Being unemployed is not a comfortable feeling. Not only does it disrupt your carefully laid out routine and impact your lifestyle, but it also makes you question your abilities. But the “why” of your transition is something that you must strive to move beyond. You will have to in order to transition into a new role successfully.

Over the years I’ve worked with many people. Exceptionally brilliant individuals. People you would never imagine needing the help of a transition coach, but through a series of events, found themselves in that most vulnerable position. The phrase, “it can happen to anyone,” most definitely applies here. And while we like to feel we are special and tell ourselves, “no one understands my situation,” or “my situation is different because…”, that’s just not true. Yes, there will be parts of your story that make your story unique, but on the whole, there is a formula you can follow to ensure success.

Formula for transition success (A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H+I=NEW JOB):

1. Be coachable and embrace being uncomfortable. What does being “coachable” mean? It means adjusting your mindset from that of the “teacher” to the “learner.” With a small shift in your mindset you open yourself to self-reflection which leads to personal growth.
2. Be passionate about finding your next opportunity. That’s the only way you will weather the bad days. Being passionate is nearly impossible to fake. If you are questioning your passion or rolling your eyes at this bullet, it may be time to re-evaluate your career. Ask yourself, what would make me truly excited to go to work every day? Write it down and reflect on what you see there. Because if you don’t truly want it, you are wasting your time. A career shift may be in order.
3. Have a positive attitude. Much of your success in transition hinges on your mindset. A positive attitude is essential. It not only makes you look like a more appealing candidate, but it will see you through to the finish line. Transition is a journey with many positives along the way if you care to see them.
4. Be confident. Make sure your confidence is at its highest level. Confidence is like a bank account; you must make deposits regularly. Use positive self-talk as deposits. Stop any negative thoughts in their tracks and replace them with positives as much as possible.
5. Put your baggage away. Put any emotional baggage behind you so you can focus on the future. This is key. You will not progress in your search if you cling to baggage. Allow yourself some time to process and wallow, but then put it firmly in the rearview mirror. Future employers can smell baggage a mile away!
6. Remember your advantage in being unemployed -- you have more time to prepare. Sure, this may be the first time in 20 years you’ve had any time off, but resist the temptation to adopt the vacation mindset. This doesn’t mean you can’t take time with your family or take that trip to Hawaii for a week. But you must view the transition process as a job once you return. Put yourself on a schedule, set specific daily goals. “I will call xx number of people.” “I will apply for five jobs today.”
7. Differentiate yourself from the competition. You have to differentiate yourself from your competition both on the alignment side for each position you interview for and the relationship side when you meet new people. You must be able to answer the question, “What do you do exceptionally well, better than most?” If you are unable to answer this question, call on people who have worked with you and ask them.
8. Focus on what you can control. Activity equals results. In transition you should focus on hours per week, calls made/attempted, expanding your network with every call, and getting paper out. “Paper out” is represented by a cover letter and the resume for a specific opening either with the recruiter or directly with the employer or creating a marketing letter.
9. And lastly, you have to be intentional. You must move through the steps intentionally and consistently. What does intentional truly mean in this instance? It means being thoughtful and strategic. Thinking through every phone call, every application submitted and every cover letter written. Be in the moment.

As with any math problem, the correct formula above must be followed, in its entirety, to obtain the right answer or in this case – the desired result. Skipping steps not only renders a different answer/outcome, but also shortchanges you on what you are truly seeking – a successful transition. At the risk of sounding like your 8th-grade math teacher, in order to get an A, you must show your work!

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Healthcare executives are discovering numerous reasons to turn to franchise ownership. In growing numbers, they are becoming entrepreneurs, whether they are new to healthcare or grizzled industry veterans. Healthcare leaders are fulfilling important personal and career goals by investing in franchise opportunities; here we’ll discuss the most common:

1. Providing Additional Security

The healthcare industry evolves rapidly, and there's no end in sight. The industry's future remains murky with ongoing talk and political steam of substantial healthcare reform. Franchise ownership is appealing as it can provide a secondary source of income independent of your employer. If there’s a sudden change in your organization or the industry overall, you won’t have all your eggs in one basket. Whether you’re planning on continuing in healthcare for the long haul or wanting to bridge out of healthcare in the coming few years, owning a “manage-a-manager” franchise model and scaling the business over time can provide added family income to rely on and enjoy. The number of people with a business on the side is growing rapidly, and few side gigs offer the earning potential or predictability of franchise ownership.

2. Helping to Build a Nest Egg

Franchise and business ownership is also a great way to diversify your investment portfolio and prepare for retirement. You can enjoy a reliable income while building a valuable future asset that can be sold for a premium or passed as a legacy to your children. By following in the footsteps of other successful franchise owners and reinvesting profits into additional locations, you'll grow your net worth exponentially faster than putting all your savings in a mutual fund.

3. Offering a Fresh Start

Most new opportunity seekers are pleasantly surprised to discover the wide variety of franchise opportunity choices spanning 90+ unique industries. It’s definitely more than just French fries. A hefty majority of new franchise owners choose a business in a completely new industry, not related to healthcare or the sector where they’ve been employed. Your diploma and your resume do not limit your options. Many people yearn to pour their strengths and energy into a fresh, new challenge. Strong franchise opportunities with a proven business model and streamlined training systems are the bridge for thousands of new entrepreneurs to blossom in new lines of business with much less risk. It’s a vehicle to succeed at something, gain more control over your destiny, and enjoy more flexibility rarely found in a corporate executive’s lifestyle.

No matter your reasons for considering franchise ownership, you don’t have to look far for success stories. Take Carey Winkel as an example. She spent 70 hours a week working as President of Commercial Operations for Sunrise Medical before switching gears and buying a cleaning franchise. In her first four years, her region won the company's national growth award three times!

Brian Foster is another great success story. He worked as a healthcare executive for over 30 years for the Illinois Hospital Association. After contemplating his future, he met with FranNet and was introduced to the idea of owning a franchise. He’s fallen in love with being his own boss, with a thriving business that’s poised to earn income for many years to come.

If you’re trying to transition from your career as a healthcare executive (or any other career) to franchise ownership, let us help you. At FranNet, “creating success stories” is our motto. We match aspiring entrepreneurs to the right opportunities for their strengths, goals and needs. To get started, give me a call at 770-579-3726 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Leslie Kuban is a nationally recognized franchise industry expert, CFE (Certified Franchise Executive) and owner of FranNet in Atlanta; a locally owned and operated franchise consulting firm. Leslie and her team have helped close to 500 individuals and families achieve their dreams of business ownership through a no-cost, extensive educational and coaching process.

Connect with Leslie online or call 770-579-3726 to start the conversation today.

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The English language is one of the most difficult languages to learn. That is, in part, because it is full of “sayings” or “idioms” that we use in everyday speech, most of which originate from cultures around the world. Such sayings make no linguistic sense unless you know the story behind them. Nearly all cultures pass wisdom down to us in stories and proverbs. Over time these stories are shortened to phrases, giving birth to these confusing riddles and idioms. One such idiom that dates back to the days of the Egyptians is, “speech is silver; silence is golden.”

This is wise advice to the child listening to his mom instruct him on what to do or not do, but in business, silence is not your friend. This is particularly true with individuals I work with on a daily basis in the career transition industry, such as those gainfully unemployed and recruiters looking for viable candidates for their client.

Here is what often happens. My client applies for a job, does not get a response, or gets an automatic, “thank you for your application,” message. Then the silence comes... for days and days. And it is in the silence that the situation starts to break down. My client creates a story around the WHY. “They must have Googled me and found xyz article... and have eliminated me from the candidate pool.” On the flip side, the recruiter or hiring agency may also be waiting for the candidate to follow-up, or perhaps they are waiting on their client to move the search forward. Again, the problem is the silence. The void of information, leaves us room to create a story, giving us room to build your reputation according to our perception. It is incredible really. Proof that human imagination is still thriving.

Here is how you can break the silence and take control of your reputation.

Keep in touch. Respond in a timely manner. Even when you do not have time to fully address a request or have an immediate answer; tell them that. Do not give them the opportunity to create a story. Stories created in silence are nearly always much more negative than the truth.

Remember: Both what you DO say and what you DO NOT say sends out a message. You bind your reputation to be what you want based on your behavior, which is entirely within your means of control. By responding and filling in the silence with your perception, you can build your reputation the way you want it to be built.

If breaking the silence is so easy, why do we not do it?

1. We are not aware of our own impact on people. We do not realize that a simple communication from us, keeps others from judging us and creating a story to close the gap.
2. We do not know how to say no, so we say nothing at all. While “no” might not be the desired response, it is an honest one, and at the very least shows respect to the person making the request, that ample consideration was at least given. People need to feel heard.

We need to do a better job closing the loop and in doing so we control our reputation. I continue to work on this area myself and strive to close every loop. To those I have not done this effectively with in the past, I sincerely apologize. The individual who consistently closes the loop separates himself/herself from the pack and will stand out in a positive way.

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You have worked dozens of job leads for weeks, biding your time, going on countless interviews, networking with numerous people, and now you possibly have multiple job offers on the verge of coming to fruition. Yay for you! Let's hold the champagne; it is not quite over. You are simply moving on to the next stage of transition -- from the job search to the negotiation and acceptance process.

It is inevitable and fortuitous that one of your job prospects will make an offer. And unless it is the job of your dreams, you will want to buy some time to see what other offers come your way in short order. Note: Even if this IS the job you have been waiting for, the following process is still applicable as a means of navigating the negotiation process.

How to navigate the job offer and acceptance process:

Step 1: Give them an affirmative and positive-sounding response: I really appreciate the offer and find this to be an exciting opportunity. By staying positive you give the immediate impression that you are going to take the job without actually committing yourself to it just yet.

Step 2: Negotiate the response timeframe: This is a big decision; would you allow me time to discuss this with my family? How about———? This will also give you time to get any additional questions that are outstanding answered.

Step 3: Find out your point of contact. This will give you a direct line in to pose intentional questions. It also lets the prospective employer know you are very interested and serious about accepting this offer.

Step 4: Determine if the offer and the job are in alignment with your requirements. Ideally this is a list you have already created by this point in the job search process, but if not, go ahead and create a list of 12 criteria, in priority order, of requirements that your ideal job meets. This includes everything from the culture to location. Then compare how this offer stacks up. This tool forces a logical decision based on all factors rather than a limited few.

(Steps 5 and 6 are specific to those wanting to buy time. If you have your dream offer in hand, skip to step 7.)

Step 5: Ask follow-up questions. DO NOT GO SILENT while waiting to hear from another potential offer. You can legitimately extend the existing job offer timeframe by asking valid questions (one at a time in some cases) that you truly need answered. Employers anticipate and expect you to have questions. By asking questions, you keep the offer on the table and the prospective employer engaged and interested in you as a candidate.

Step 6: Request an additional phone call with your potential supervisor. This is generally done after all your questions have been answered, or as a final move prior to accepting the position. Chances are good that if your questions become too detailed your contact person will offer to connect you with this person anyway in an effort to help you come to a decision more quickly.

Step 7: Always negotiate. Even if you know you plan to accept regardless, negotiation is a must and often one last test in the hiring process. If you do not attempt to negotiate, particularly at the executive level, what does that say about how you will handle situations on the job? Ease into a negotiation conversation by stating all the things in the offer you are pleased with, moving on to your requests after they realize you respect and are happy with much of their offer. If it is money or time off you are seeking, the rule of thumb is to ask for double what you are wanting, and agree to split the difference. Meet them in the middle. During a good negotiation, both sides come away feeling they have won.

A key point to remember while working the steps outlined above is to remain genuine in your interest in the position -- both to yourself and your prospective employer. To work through the steps above effectively, you have to be able to see yourself happy in the position. Even if there are other offers hovering, you must feel comfortable in your decision to accept the one on the table. This decision-making process often reveals if this is the right offer and if you are still teetering because of hope of another offer after going through these steps, then go back and review Step 4, because something may not be in alignment with this particular offer. Always remember that if the prospective employer is treating you a certain way now in the "honeymoon stage," it will only get more pronounced later on.

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Over the past 20+ years, I’ve worked with hundreds of healthcare professionals in various stages of career transition. Sometimes they seek out my company’s services, striving to move up the ladder or switch career direction. Other times they are introduced to us via their former employer as part of a severance package or just after they were terminated. It’s the latter of these two scenarios that I want to address.

It is very easy to assume when someone is terminated or unemployed it is entirely their fault. Perhaps they did not perform to company standards, or maybe they did something wrong, right? This is, of course, always a possibility. However, years of experience has shown me this is very often not the case.

Top four reasons for unemployment:

• Performance Issue - They did not meet the expectations/goals set when hired into that role. Many times personal issues cause the performance issue, especially if the employee had been in the role many years and the issue arose unexpectedly.
• Politics - They did not “play the game” correctly or at all. Many high performing executives, experts in their fields, have found themselves “gainfully unemployed” due to not having navigated the political waters within their organization well. In other words, they found themselves on the wrong side of an influential person or persons.
• Business Decision - In healthcare, with the many mergers and acquisitions occurring, it is quite possible that someone is let go because their team happened to be on the acquired side and the purchasing organization’s team makes a number of executive positions redundant.
• Relational - If you haven’t developed a strong relationship with your boss or other key stakeholders, you may find yourself without a job. For example, one individual we worked with thought they had a fairly good relationship with their boss, but may not have spent enough time focusing on or cultivating it, because when the company reorganized the region, it created a job duplication with their job and a person from another region. The other person had formed a deeper relationship with their boss, therefore they were out.

Don’t make assumptions that unemployment is always a performance issue. To do so blinds you to really great candidates. A lot of highly qualified and specialized talent is displaced due to number two, three and four on the list – politics, business and relational decisions. I urge you to take a closer look at the applicants who are “gainfully unemployed” and really assess them based on their qualifications and accomplishments. Take the time to ask them what their story is, and really listen to what they tell you. More often than not, you will be glad you did and be able to bring exceptional talent to your client or organization.

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If you find yourself in transition one of the worst things you can do is limit your job search. Do not say things like, “I don’t want to live in . . . . that part of the country,” or “That job is too small”. There are several reasons to cast a wide net:

1. Practice. Getting a job is totally different from doing your job. If you’ve not interviewed in the recent past (6-12 months) you will be rusty. Casting a wide net gives you interview practice.
2. Confidence. Getting in multiple job searches builds your confidence and confidence sells.
3. Leverage. Which sounds better- “I have nothing going on,” or “I’ve had 3 interviews in the past two weeks.” The latter makes you look marketable to others.
4. Networking. Every time you enter a job search you get an opportunity to start meaningful relationships with recruiters, executives and hiring managers. 80% of jobs are won through networking. These relationships pay off in the long run.

You have nothing until you have a job offer. Work to get the cards in your hand and do not ever turn down a job that you don’t have. Cast a wide net in your job search- you will be surprised to see what you catch. For professional help with your transition, please contact us at www.wiederholdassoc.com

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Career transitions can be difficult. The more desirable your next position is, the more competition you will face to secure it.

The top priority of an applicant is to stand out from the crowd. Having a great resume and a strong interview is a great place to start. However, most overlook this simple practice that will cause you to stand out from all other applicants: Follow-Up.

First, you must understand how important follow-up is. A good interview followed by poor follow up will not serve you well. An average interview can be positively impacted by excellent follow-up.

The positive outcomes of post-interview follow-up:

• Your resume gets shuffled to the top.
• You demonstrate your level of interest.
• If what you have provided is effective, you've increased the level of your candidacy.

During your interview process, connect with as many people as possible as it relates to a specific opening. When more people remember you, your chances of securing the position naturally increases. After the interview, it is your responsibility to keep each of those individuals updated throughout the process.

Get Creative

With an active search, the time frame for touch points/follow up should be a minimum of seven calendar days and a maximum of ten calendar days. Use a combination of the four levels of communication: face-to-face, telephone, text/email and regular mail. Everybody has their favorite on the receiving end, so try to mix it up a bit. Whatever combination of communication you choose, don't be afraid to let your personality show.

One of the biggest concerns for individuals in follow-ups beyond neglect is, "Will I be seen as a pest?" Remember, you only become a pest when your intervals of follow-up are too short and you're always requesting response. If you follow-up without forcing an agenda, they will be received very well.

Of course, I have only scratched the surface of effective active search follow-up. If you would like to learn more in-depth tips in finding success through active transition, please connect with me.

Here's to your success!

Jim

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One of the most important housekeeping tasks that executives have a tendency to ignore is creating a personal backup of professional achievements. By this I mean the Tier 1 and Tier 2 achievements that show how you have made the organization better.

Many times our clients struggle to come up with hard data for their resume because they neglected their personal information file cabinet. Very often separation is sudden and there is NO chance to look at past strategic plans, or board reports for the numbers or percentages.

Even if a report is confidential to the system you should be writing down your accomplishments somewhere to make sure you have access to your information in the future.

Create and keep an updated list of contact information for superiors, peers and subordinates for every job in the last ten years.

Don’t let another year go by without making sure you have access to your ever increasing list of accomplishments.

I've done a lot of interview coaching over the last 22 years. If I were to grade my clients' beginning interview skills, most people would have a starting grade somewhere below average. This is by no fault of their own. It is common to not do well on things that are not practiced.

Working with my clients, I can raise the interview grade from a 'C' to an 'A' by practicing these basic principals before, during and after the interview.

Pre-interview, you must focus on tactics that will brand you in the most positive way. The goal is to have those who interviewed you to say these three things about you:

1. Excellent interpersonal skills
2. Is results oriented
3. Aligns well with the position

Creating this perception starts with preparation. Begin by understanding the five top critical elements of the opportunity so that you are able to address them with current experience and success. Also, develop an effective two-minute presentation which includes humanization, elevator, and your differentiation/value statement.
[ Click here to learn how to develop your 2-minute presentation.]

As you enter the interview, introduce yourself with confidence. Confidence, not arrogance, can set a positive perception from the beginning. As you engage in the interview, pay close attention to the person speaking and begin to mirror to match tempo, breathing, rate-of-speech, directness, etc. This makes each one comfortable with each other and sets the correct filter. Also, know exactly the statement you will make or the open-ended question you'll ask. By demonstrating your interpersonal skills, you give yourself the greatest opportunity to connect with and engage your audience.

When the interviewer engages with you, take your time to understand what is being said before you respond. Generally, people are so caught up in the world of listening to respond that we miss a vital part of the question. Answer questions concisely, close information gaps and enhance the answer when it adds value to the original thought. Always tell the truth but word it in a win-win presentation. This will provide consistency throughout the interview and keep you in a positive position.

Post interview, review how you did with the goal of improving for the next one. In order to lock in your follow up you need to ask yourself these following questions.

• Did the interview go well? If so, specifically why?
• What could I have done better?
• What did they focus on?
• What did I learn about them on a personal level?
• What value did I bring to the interview?
• What and when is my next step?

Imagine what would happen if you took the time to practice and prepare a well-executed interview. It could be a significant way to separate yourself from the crowd in a very competitive market!

If you would like more in-depth coaching to help you make the most out of your next interview, do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Here's to your success!

Jim

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Circumstances. Actions. Results. (C.A.R.) Recruiters want to hear that story.

When a recruiter asks you about your tenure or a specific challenge you’ve faced, remember to drive the C.A.R. Too many people wax on about their experiences as just that - experiences filled with activity. Recruiters and hiring managers want to hear about results, not just activity.

A good response looks like this, “When I arrived at XYZ Health System our operating margin was -6%. Over three years we implemented two new service lines, recruited 24 physicians, implemented productivity standards for all departments and closed an unprofitable service that wasn’t meeting community need. As a result our operating margin is now 7%.

If you are not clearly communicating the circumstances, actions and results you are not fully demonstrating your value.

Look for examples in the following areas:

• Service
• Quality
• Growth
• Finance
• People and Community

The C.A.R needs to be driven on your resume and when speaking with recruiters and hiring managers- make it a part of your lexicon. The root of the word executive is to execute. We must achieve results as that is why we are hired.

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Every journey starts with the right attitude, passion, and confidence.

Many people find networking to be challenging. Most people find a way to do the things they are passionate about. If you're not passionate about networking, it is possible that you simply do not see the wealth of value that comes from developing a healthy network.

I've interviewed over 1500 people in the last 23 years. Not just a surface interview, but an in-depth interview. I always ask the question, "Where did you find your current job?" In 70% to 80% of the cases regardless of level, people found their next opportunity through their network, a relationship built over years.

The Value of a Healthy Network:

• Competitive Edge: A large and deep network will give you information, you could never reach in isolation. Too many of us become trapped within the four walls we work in.
• Resources: Tap into subject matter experts, fill positions, and gain valuable Industry information from known, credible sources.
• Reputation Management: Being attacked on the internet can tarnish your reputation. A large and deep network that supports and believes in you can minimize that situation.
• our Next Opportunity: I can't tell you how many times an opportunity was offered to a particular person because they were known within their network and "believed it would be a good fit." You can secure your next opportunity and your career with little competition through networking.
• Time in transition: It has been proven that there is a direct correlation between the size and depth of your network as it relates to the time you are between jobs. The better your network is, the shorter your transition will be.

Now that you understand why it is important to have a solid network, it should be easy to get passionate about expanding it. If you are unsure about where to begin, below are a few ideas to get you started

Keys to Expanding Your Network:

• Be intentional: Dedicate yourself to at least two calls a week.
• Choose wisely: Reach out to both people you already know but are not in regular contact with and new people you would like to connect based on your next career step, resources, influence, and information.
• Plan your call: Do your homework- there is so much information out there that you shouldn't have any problem knowing with confidence your opening line or question.
• Be Reciprocal: Give your audience as much value as they give you.

Enjoy the Journey

Not everyone will want to join your network, and that is ok! Keep trying. Expanding your network is a learned skill that will improve with practice. Develop a system that will help you recall information from past interactions and keep you on track to follow up in the future. As long as you are moving relationships forward, YOUR EFFORTS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.

If you would like more tips of how to add value to your network including in-depth training on what makes a great network call, then let me know. I am ready to share my secrets to success!

Jim

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When interviewing, please keep in mind one simple rule- answer the question. An amazing number of people think that when they have the microphone (answering an interview question) they can talk as long as they want about whatever they want in an interview. This is understandable as candidates are excited and want to sell, however it’s a turn off to the interviewer.

Throw darts when interviewing- be concise, brief and use facts/numbers to support your answers. If they want more information, they will ask. Remember- the interviewer has a list of questions they want to get through. They can’t get through the interview if the candidate takes five minutes to answer every question. This is a major turnoff and it signals the candidate isn’t in tune with the employer’s needs.

To answer the question is to be a good listener. If someone asks you a yes/no question- answer with a yes or no answer. Listen intently to the words they are using and ask for clarification if need be. Don’t forget to mirror the interviewer- if s/he is a fast talker, then talk faster. If s/he is a slow talker, then slow down. The goal is to make a connection by listening and answering the question. Finally, only practice makes perfect when interviewing so practice with family, friends and colleagues and remember to throw darts, not hand grenades!

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I remember conducting an interview for a key leadership role and the candidate kept talking about results and accomplishments from their former job that did not correlate with our environment. We were turned off almost immediately. Remember - organizations have needs, people have skills. Your job is to clearly communicate that your skills are a match with the employer’s needs. You must fully understand why the organization is hiring for the position. What are the key skills and competencies needed? What are the measurable goals that define success?

When looking at a position, the first step is to obtain a copy of the position description and read it multiple times - highlighting pertinent sections that clearly demonstrate the reasons why the position exists (goals, skills, competencies). Organizations want to win- you help them win by clearly communicating how your skills are a good match to meet their needs. When speaking with the employer or recruiter, make sure to communicate your specific (numerical) career accomplishments that clearly demonstrate past success that match with the employer’s needs. Jobs exist to solve problems and meet needs- show them you can do both.

Matching your skills with an employer’s needs is nothing more than good listening. Make sure you understand the needs by reviewing the position description, taking notes when speaking with recruiters or hiring managers, and highlight your specific accomplishments that match their needs.

Check out this site for more help with sharpening your skills to match an employer’s needs.

Tell me about yourself… (hint - you only have two minutes!)

The famous question, “Tell me about yourself.” This is not an open invitation to incessantly talk for minutes on end about your life from start to finish in exquisite detail. I used to think everyone else thought my life was as interesting as I thought it was - wrong! The fact is, no one really cares (that much). You have two minutes to answer this question. And, it needs to be a structured answer that includes the following:

• Humanizer - make a connection and be likeable/personable
• Career progression - make sense of your career moves
• Value proposition - what are you known for?
• Personalize - what do you like to do? Make a connection and humanize.

If you only remember two things, simply be brief (around two minutes) and clearly communicate your value proposition. What are you known for? What is your calling card? Remember, organizations have needs and people have skills. Be clear about your skills and match them with the organization’s needs.

Do you know your numbers? (not just finance)

“It’s a nice day outside.” Does this mean it’s 65 degrees, 75, 82? It depends on who you ask. Unless you ascribe a numerical measure to something it will never be fully clear to an audience. So many executives I advise are not fully clear when talking about their career accomplishments- I’ve been guilty of this as well. “We grew revenue and patient satisfaction improved when I was at XYZ Health System” or “We set up this corporation, joint venture, committee, etc.” These are simply not clear statements when compared to, “We grew revenue by 35% and our patient satisfaction improved from the 12th percentile to the 67th percentile” or “We started a new joint venture that grew market share by 34% and grew net revenue by 40%”.

Many comparisons have been made between the airline industry and healthcare. The pilot knows where the plane is going by following specific numerical coordinates. Do you know your X-Y? What was the origin and destination of your last journey? This is communicated simply by knowing your X-Y’s in one or more of the following areas: service, patient safety, quality, growth, service line development, finance, community benefit, market share, cost containment, productivity, physician or employee engagement, turnover, etc. When X-Y’s are communicated well it sounds like this… “When I was at XYZ health system our HCAHPs went from the 23rd percentile to the 78th percentile over 4 years” or “During my tenure we reduced RN turnover from 35% to 16% in three years.

Organizations want results. If you clearly communicate that you achieve results, your chances for success improve when looking for your next job. Contact www.wiederholdassoc.com for more information on learning how to communicate your “X-Y’s” and taking the next step in developing your career.

To execute well in a network meeting or an interview, you must present yourself in a powerful way. As most of you are aware, the elevator speech has long been utilized as a tool in this area. This presentation focuses on who you are, what you've accomplished and where you're going. At Wiederhold & Associates, we have refined the elevator speech and taken it to a different level.

We call ours the "2-Minute Presentation", and when done correctly, will connect you to your audience as well as align you with the opportunity or the situation.

The 2-Minute Presentation should be as close to 2 minutes as possible, be modified to fit different audiences and contain three distinct components:

• Humanization
• Elevator
• Differentiation

Basically, it's your elevator speech on steroids. Here's how it works.

Humanization

The goal is to make a connection. It's amazing what happens when you find a mutual connecting point to your audience. Remember, relationships are built on personal information, not business. Lastly, the power of the concept of "I, therefore, you." If I share something with you of a personal nature, you will feel compelled to share something with me. Connecting to people on a personal level is an essential part of both networking and interviewing.

Elevator

There are two key messages here:

• My career moves are logical.
• I'm clearly on the left side of the career bell curve and the best is yet to come.

The Differentiation Statement

The differentiation statement answers these two questions in a powerful way:

• Why should I hire you?
• What distinguishes you from other network connections or candidates?

Bring Your A-Game

Both networking and interviewing have become highly competitive. On top of that, people have limited time to give you. Bring your A-game with one of the most powerful tools you can put in your toolbox - a well developed 2-Minute Presentation.

Jim

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As one wise recruiter once told me, "You can have a B resume which may open the door but you must have an A interview to walk through it."

Let me share ten basic elements that consistently come up in our interview reviews that if addressed would make a world of improvement in your ability to interview and drive the right message:

1. Preparation: Know the five top critical elements of the opportunity and be able to address them with current experience and success. The five top criteria is the top five things they're looking for in their next candidate. Next understand the three other critical elements which are organization, position and location. Have specific information in each one as to your interest. The more specific the higher the impact.
2. Mirroring: A good interview is like a dance, both partners are in sync with each other. Mirror to match tempo, breathing, rate-of-speech, directness, etc. This makes each one comfortable with each other and sets the correct filter.
3. Listening to understand: We test this in every interview we do and the majority of people fail. We are so caught up in the world of listening to respond that we miss a vital part of the question.
4. Introduce yourself with confidence.
5. Take the lead: As you enter the interview, know exactly the statement you will make or the open-ended question you'll ask. Demonstrate your interpersonal skills and give yourself the greatest opportunity to connect with and engage your audience.
6. Put together an effective two-minute presentation which includes three key components to drive your message as well as connect with your audience. Those components are humanization, elevator, and differentiation/value statement.
7. Understand what a real achievement is and present that way.
8. Answer questions concisely, close information gaps and enhance the answer when it adds value to the original thought.
9. Always tell the truth but word it in a win-win presentation. This will provide consistency throughout the interview.
10. Brand yourself so that your message is consistent.

I've done a lot of interview coaching over the last 22 years. Historically, most people have a starting grade in their ability to interview probably somewhere around a B- to a C+ through no fault of their own. We just don't do well on things we don't practice consistently. But imagine if you took the time to develop a well-executed interview. What a significant way to separate yourself from the crowd in a very competitive market!

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Facilitating a successful job transition and search is a complex and intensive process. I have found most healthcare executives are trained and focused in their healthcare leadership roles, but are not experienced nor educated on how to conduct a successful job search and transition.

Frankly, most tend not to be very good at it.

Why is that? Most of us are good at things we do most of the time. None of us would be very good golfers if we golfed every two years. Job transitions are just like that. Executives don't have the opportunity to practice these skills often and there is real value in finding a coach or a partner who can accelerate the process.

Let me share a case of an executive that had tried to go it alone in her job transition and learned that with the right coach, training and navigation she could be very successful in her transition. She had the wisdom to realize she needed guidance to be successful.

To give you some insight, the client was a very high-level executive in a large health system. She had been trying to find a position on her own for approximately two years without success. Her organization had merged with another system who had the stronger position in the merger. The position they had offered her was not at the level she had been at and she decided to move on. She began conducting her own search process and was not as successful as she wanted to be. Eventually, she reached out to me for transition coaching.

What did she learn:

• I didn't know what I didn't know.
• I was not familiar with the current market and how competitive it is.
• My approach to networking was limited and therefore I didn't have a deep or substantial network.

What were her outcomes:

• My perspective on networking changed; it's much bigger and deeper than I thought it was.
• My relationship building skills improved.
• My communication skills improved.
• Jim as a coach was always available to me. Especially at high anxiety points.
• I was shown how I could do things better in the process.
• My goals for the transition needed to be broadened. I was often coached to add another needed step.

Working with this executive was a very rewarding journey for me because she had been out so long and was concerned about her ability to make a successful transition. We quickly moved her forward with the appropriate skills and were successful in helping her land a very good position. She was an excellent partner.

Transition and search is a very specific sales process – the process of selling yourself! With the right coaching, education and practice you can have a very successful result.

Here's to your success,

Jim

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First and foremost, I want to wish you much success in 2016.

The new year is a time to start new journeys. As you know there are journeys we choose and journeys that choose us.

So with that in mind, we took a real good look at the people we work with in career transition and found that the most successful ones had three consistent behaviors. Those three behaviors were passion, attitude and confidence.

Passion is one's intense desire or enthusiasm to do something. The level of passion for these successful individuals kept them on track even when there were challenges and bumps in the road. They did not roll over or quit when things got tough.

Attitude is how an individual's behavior reacts to a person place or thing. We live in a world where most individuals focus on the negative side of a challenge. Successful individuals took a more positive look at the challenge of career transition and focused in on the benefits that would result from this journey.

Confidence is one's assessment and feelings about their own skills and qualities. These successful individuals realized that they live in a deposit/withdrawal system. Unfortunately, withdrawals are automatic and deposits have to be made manually. They have learned how to make necessary deposits.

So as you begin your journeys in this new year remember to pack the right amount of passion, attitude and confidence. Because a good start usually means a good finish.

Here's to your success,

Jim

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Let's call this a sequel to my blog on Adhering to the Process. As most of you are aware I just returned from Denver and a successful completion of my second half marathon. I have attached a few pictures from that event in the charity section of the website. The gentleman that ran with me is Rick Newsome who works with Kaiser in Denver and is a friend. Why was it successful and how does it relate to my favorite subject of transition? First, in my mind the term transition has expanded, it now includes both external and internal transition and both the gainfully employed and gainfully unemployed.

Now back to why my run was successful. First, I made a commitment I kept. Just like anyone going through transition, I stayed the course. Second, I stayed focused on incremental gain. I bettered my last time by approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

I had obstacles that came my way, but I did not quit or blame others. I dealt with and overcame them. Over the last month I developed runner's knee. This made running painful and impacted the frequency of my training, diminishing it considerably. I made the necessary adjustments, but my commitment to the end result never changed. No transition, on any level will ever go exactly to plan and one will have to make adjustments to ensure success rather than blame others for failure. I took responsibility for the injury and moved on. I did not look for excuses. The last two miles were grueling because I had not trained as much as I wanted to because of the injury. I felt like quitting and I know many others have felt the same way under similar situations. In the end I stuck it out and finished the race. What kept me going was that I remembered that feeling, that wonderful feeling, when you accomplish something challenging. On the other side of that, I didn't want to deal with waiting another year to finish the event. That's too long to suffer and deal with that shortfall. We all have these kinds of experiences in transition. We need to stay focused on that wonderful feeling we get when we reach that next opportunity and push on through the pain. Remembering the feeling can keep us going. I also remember someone saying to me, and I'm not sure who to give credit to, but it went like this: when you’re closest to a failure, you are also closest to success. I do believe that.

As I write this, I'm on a plane back to Atlanta from Denver. I'm tired and I'm in a little pain, but I feel good about staying the course. No, I did not injure myself permanently and I am not asking you to do that. There will be those times when staying the course will be impossible because the reward sought does not come close to the potential downside. At those times, one may have to save it for another day. But then I remember another little saying that I adhere to. You don't become a good sailor by sailing calm seas. So remember that wonderful feeling of success and, whenever possible, stay the course.