, many people may have decided to take more control over their fates by either starting a part-time side-business to supplement this loss of income — or go into business themselves, full-time.
Be open to part-time work at several small businesses. Post-COVID, businesses may be slow to open full-time. They may not need full-time assistance with accounting, bookkeeping, HR, marketing, project management, testing, etc. But they many need someone a few hours a week. You get your foot in the door by working for a few companies at part-time capacity. Once they are able to, the company can eventually increase your hours to full-time.
Be open to doing different things at the different companies. For instance, I handle Brand Monitoring and Market Research for one company. Digital Marketing and Social Media marketing for another company. I provide content for another company, and project management for another company.
You may find that you enjoy working for a few companies versus just one. It’s one way to do everything you enjoy doing. At the very least, it opens additional opportunities that you didn’t have before.
If you need want to discuss in more detail, please setup a one-on-one consult session.
To participate in a confidential One-on-One Laser Coaching Session with Coach Laura, just email Laura@LauraLeeRose.com. Each session will include 20 minutes of Laser Coaching with time afterward for a few questions. Take advantage of this opportunity to experience coaching. Sign up now and come ready to chat. One-on-One Laser Coaching Signup
Would you take a pay cut to leave a toxic workplace?
I am assuming that, by your question, you already have another offer from a company. Therefore, you have already made the decision to leave your current position and company. So, the question merely revolves around pay.
Focus on the real question
What you are really asking is: “should I stay in my current position until I receive another job offer that better meets my salary requirements”.
That is tricky. Unless you have worked at this new place before (or with someone that is currently there), you have no guarantee that this new place is less toxic. You risk switching from one toxic environment to another at lower wages.
On the other hand, if the new place offers more advancement and skill training opportunities, that may outweigh the short-term pay dependencies.
Design a better opportunity
My recommendation is to negotiate with the new company/manager (before accepting or declining the job offer) on additional benefits that will enhance your professional skills (both technical, and soft skills such as leadership, management and business strategies). Discuss advancement opportunities including timing. Although the new company cannot currently provide your desired salary there are several things you can do to create an even better option.
Discuss alternative benefits such as flex time, additional certifications/training, additional vacation days, permission to attend and even speak at technical conferences, trade shows, expos, and professional associations.
Explore alternative compensations for the short-come in the initial salary offer.
Explore options that will eventually make you more attractive to this and other companies at the higher salary.
Consider a 6 or 8-month salary review period.
Work on the product – YOU, so that future employers will pay you what you are worth.
If you like their environment and the way they are negotiating with you, accept the position at the lower salary with the documented/contract agreement that in 6 or 8 months there will be a salary evaluation. If you perform above expectations and produce stellar results – they will review your salary requests and bump it. After all – this new company does not know you or your work ethic. They are taking as much of a chance on you as you on them. Providing a probation period to allow them to get to know you better (and you them) – allows you time to put everything into better perspective.
These negotiations will provide you with several things:
Find out how about your new manager and company. The hiring phase is the time when companies but their best foot forward. If you don’t like the way they are handling these negotiations – you probably won’t like working there.
Alternative employee benefits often outweigh the initial salary concerns.
Gives both you and them time to know each other. If after 8 months – they decide not to provide a salary increase, you can make your next decision at that time.
In the meantime, you have 8 months to become a real asset to the new company by learning new skills and adding to your resume/portfolio
If you discover that the new company is no better than the one you are currently – use this time to acquire new skills that will make you worthy of advancement opportunities (whether at your current company or a company in the future).
Often times – when you are focused on how to improve your value, you no longer notice the toxic environment because you are constantly looking for ways to improve yourself, your contributions and your business/working relationships. Once you have that mindset, you will be surprised how many worthy opportunities will magically present itself. At that time – this particular question becomes moot.
If you need tips on how to become an asset to any company – please setup a one-on-one consult.
If you need want to discuss in more detail, please setup a one-on-one consult session.
For more information on “Rebounding from COVID-19”, please watch this 4-panel discussion with top experts in Organization/Communication, Business/Career Management, Energy/Morale and Health/Nutrition.
To participate in a confidential One-on-One Laser Coaching Session with Coach Laura, just email Laura@LauraLeeRose.com. Each session will include 20 minutes of Laser Coaching with time afterward for a few questions. Take advantage of this opportunity to experience coaching. Sign up now and come ready to chat. One-on-One Laser Coaching Signup
How do you deal with working with a coworker that you cannot stand but you two are working on a project together?
This is a great question. Being able to work with all types of personalities is a critical skill in a high-performing professional.
Everyone is Different
The first step is to recognize that everyone is different and everyone comes with idiosyncrasies and quirks. We all get along great with some folks, and others just rub us the wrong way. That doesn’t mean the other person is bad or unprofessional. It just means your personalities may clash or you don’t have the right chemistry together.
On the other hand, to succeed and advance, we need to know how to work with all types of people.
Carl Jung said: “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves”. Everyone is our mirror. The imperfections in other people often trigger the items that we don’t like about ourselves. Our own reflection in others shows us not only who we are, but also how to be better.
Acknowledging the above is the first step toward being able to work with them and becoming a better person.
Practice Your Soft Skills
Look upon this as a learning opportunity – a skill that you need to develop to be able to work with difficult individuals. Here are some skills you can develop:
Appreciate and focus on their strengths and good points.
They are on this project because they provide a valuable contribution to the project and team.
Identify and appreciate their strengths and work around the other habits
Go out of your way to compliment them on their successes and avoid pointing out their short-comings.
If an error is made on the project, focus on the next steps to correct the error instead of blaming or focusing on the error itself.
Continue to focus on next steps. Keep the project moving forward.
After the project is completed, you can do an object project-lesson learned session, to introduce procedural changes (or automation) to avoid the error in the future
Focus on making life/work easier for both of you.
Consider automating tedious tasks that both of you have to deal with. Automating the tricky issues that bring you together in frustration – will eliminate some of the pain-points that you have to deal with.
At meetings, sit next to them versus opposite from them.
Sitting next to that person actually reduces the tension between the two of you, because you tend to work on issues together. You become partners in finding a solution that works for both.
Sitting opposite from each other creates an adversarial attitude (even if it’s subconscious).
Be empathetic
Showing an ability to understand and share the feelings of another – is a great skill set to acquire.
When working with others, take the time to see their point of view. Then state the issue in their perspective, before suggesting alternative.
Study up on Active Listening techniques and start practicing them on this person
These soft-skills are critical to advancement and career success. Use this as an opportunity to practice those skills.
If you need want to discuss in more detail, please setup a one-on-one consult session.
For more information on “Rebounding from COVID-19”, please watch this 4-panel discussion with top experts in Organization/Communication, Business/Career Management, Energy/Morale and Health/Nutrition.
To participate in a confidential One-on-One Laser Coaching Session with Coach Laura, just email Laura@LauraLeeRose.com. Each session will include 20 minutes of Laser Coaching with time afterward for a few questions. Take advantage of this opportunity to experience coaching. Sign up now and come ready to chat. One-on-One Laser Coaching Signup
As most of us are in lock-down at home, we wonder what a post-coronavirus-world might look like. It is extremely unlikely that things will just go back to exactly the way they were before. Our workplaces are likely to change, and with it, the skills companies will require. Here are 4 job skills that are likely to be in high demand in once the quarantine has lifted.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Tech Savviness
Creativity and Innovativeness
Leadership
Adaptability and Flexibility
The ways companies operate and work are going to change. There will be few “jobs for life.” Someone that is going to succeed in a post-coronavirus-world will need to be able to adapt to ever-evolving workplaces and have the ability to continuously update and refresh their skills.
Commitment to Lifetime Learning is part of being flexible. When faced with a tight job market, professionals with advanced and expert job skills will still be in demand and will likely struggle less to find employment. The good news is that improving your skills has never been easier. Today, it doesn’t require years of study or hefty loans to build up your skillset to be prepared for a post-coronavirus world. There are endless free and open online courses available that will help you improve your skills. All you need is the determination and learning mindset.
Tech Savviness
One of the best ways to get a leg-up is to acquire technology skills. Companies are trying to become more resilient to future outbreaks and disruptions. The reality is that advanced technologies will make businesses more resilient, and anyone that can help companies exploit these technologies will be in a great position. Whether you work in a factory or an accounting office, you need to be comfortable with artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality and robotics as well as be able to work with them effectively.
People who can keep the digital business running and thriving, during economic downturns, are going to be on the must-hire list. And, basically, ALL companies are now digitally based in some way, so the opportunities to put digital skills to work are countless.
Creativity & Innovation
We have already seen the importance of creativity and innovation during the pandemic. Businesses that have been able to come up with ways to deliver services virtually (like many healthcare providers have done) or quickly shift to new products have been able to better weather the storm. We will continue to need human ingenuity to invent, dream up new products and ways of working. Human creativity is going to be essential.
Critical Thinking is part of being creative and innovative. People who can objectively evaluate information from diverse sources to determine what is credible will be valued. Not all information should be trusted, but organizations will need to rely on critical thinking to understand what information should inform decision-making
Leadership
One of the changes in a world that is heavily augmented, is that more people at all levels of an organization will be in a position where they lead others. People will be working in more fluent teams where people are taking the lead at different times, different locations and at different levels. Professionals with strong skills in leadership, including how to bring out the best and inspire teams as well as encourage collaboration, will be in demand.
See lockdown as an opportunity to improve your skills so that you are ready for when the quarantine is lifted.
For more information on “Rebounding from COVID-19”, please watch this 4-panel discussion with top experts in Organization/Communication, Professional/Career Management, Energy/Morale and Health/Nutrition.
If you need want to discuss in more detail, please setup a one-on-one consult session.
To participate in a confidential One-on-One Laser Coaching Session with Coach Laura, email Laura@LauraLeeRose.com . Each session will include 20 minutes of Laser Coaching with time afterward for a few questions. Take advantage of this opportunity to experience coaching. Sign up now and come ready to chat. One-on-One Laser Coaching Signup
What should you be doing NOW to Succeed in a Post-COVID-19 era?
As most of us are in lock-down at home, we are left to wonder what a post-coronavirus-world might look like. This webinar covers 4 areas : Organization/Communication, Professional/Career Management, Energy/Morale and Health/Nutrition. It discusses how we can be using this lock-down to get a leg-up in the Post-COVID-19 environment.
I received this question from a busy professional:
What should you do if your boss doesn’t acknowledge or respond to your emails and text messages?
Since I don’t know the specifics, how often you are emailing or texting, or what time of day/night it is, my answer may not fit your specific situation. But here it goes.
Put yourself in their shoes
Acknowledge your boss is a busy person and may have many employees, issues and departments to oversee. For example – If he/she has 12 people he supervises, and each of those 12 people emails and text messages him as much as you do — his inbox is out of control. He is also dealing with his superiors and executive suite.
Therefore – put on your thinking cap on how you can be more of a service to him. Even though email and text are convenient to you – it may not be your boss’ preferred method of communication.
My recommendation is to do the following:
Assume your emails are being seen. Always include in your emails, the actions you plan to take (and date of when you are going to move forward with your plan). Clearly convey that there is no need for him to respond if he agrees with your proposed next steps. This way, he can see that you are handling the situation without his intervention. If you are going in the wrong direction, he will intercede.
Instead of sending multiple emails and texts, send 1 weekly status reports. Cut down on email and texts altogether. Setup weekly or twice monthly one-on-one manager’s meeting with him. Use this one meeting to discuss the collecting things you would cover in your several emails and texts. One-on-One meetings should be in person or via virtual webcam/zoom/etc technology. In a pinch, it can be by phone. You need to set this up as a repeating meeting on the same day/time and get it on his calendar.
In the first one-on-one meeting, ask him what’s the best way to communicate with him. What is his preference (including communication type, time of day, and day of week)? Does he want weekly email status reports, would he prefer a weekly phone-message with the status on ongoing projects, how should you convey urgent issues?
In your one-on-one meetings, continually ask him how you can help him with the things that are on his plate? Does he need someone to collect everyone else’ weekly status reports? Would you like a group/departmental status reports combined and separated into Urgent Action/ Requested Action by Date/ and Informational sections? Does he want you to go over the department status reports during your regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with him?
Start using your Subject line more effectively. Use the headline/Subject line of your email to convey the urgency of the message. This allows him to quickly prioritize his inbox. For instance:
Regular Status Report (no urgency – informational only)
Request input by XX date (for things you need his input)
Pick up the phone or visit his office on urgent matters
Once you put on the cap of “how I can be of more service” — I am confident that you can imagine all sorts of things you can be doing to make a positive contribution to your boss and department.
Once again – I don’t know the specifics of your situation. These recommendations may not fit.
If you need want to discuss in more detail, please setup a one-on-one consult session.
To participate in a confidential One-on-One Laser Coaching Session with Coach Laura, just click the link below, pick the session time that works for you, and sign up. Each session will include 20 minutes of Laser Coaching with time afterward for a few questions. Take advantage of this opportunity to experience coaching. Sign up now and come ready to chat. One-on-One Laser Coaching Signup
