Career 01 (Sep 08 - Mar 10)

[kennynah]

we tend to forget....our "boss" is also an employee...he bitches about his "boss" too...he just doesnt tell you about it...

so, your "boss" is just trying to survive in the maze as much as you are.....

so....you will do well...to make sure..he is your "best customer"...what he wants...he gets.. remember that !!!

[memphisb]

we tend to forget....our "boss" is also an employee...he bitches about his "boss" too...he just doesnt tell you about it...

so, your "boss" is just trying to survive in the maze as much as you are.....

so....you will do well...to make sure..he is your "best customer"...what he wants...he gets.. remember that !!!

100 % chop agree with you.

[winston]

Are you ready for a promotion? By Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com

Expert: Confidence is key and an employee should not be shy when discussing his goals with boss.

* Asking the boss for a promotion is a job of its own, and you must be prepared for it
* Before anything, you should take a look over your job description to assess yourself
* Compile evidence of your ability to perform current roles, responsibilities
* Document all achievements beyond expected tasks, how you helped company

(CareerBuilder.com) -- You're probably due for a promotion, right? I don't know you, but if you're like most other workers, you think you deserve a promotion. You are the glue that holds the entire organization together. Everybody knows it.

Everybody except your boss, that is. She doesn't seem to realize that you're ready for and deserving of bigger things.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/work ... index.html

[winston]

What To Do When Your Boss Is Looking Over Your Shoulder By Michael Masterson

Second-guessers -- bosses who delegate authority and then take some of it back -- are a very odious sort. Most management books advise you to confront them.

In some cases, that may be necessary. But in most cases I've witnessed, second-guessing is a response to a real problem. So before you accost your bossy boss and set him straight, make sure his worries are groundless.

Next time you feel you've been questioned or criticized unfairly, calm down and take a deep breath. Repeat after me: "I am not perfect. It is possible for me to be wrong in this case. If I am wrong in this case, it doesn't mean I am human waste."

Once you are comfortable with the idea that you may be wrong, try to figure out why your boss thinks you are.

What, exactly, happened that shouldn't have? What didn't happen that should have? Did you have all the resources you needed? Did you follow sensible procedures? If you had to do it again, from scratch, how could you do it to produce the desired outcome?

You need to ask yourself these questions -- and you should also ask a trusted friend or colleague for input.

Once you understand what went wrong and how it could have been right, set up a meeting with your boss. Admit your mistakes. Tell him what you're doing to avoid the same missteps in the future. And ask him for his suggestions.

I can't imagine any good boss not being impressed with that. If he doesn't respond positively, then he's the problem, not you. Look for another job.

Source: ETR

[kennynah]

What To Do When Your Boss Is Looking Over Your Shoulder

take him to a strip joint...buy him drinks and misc services... loosen him up... that'll work

[winston]

Learn from the best: Working with a mentor By Mark Tutton, For CNN

* Having a mentor can give you a chance to learn from their professional experience
* "Mentoring is the opportunity to think through your own issues," says David Megginson
* You can find a mentor in your own company, from external contacts or using online social networks

London, England (CNN) -- It's not just winners of TV show "The Apprentice" who can benefit from the guidance of a mentor. Learning from someone with more professional experience than you can give you access their accumulated wisdom, and allow you to learn from their mistakes.

The ideal mentor is someone who you respect, can connect with on a personal level, and who is willing to impart their knowledge. But don't expect them to solve all your problems.

Professor David Megginson, of Sheffield Hallam University, in England, told CNN that it's a mistake to expect your mentor to tell you what you should do in a given situation, simply because different people have different personalities and experiences. What's right for your mentor may not be right for you.

Instead, Megginson says a mentor's role is to help you to make sense of your own experiences.

"What's useful in mentoring is the opportunity to think through your own issues and what you want to do about them with somebody who has an understanding of your sector, or thinking about the kind of challenges you're going to face in the role you have," he told CNN.

"It's not helpful simply to tell somebody what to do. What a skilled mentor is trying to do is help the person become more self sufficient, not more reliant on the mentor."
What a skilled mentor is trying to do is help the person become more self sufficient, not more reliant on the mentor.

Megginson says many large companies have some sort of internal mentoring program. If your company doesn't have a mentoring system in place, it's possible to hire a professional mentor, but Megginson says the best option is simply to approach someone in your organization whose opinion you value.

If you can't find a suitable mentor in your company, you can always reach out to contacts from outside the organization.

Dr Elaine Cox, of Oxford Brookes Business School, in England, suggests approaching contacts who have impressed you at meetings and presentations.

And you don't have to limit your search to people working in the same city as you. Zulfi Hussain, editor of the book "Virtual Coach, Virtual Mentor," told CNN that technologies such as instant messaging and audio and video conferencing are letting people to connect with mentors based anywhere in the world

"More and more people are using this technology for mentoring," he said. "It's very cost effective, it hugely reduces travel time, and it opens up access to mentors and coaches around the world."

Hussain says social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook can provide a way for individuals to reach out to potential mentors.

FINDING A MENTOR
Zulfi Hussain told CNN, "Before you choose a mentor it's essential to have a clear idea of what your needs are, what kind of skill set you require, and what sort of personality you're looking to work with.

"The better the match between the mentor and mentee the better the results."

Once you've chosen a potential mentor, Dr Elaine Cox suggests you approach them for an initial mentoring meeting on a specific topic.

As the relationship develops, it can be more developmental.
"In an ongoing relationship the mentor can become nurturing, hopefully developing you beyond just sills and information," she told CNN.

For those looking for less formal mentorship, Web site Horsesmouth provides informal mentors who offer free online advice on a range of subjects, including careers, marketing and business.

Set up as a non-profit social enterprise, founder MT Rainey says Horsesmouth now has 20,000 registered mentors. While those offering advice aren't necessarily experts, Rainey says their advice can still be useful.

"Most people in life want to consult professionals and friends and family, but they also want to consult someone who's just another person who's been in that situation," she told CNN.

"Sometimes talking to someone who's been through that experience, who you don't have a personal relationship with, can be more constructive and free flowing than with someone you know."

While there is a risk of misguided mentors giving bad advice, Rainey says that hasn't been a problem.

"Because we've created a positive culture on the site, and because it's actively moderated and it's not a commercial business, mentors are very inclined to be positive, constructive and helpful," she told CNN.

"You're not trusting that person to the same level as you would a paid expert, but they might give a personal view that can add to your understanding of an issue."

While a mentee can benefit from their mentor's experience, it's less obvious what a mentor gets from the relationship. Cox says one attraction for mentors is the satisfaction of helping somebody else, but for some there's also a desire to leave a legacy.

"As people get older they don't want to feel that their ideas and ways of doing things are going to be lost when they retire.

"Some theory suggests that people actually need to share their ideas and support a younger generation, whether that's family members or junior staff in an organization."

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11 ... index.html

[Musicwhiz]

I've never had the luck of having a mentor who appreciates me and helps me in my career.

So far my career has consisted of people who are politically motivated and been out to destroy me. I've learnt to trust people a lot less since I entered the workforce.

[helios]

So far my career has consisted of people who are politically motivated and been out to destroy me. I've learnt to trust people a lot less since I entered the workforce.

Yo whizzy,

i think, everyone is political in a way.

i don't fully "trust" my senior management as there is a lot of BS to justify and report figures and targets. Sometimes, it is like a ra-ra show which is amusing to step aside and watch [and learn?] ... ...

the good thing is, i do get to work with external stakeholders and parties (such as suppliers and consultants). Esp. my project consultant is someone senior and credible in the industry whom i trust a lot ... and he has taught me a few tricks ... ha ha ...

[millionairemind]

I've never had the luck of having a mentor who appreciates me and helps me in my career.

So far my career has consisted of people who are politically motivated and been out to destroy me. I've learnt to trust people a lot less since I entered the workforce.

I guess its a matter of "luck" as well as the scarcity mentality that your boss has/does not have.

I have been VERY FORTUNATE that I worked under the boss in Asia (who's an American) who really appreciates my contributions.

He was instrumental in my career advancement and he made sure that I spend face time with the President and CEO of the company, plus increased responsibility every year (with great increments to boot )

For that I am forever thankful to him.

He teaches me what a manager/leader must do.

After I left, we met for a couple of times a year when he is in Singapore. I did ask him Y he did what he did and he said that the true measure of effective leadership is how many capable people that you have reporting to you that you are willing to promote, possibly to position above you in years to come.

[iam802]

Sometimes, your 'mentor' may not necessary appear within the company.

They may be from the industry but not in your company.

Or they can be totally from another industry.

This is why maintaining a Professional attitude is important in everything you do; it is all part of networking....