The Executive Ladder

F.r.e.e. Goal Development Teleseminar

Did last year’s resolutions become a distant memory by February 1^st?

Join us for a F.R.E.E. teleseminar on January 18^th to learn the secrets of establishing goals that you will actually achieve this year.

If you would like to:

§         Lose weight or create a healthier lifestyle

§         Boost your success at work

§         Increase your effectiveness at home while reducing your stress

§         Guide your children to create and achieve their own goals

You’ll want to join us on Friday, January 18^th at 1:00pm Eastern (10:00 Pacific) for a F.R.E.E. teleseminar on The Power of Goals:

Forget New Year's Resolutions - Create New Year's Solutions:

How to Establish Goals That You Will Actually Achieve in 2008

Suzanne Freiberg, Jill Frank, and Lisa Silvershein will take you through the principles of effective goal setting so that you can:

§         Eliminate guilt and reduce your stress

§         Finally lose that extra weight you’ve been carrying around

§         Create a healthier lifestyle for you and your family

§         Increase your salary as you become more successful at work

§         Enjoy the time you spend with your family

§         Coach your children to challenge themselves, to feel empowered and to be able to take charge of their success.

§         Support your children in becoming confident and successful adults

There is no charge to attend this teleseminar – but spaces are limited so register early.  Go here to claim your spot!

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

As a child, you were probably asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Although some people have very distinct talents that will naturally lead into a career, most of us didn’t have a clue.  However, we expect that by adulthood, we will finally have an answer.    

Choosing a career path is the most difficult and frustrating obstacle for my clients to overcome. They want to know where they are going and how they are going to get there.  For some, there are too many choices – they suffer from BSOS (bright shiny object syndrome).  Others are afraid to make a decision – what if it’s the wrong choice, what if they try and fail, or how will they transition into a new career path?  And then there are those who are trying to live up to someone else’s expectations.   

If you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up, you can’t move forward.  How are you going to reach your goal until you decide what that goal is?  As a result, you slow your advancement, typically resulting in less mo*ney, and you don’t get the satisfaction of having a career that you love.   

You will experience more success and satisfaction when you align your career path with your strengths, interests and experience.  Rather than starting over from square one, unless you truly hate your work, build on the foundation that you have already laid.

Interests

Think about your interests.  What activities do you enjoy most in your professional and volunteer work?  Are there other areas that you have direct or indirect contact with that you would like to explore?   What other interests do you have?   

Make a list of all your interests while keeping in mind that not everything can be incorporated into your career.  A forty-five year old accountant, who loves baseball, probably shouldn’t quit his job to be a professional baseball player.  But maybe he can hold a position in the finance department for a baseball team.    

Strengths

We all have talents, whether we have identified them or not.  If you don’t already know what you naturally do well, it’s time to find out.  Think about activities that you consider easy.  Often we don’t pay much attention to them – we just assume they are easy for everyone.  If you have past performance appraisals, review them to determine which areas you consistently scored high without much effort.  If you still need help, ask someone you trust to tell you what they consider to be your strengths.  Sometimes what’s obvious to others isn’t quite so clear to us.   

You should also identify the tasks that are challenging for you.  You never want to select a career path that requires you to spend more time shoring up your weaknesses than developing your talents. Pursuing the things that come naturally to us will result in less frustration and more enjoyment and success.

Experience

Finally, look back over the course of your career.  What experience have you gained from the positions you’ve held as well as your volunteer work.  Include your direct and indirect experience.  For example, a marketing manager doesn’t just have experience in marketing.  He or she probably has experience in management, budgeting, human resources, and corporate communications, as well.  Break it down and you will see just how much experience you actually have.

Once you have all of this information down and you look at it together, you will begin to see the options available to you – options that you never thought of before.  All that is left for you to do is to make a decision and start taking action.   

The greatest benefit you will derive from confidently selecting your career path is empowerment. You are taking control of your future instead of taking what someone else has to offer.   

Coach’s Challenge:

If you haven’t mapped out your career path, figure out what is holding you back.  Is it fear?  Do you have so many varied interest that you can’t decide what you enjoy most?  Are you doing what is expected of you instead of what you want to do?  Or have you been content to coast along in your career? 

If having is a successful career is important to you, make a commitment to yourself to make a decision and take action.  Start by making a list of your interest, strengths, and experience and then notice the options that are available to you. 

Do you want to know where you are going and how you are going to get there?  Then it’s time to take action with a step-by-step system to uncover your interest, strengths, and experience so you can put yourself on the path to success.  Contact Jill to find out more.   

Working Mom, Super Mom - Is there really a difference?

Lately, it seems that everyone wants to accomplish something, just look at sites like www.43things.com. The ambitions posted on these sites run the gamut from wanting to get more organized to traveling the world to earning more money.  If you are a working mother, you know you are just as ambitious as everyone else out there. You also know that your career is the vehicle to achieving those aspirations.  Unfortunately, you probably feel like you are barely able to keep your head above water much less establish any professional goals beyond bringing home a paycheck.  Complicating matters even further, working mothers have hurdles to jump that their counterparts probably don’t even have on their radar.

Working mothers have two jobs – being a mother and being an employee.  There is no way to keep your family life from seeping into work.  You may be able to leave your work at the office but you can’t ever completely leave your family at home.  How many times have you left work early to take a sick child to the doctor or to attend a parent-teacher conference?  Do you feel like you have to ‘sneak’ out of the office right at five o’clock (whether your work is finished or not) so your child won’t be the last one picked up at after-school care – again?  Do you feel like your commitment to the company and your career is being questioned when you put your family first?  As if all of this juggling isn’t tiring enough, the second shift begins as soon as your “outside the home” job ends.  There is dinner, homework, little league, dance class, scouts, and on and on and on.

Another equally important challenge you face is the delicate task of having to weigh each decision you make between the needs of your family and the good of your career.  Do you entertain clients or have drinks with the boss after work or do you go to your son’s baseball game?  Do you apply for the promotion that will relocate your family across the country or do you put your career on the back burner until the kids are grown?  There is never an easy choice and I bet you tend to second guess your decisions and feel guilty no matter what choice you make.  In fact, I would guess that there isn’t another segment of the population who feels as much guilt as working mothers.

Let’s face it, mothers work because they need to – either they need the income, they need to fulfill their desire to work, and/or they feel the need to provide a better life for their children than is possible on one income.  But, if you are stressed out, always on the run, and don’t have quality time to spend with your kids, is having a career fulfilling that need or is it causing undue hardship on your family?  This is one of those times when it pays to do it right.  If you are going to work, shouldn’t it be for a career that is rewarding, both intrinsically and financially and that also allows you to enjoy your family life?

For working mothers, life is exhausting (as if I need to tell you)!  You are constantly being pulled in multiple directions, expected to perform miracles that few could accomplish, and take care of everyone around you – all without dropping a single ball and a smile on your face.  And somehow, we manage to pull it off, day after day.  Not always with a smile and occasionally a ball or two drops, but the ship stays afloat – even if it means that your own goals get sidelined.  But wouldn’t it be great if it wasn’t so difficult?  It is possible to have it all – a great career and a meaningful family life – without having to work even harder than you already do.  The key to success lies in:

• Prioritizing.  What comes first, right now?  How do you know where to focus your attention if you don’t know what is most important?
• Finding time for those priorities.  How do you fit it all in– time for your family, your career, and yourself – without sacrificing? 
• Goal setting. How will you know what direction to go in if you haven’t established solid goals?  You’ll quickly wear yourself out running in circles. Do you know what you want out of life, personally, professionally and financially?
• Planning.  A comprehensive plan to achieve your goals will keep you focused and on the right track.
• Making choices that are aligned with your priorities.  This is the number one key to eliminating your guilt and feeling good about your decisions.
• Surrounding yourself with a supportive community. Have you ever noticed that when you are around people who are drowning in misery that they bring you down with them?  The opposite holds true, as well.  If you surround yourself with people who are positive, goal-oriented, and supportive, your attitude soars and the possibilities really are endless. 
• A rolodex full of resources. No one can, or should try, to do it alone.  Having access to resources that can pick up where you want to leave off makes all the difference in the world.

By taking these steps, you are empowering yourself.  You are taking control of a chaotic situation that will result in a positive, meaningful life and a career that is both rewarding and affords the lifestyle that you want – all with less stress and guilt.  That means a better mom for your kids, a better partner for your significant other, and a happier YOU.

Your Assignment:

The first step to taking control of the chaos is to prioritize.  What is most important to you right now?  Is it finding more balance between work and family?  Making more money?  Spending more time with your kids and significant other?  Whatever is at the top of your list, come up with three action steps you can take to get closer to your goals.  Keep your priorities at the top of your mind at all times and you will see that your decision making process will get easier and the guilt you struggle with will begin to fade. 

Do you want to be a mom that has it all – the great family AND successful career?  Are you ready to get out of overwhelm, lose the guilt, and take control of your professional life?  I’ll be announcing a new program soon, just for working mothers like you.  We will address each of the success factors above plus much more so you can do more than just keep your head above water.  Spaces will be limited, so if you would like to receive priority notification, register here and you’ll have a chance to sign up before I announce the program to the general public.  Don’t want to wait?  Call me at 813-839-5752 to discuss individual coaching options. 

Is it time to throw in the towel?

You’ve established your goals.  You’ve created and executed your plan.  You’re getting nowhere.  How do you know whether you should work harder or throw in the towel?

It may feel like the universe is trying to send you a message –it’s coming in loud and clear.  Before you give up, decide if the problem is lies in the goal, the plan or the execution.  Then you can make a decision that you can live with and won’t regret down the road. 

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

1. Can I live with the alternative?
2. Have I really given one hundred percent to making this a reality?
3. Is my personal bias or agenda preventing me from seeing the solution?
4. Does this goal still fit into my big picture plans? 
5. Do I expect immediate gratification? 

Can I live with the alternative?  There is always an alternative.  It could as simple as doing nothing at all, it could be moving in another direction, or it could force you to make a decision that you don’t want to make.  Put together a list of what would or could happen if you didn’t achieve this goal.  Are there any options you can live with?

I worked with a client whose time management problems were affecting his ability to be successful at work.  No matter what steps we took to remedy the situation, we were never successful because time management was just the symptom of a larger problem – over commitment.  Until he decided if he could live with the alternative, releasing projects that he enjoyed working on, he would never achieve his goal and his over commitment would continue to wreak havoc on his career. 

Have I really given one hundred percent to making this a reality?  Be honest.  Have you really done everything you can (within legal and ethical standards, of course) to achieve your goal?  If not, what’s holding you back?  Are you doing this for yourself or for someone else?  Is fear keeping you in your comfort zone?  Does your plan require you to devote more time to shoring up your weaknesses rather than leveraging your natural talents? 

How will you live with yourself if you throw in the towel before you have given it your all? If it is a goal worth pursuing, rework your plan so that you are comfortable with the execution and then give 100% to making it a reality.

Is my personal bias or agenda preventing me from seeing the solution?  How many times have you let your personal biases or agendas get in the way of seeing the clear solution? 

I have a good friend (we’ll call her Grace) who took a job with a company that she thought would be perfect for her career.  On paper, it was.  It was a promotion with promises of more to come, a salary increase, and an organization with a good reputation.  Grace started this new job with optimism and a determination to be the best.  What she was lacking was flexibility.  She had a predetermine plan for achieving success that would have worked fabulously if she were with her previous employer but not at her new job.  Her personal agenda, achieving success by following her plan, and inability to adapt to a new environment resulted in a rough start.  Once she was able to look at the situation objectively and let go of her agenda, the solution was obvious. 

Planning is important, but so is flexibility.  Sometimes we have to have to be open to following a different path if we want to reach our goals.  Look at your situation objectively.  Have you been overlooking a clear solution?

Does this goal still fit into my big picture plans?  It’s okay to stop pursing a goal that no longer serves you.  If you haven’t already, complete the ideal life exercise.  Get a clear vision of how you would like your life to be and then answer the following questions.  Who is in your life?  Where you do you live?  How do you spend your time at work?  How do you spend your free time?  What gives you the greatest satisfaction?  Include anything else that you feel is relevant.  Once you have you big picture plans, determine if this goal still fits into those plans.  If it does, continue to work on it.  If not, ditch it.

Do you expect immediate gratification?  Some things can’t be rushed, they have to be cultivated.  In this age of technology, we often expect life to give us instantaneous results.  Realistically, you have to give your efforts, sometimes repeated efforts, time to make the impact that you intended.  In advertising, the rule is to run an ad at least three times before you can expect to see any results.  Follow this rule of thumb when implementing your professional goals. 

For instance, if your goal is to make new contacts in the community, a good approach would be to attend networking functions.  You don’t give up if nothing came from attending just one function.  Commit to attending the same group three to five times.  If you are doing everything right and you aren’t building connections, find another group.  Don’t just quit, assuming networking doesn’t work. 

Making the decision to continue working on your goal or to throw in the towel is a difficult one.  Six months after I started my coaching practice, I considered giving up and going back to work.  I had done tons of work with little to show for it.  I was frustrated, and going back to the corporate world offered a quick and secure solution to the challenges of being an entrepreneur.  However, I asked myself the questions above and took my time making a decision.  What I realized was that I had worked hard but I hadn’t really given one hundred percent to making it work; I had a plan that I refused to deviate from, even when it made sense; and I wanted to believe that you could build a full practice in six short months.   After reflecting on my “big picture plans,” it was clear that going back to work would be the easy way out – an alternative that I couldn’t live with.  So I continued, became more flexible and the foundation that I had laid finally started paying off. 

FIVE TIPS FOR DEALING WITH NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

Everyone who has been employed has had to deal with negative feedback or rejection.  Because we tend to merge our identities with our career, it can be a personal blow to our self-esteem when we are criticized at work.  Whether it’s a job rejection, poor performance appraisal, or office gossip, it doesn’t usually bring out our best side. 

I have to admit, I’ve never been a particularly organized person.  I’ve been to so many classes that I could teach one.  These issues have followed me from school to work – never going unnoticed.  At one point, the work FEEDBACK would make me break out in a cold sweat. 

Luckily, I was given the opportunity to prove myself.  With an amazing assistant to keep me on track, I was able to excel.  However, if I had let the negative feedback get to me, I wouldn’t have been given an opportunity to shine.  So what do you do when confronted with criticism you don’t really want to hear?  Follow the tips below to come out with your pride and your career intact.

1.  Stop and listen. Our first instinct in this situation is to go on the defensive.  Before you start churning out excuses, take a deep breath and objectively listen to the criticism being offered.  Is there any truth to what is being said?

2.  Keep things professional.  Don’t even think about retaliating.  Our second instinct is to list every fault of the person responsible for inflicting this agony – usually to anyone who will listen.  “As if she’s perfect!”  It’s just an instinct, not the right course of action and it makes you look petty and immature.

3.  Try not to take it personally.  Yes, it stings but it doesn’t reflect your value as a person.  Keep it in perspective - it's work and constructive criticism comes with the territory.

4.    Learn from your mistakes.  If you didn’t get the promotion you applied for, ask yourself if you were thoroughly prepared.  If you haven’t been performing at the expected level, think about changes you can make to be more effective.  Ask for feedback (yes, more feedback!) so that you can improve.  If you are fighting an uphill battle like I was, consider accessing outside resources.

5.  Remember that you are in good company.  Even famous people have encountered failure (sometimes publicly) and managed to persevere.  Consider this:

·      Albert Einstein failed his first college entrance exam at Zurich Polytechnic. (Charles Reichblum, Knowledge in a Nutshell)

·      Lucille Ball was dismissed from drama school for being too quite and shy. (Paul Stirling Hagerman, It's a Weird World)

·      Western Union turned down Alexander Graham Bell’s offer for exclusive rights to his invention known as the telephone. (M. Hirsh Goldberg, The Blunder Book)

·      Clint Eastwood was told by a Universal Pictures executive that his future wasn't very promising. (Ed Lucaire, Celebrity Setbacks)

·      Michael Jordan was cut from his high-school basketball team as a sophomore. (Bob Greene, in Reader's Digest)

·      Charles Schulz was told by his high school's yearbook staff that his cartoons were not acceptable for the annual. (Charles E. Ferrell, in the Clergy Journal)

·      Mickey Mantle lost in the category of "Most Athletic" his senior year in high school. (Jim Kreuz, in Baseball Digest)

·      Malcolm Forbes, the late editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine, did not make the staff of the school newspaper at Princeton University. (The Best of Bits & Pieces)

·      Woody Allen flunked motion picture production at New York University and the City College of New York and failed English at NYU. (The Best of Bits & Pieces)

Do you want to develop a comprehensive career plan that leverages your talents so you can climb the corporate ladder faster, but don't know how? Register for the promotion planning eClass.  In eight weeks, you will learn about corporate advancement, find out what success factors are crucial to your targeted position, understand and address the obstacles standing in your way of success, and create a plan to build on your strengths.  Learn more and register at www.leverageyourtalent.com.

What's Holding You Back?

Let me ask you – are you exactly where you want to be in your career?  If you’re receiving this newsletter, chances are that you still have unfulfilled career aspirations.  So, what's holding you back?  Are you unhappy with your career path?  Do you lack direction or resources?  Or, is fear holding you back? 

Fear comes in many shapes and sizes; sometimes it’s more obvious than others.  Look at what you are avoiding and how you can make changes.  Personally, I found that I was doing everything I possibly could to avoid speaking in front of groups.  Knowing that this phobia can have a major impact on my business, I've identified ways that I can accomplish my goal without breaking out in cold sweats!  Since reading the following quote, I've started looking at my fears differently and found that I'm much happier with my decisions and the results that I get. 

"I think we should follow a simple rule:  If we can take the worst, take the risk." - Dr. Joyce Brothers 

Most of the time, the worst isn’t nearly as bad as we think it will be.  So get out there and do something – anything – that will take you closer to achieving your goals.  If you happen to fall down, get back up and try something else!

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Do you ever get frustrated with the amount of time it takes to get ahead at work?  Do you find yourself surfing the major job boards looking for a quick fix to your stationary career?  News flash – you may actually be putting the brakes on your corporate climb by taking a job with another organization. 

The latest generation to enter the workforce is building a reputation as chronic job changers.  Although the employment situation will never be as it was in generations past, with the majority of employees classified as “lifers”, there are benefits to working your way up one corporate ladder as opposed to several. 

Commitment is often rewarded, and the business world is no exception.  Most organizations will take a chance on internal candidates that they wouldn’t on an external candidate.  Candidates with a proven track record hold a lot of appeal to those making the selection decisions.  The ability to access past performance appraisals, speak with the employee’s current manager, and see the candidate in action are substantial benefits that can’t be duplicated with an external candidate.  Often, the only information available for an external is his or her employment dates and recommendation letters by references of the applicant’s choosing.  Everything else being equal, the majority of hiring managers would select the internal. 

One major downside to changing jobs is that you have to start over again. A great deal of time is wasted job-hopping.  There is a pecking order in every organization, whether it is publicized or not – and the newest person automatically goes to the end of the line.  As you prove yourself and new employees are hired, you slowly climb back up to the same standing you had when you left your last job. 

Sometimes clichés are right on the money and when you change jobs - the grass isn’t always greener.  In fact, you could be jumping out of the pan and into the fire.  Who’s to say that you are going to move up any faster in the new company than you would in the old?  Just as candidates are on their best behavior during the interview process, so too are the companies doing the hiring.  Interviewing is a lot like dating – both parties accentuate the positive and minimize the negative.  There are challenges with every job and in every organization.  If you have clear goals and priorities, it will be much easier to make the right decision.

Expecting your employer to provide you with a sense of accomplishment sets you up for disappointment and changing jobs becomes a habit.  One too many job changes gives potential employers the impression of instability – even if what appears to be instability from the outside is actually frustration and dissatisfaction.  Even though frequent job changes are becoming more accepted, the rising cost of recruitment and turnover prohibits many recruiters from pursuing candidates with an erratic work history. 

Although there is usually a salary increase involved with a job change, make sure to consider how much money you could be losing before you leave.  There can be tremendous financial gains to be had by building tenure in one organization.  Leaving before you are vested can result in a major financial loss, including matching contributions to 401(k), employee stock purchase or retirement plans.

The cure for sluggish career advancement isn’t always changing jobs.  The answer lies in action.  Go after what you want instead of waiting for someone to hand you success on a silver platter.  What motivates you?  What steps can you take to alleviate the dissatisfaction you are experiencing with your career advancement?  Even if your organization doesn’t offer career development programs, you can take the initiative to create your own plan of action.  No one ever accomplished their goals simply by wishing.

According to Careerbuilder.com, forty-one percent of workers will change jobs by the end of 2007.  Through planning and skill development you could be promoted into a position created by that turnover, putting you on the fast-track to achieving your career goals and rising one rung higher on the corporate ladder. 

Top 7 Ways to Prevent Unnecessary Stress at Work

Stress plays a critical role in life.  It can help you accomplish work timely and accurately, promote healthy competition, and force you to evaluate problems and formulate creative solutions. It can also hamper your ability to effectively perform your job, thereby reducing your chances of promotion; interfere with your capacity to sustain relationships; and lead to physical illness.  So, how do you find balance?  Start by preventing or eliminating stress that is unnecessary. 

1. Manage Expectations.  Are others clear about what you expect of them?  Whether they are vendors, subordinates, or committee members, make sure they understand exactly what you want, and when and how you would like it completed.  This will prevent misunderstandings for you as well as the other person.
2. Communicate Effectively.  Many problems arise due to a lack of or ineffective communication.  Don’t focus solely on your verbal and written communication though.  Listening is a lost art for most, and one that can stand to be improved.  No matter what your position is, strong communication skills are essential. 
3. Let go of control.  Are you someone who thinks that no one else can perform even the simplest of tasks as well as you can?  If so, you could eliminate a lot of stress by simply learning to let go.  Many companies reorganized departments into teams several years ago, because they realized that it is a more efficient and effective way to do business.  It’s not necessary for one person to perform all tasks related to his or her job.  In fact, you are more effective when you concentrate on what you do best and let someone else take care of the rest.   
4. Steer Clear of Procrastination.  Staying on top of things will reduce stress when the unexpected occurs.  Procrastination often rears its ugly head when you are faced with a task you would rather not do.  Instead of putting it off, determine if it would be appropriate to delegate the project or a portion of it to someone else.  If not, get it out of the way first. 
5. Take regular vacation time.  They give it to you for a reason.  Some companies even require you to take time off.  It gives you time to unwind, gain a new perspective, and become more focused.  People who work too many hours without a break find themselves more prone to illness.  It’s your body’s way of telling you that you need to rest. 
6. Address problems as they arise.  Don’t push issues to the back-burner because you don’t want to face them.  Confront problems as they arise in order to avoid stress from building up and unleashing itself at an inappropriate time. 
7. You can say ‘NO’.  Many people have difficulty saying no.  However, you cannot take on every project, task, and role that gets cast off on you.  For projects outside your scope of responsibility, consider whether it will help you achieve your career goals.  If not, politely decline the offer and move on to something that will. 

Getting to the top requires determination

I’m furious!  I just finished reading "The Grand Canyon: The gap between the haves and have-nots gets worse".  All politics aside, this is the view of someone with a defeatist attitude.  According to John Talton, poor citizens in America can’t gain prosperity and security through hard work, and many parents are hoping that their children will simply find full-time jobs with benefits instead of actually succeeding!   

The premise of this article is “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”. I certainly didn’t grow up rich, but my parents always told me that I have the ability to accomplish any goal I set for myself, including improving my financial circumstances.  Parents need to instill values like self-confidence and achievement instead of self-limiting beliefs.

Corporate downsizing is reality.  I’m not arguing with that.  However, you don’t have to settle for mediocrity if you’re capable of more.  A flatter organization means that the competition for top executive positions is fierce.  However, if you possess determination and flexibility, you can make it to the top.  Determination to overcome the challenges you will face and flexibility to make lateral moves when necessary. 

Employing advancement strategies, getting support from a mentor or a coach, and having a self-confident, achievement-oriented attitude will help you realize your career goals. 

Many of our attitudes and values are instilled in us as children.  Based on these attitudes, will you achieve success or settle for less?  How can you change them to reach your goals in today’s world?

A Little Common Sense Advice

I’ve had a request for this particular post.  Some of my friends in HR would like me to offer a little common sense advice.  It never ceases to amaze us how professionals and executives can completely sabotage their careers with stupid mistakes.

Before reinventing the wheel, I wanted to see what was already written on this topic.  Believe it or not, I didn’t find much.  I guess most people prefer to put a positive spin on it rather than a negative one.  Today, I’m going to be brutally honest. 

So here it is, hot off the press: 

Top Seven Stupid Ways to Sabotage Your Career

For your reading pleasure, I’ve included real life examples of the actions taken by otherwise intelligent professionals.

1. Deceptive and dishonest practices 

You’re going to get caught.  Maybe not the first time, but eventually someone is going to catch on.  When they do, fess up.  Don’t act like the three year old who lies to his mother, naively thinking that she doesn’t know you ate the last cookie even though you have chocolate all over your face.

2. Illegal practices

I’m not referring to taking a company pen.  I’m thinking more along the lines of taking a laptop, check kiting between company accounts and your own, or stealing privileged information for a friend who works for the competition.  Don't worry about losing your job, focus on finding an attorney to keep you out of jail.

3. MIA during business hours

Everyone takes a long lunch or cuts out early for happy hour every once in a while.  Taking it to the extreme is acting as if you’ve been on a business trip (that you expensed) when you were actually on a mini-vacation.  This example can also fall under the two previous points.  Another example is hanging a sign on your office door indicating that you are in a three-hour meeting when you aren’t even in the building.

4. Sex and work

They just don’t mix.  Whether you are having a quickie in an empty office (or a company plane…there is a pilot on board, you’re not alone) or you’re having an affair with your (married or single) boss, it will affect your career.  Unless you’re looking for a severance package or a reputation you don’t want to get back to your family, I don’t recommend it.

5. Unprofessional image and attire

Corporate America has relaxed the dress code over the last ten years; however, the following are never acceptable.  Leather or pleather, in any form other than shoes.  That means skirts, blouses, vests, or pants.  Visible belly rings, thongs, or cleavage.  Drowning yourself in perfume or cologne.  Dirty (am I actually writing this???) clothes.  In my first HR Generalist position, I told new employees to check their attire before leaving each morning and if they hesitated even slightly, change. 

6. Becoming the company “suck-up”

There’s one in every company.  You know the type; they have their lips perpetually planted on management’s backside.  Typically, this path is taken because the person has very little to offer.  They become the undeserved, go-to person at the expense of their coworkers and all levels of management between themselves and their new best friend.  If I’m describing you, it’s time to make a complete career change to a company where your reputation can’t follow.  You’ll never be able to change the opinions that have been formed by your existing coworkers.  Choose a career where you can add value so you don’t fall back on old habits.  Although I don’t personally specialize in career transitions, you can find a coach who does at ICF, CCI, or Coachville.

7. Making a fool of yourself at company-sponsored functions

All executives will have to attend company-sponsored functions, with or without clients.  I don’t recommend drinking heavily, acting like the office romeo, or doing “The Elaine”.  Even if you’re not in the office, you’re still at work – act like it.

Hopefully, none of this applies to you.  If it does apply to anyone you know, feel free to pass it along!

Can you add to the list?  Please include examples, it makes for enjoyable reading!