Professional Development | Connect to HR | Strategic HR Advisors & Executive Coaching

Archive for Professional Development

Building HR Competence and Confidence

Managing the many aspects of the HR function can be challenging at the best of times. But when you are also trying to run the business, it can be especially frustrating. It can seem impossible to keep up with new employment laws and dealing with hiring and terminating employees.

Such was the case with a client of mine, who ran her own food services company. Like most entrepreneurs, she was highly skilled at her core business, but was learning about the HR function “on the job.” Her company was growing at a rapid pace and she wanted to be sure that her people processes were efficient and compliant with federal, state and local employment laws.

She called Connect to HR.

Over the course of several months I took a step-by-step approach to walk her through the various aspects of HR and what is most important in each area. I broke it down into simple, easy-to-understand steps: here is the issue, here are some scenarios, here are the rules.

We used actual situations within her business to help build her confidence and knowledge in how to handle them going forward. Because she was not in a position to hire a fulltime HR person yet, I felt it was important for her to have a backup with HR knowledge to help her. I worked with her Operations Manager to ensure that he also understood the local, state and federal ordinances related to employees and provided them both with links to credible resources.

As the result of our work together, the business owner and Operations Manager both have increased confidence in their ability to handle the various people-related issues that arise as well as general HR requirements and reporting. Also, they have saved time and headaches by having policies documented and processes to follow.

If you are a business owner and need some advice about HR processes or compliance, or have a particular HR issue you’d like to discuss, you may want to consider my Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service.

Contact me today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see how Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service can help you.

https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr/30-minute-consultation

Resource for Professional Women Returning to Work

Professional women who have taken a break from their careers, for example, to start a family or care for an aging parent, often struggle to make the transition back in. Doubts about rusty skills, how to explain the gap on their resume, or how to fit into the current work environment can sap confidence and create barriers to moving the re-entry process forward.

If you’re in this position, I have a wonderful resource for you! Phase 2Careers is hosting a day of information, resources, networking and support for women just like you. Professional Women Returning to Work will be held Friday, March 20, 9:45 am -2:00 pm at the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits in Redwood Shores.

I’m thrilled to share that I will be a panelist in the “Preparing for Your Work Transition” session, which will also include other career transition experts.

The keynote address will be: “Using Your Life Experience for a Successful Career Transition.” Other activities include an employer roundtable, the opportunity to meet one-on-one with career coaches, and a resource area with a vast variety of educational and employment resources.

Click here to register. I hope to see you there!

Promotions to Leadership – Getting It Right

We often think that the natural next step for a star employee is to become a supervisor or manager of their own team. It’s the ultimate acknowledgement for a job well done, right? Maybe. Maybe not.

Often the criteria for these management promotions are merely knowledge of the company, knowledge of the function, and/or seniority. Although these are good reasons to acknowledge an employee, they don’t necessarily make for good leadership qualities. And in the absence of other qualities necessary to succeed in a management role, often result in less than optimal outcomes for both the employee and the company.

If you are considering promoting someone to a leadership role, put on your “recruitment” hat and evaluate that employee just as you would someone from the outside. Yes, their company and functional knowledge give them an advantage, but as they move into leadership those qualities will be secondary to their ability to influence, to make decisions, to manage conflict and to do all the other activities required of a manager.

Before you make that promotion, do the following:

Define the skills and responsibilities required for the role. What are the specific skills required for someone to succeed in the role? Think about the additional responsibilities of the team manager and then map those responsibilities to requisite skills. Be as detailed as possible, including budgetary responsibility, signing authority, key internal/external relationships for the role, etc.
Define the leadership traits and competencies required for this specific role. Consider the function, the members of the team, how the team fits into the overall organization. What aspects of leadership (e.g., leading through people, setting a vision, coaching) does the manager of this team need to have?
Now think about the person you are considering promoting relative to the skills, responsibilities and competencies you’ve outlined in steps 1 and 2. Where are the gaps? Are the gaps improvement areas that you are ready and willing to address? Is the individual teachable?

Once you’ve determined that the individual would be a good fit for the manager role, be sure you have a conversation to determine their interest. And be sure that once the promotion is made you put together a plan for leadership development and ongoing coaching and support for them.

Please contact me if you need help in putting together a leadership development plan or if you need assistance in assessing whether your employee is ready for the next level position.

How Women Rise – Breaking the Habits That Are Holding You Back

In my last article I talked about a couple of the self-limiting behaviors that Marshall Goldsmith and Sally Helgesen discuss in their book, How Women Rise.

This time I’d like to talk about a few more of those behaviors and share some suggestions around how women might transform those behaviors to get to where they want to be.

Reluctance to claim achievements. Women tend not to brag about their accomplishments and often go out of their way to give credit to others. But here’s the thing. Those who are making decisions around pay, opportunities, and advancement need the data to make those decisions. Periodically take stock (and write down) what you’ve achieved and the value you’ve provided to the organization. And don’t hesitate to share it. Don’t wait for others to “spontaneously notice and reward” your hard work. Be bold.

Failing to enlist allies from day one. Goldsmith and Helgesen suggest that, when starting a new job, instead of isolating yourself to spend time getting up to speed, begin immediately building a network of partners at all levels. “The more inclusive your ally web, the more robust your support.” Another author, successful businesswoman Carla Harris, says that to be successful in business people need three key relationships – an advisor, a mentor and a sponsor.

Putting job before career. This is one of the areas where a strength – loyalty, commitment to the team – may be working against you. You do your job so well and get recognized for it (what would they do without you?) that you lose sight of your career goal. Again, take stock of what you are doing and how it contributes to where you ultimately want to be.

The disease to please. This is an area that may be the result of the gender-related messages received as children – girls rewarded for putting others ahead of themselves. The authors say, “Even women at senior levels tend to be most highly rewarded when they fulfill expectations in ways that others find pleasing rather than when they act boldly or assert independent views.” Take a step back and think about what your personal priorities are.

Allowing yourself to be minimized. Goldsmith and Helgesen say that women may inadvertently minimize their presence and impact by being too willing to squeeze into a circle (while men will let others adjust), by speaking softly, or by understatement: “I was just thinking,” or “I could be wrong, but…” or by using “I feel” instead of “I propose” or “I think.” These physical or vocal signs may be perceived as a lack of confidence and could hold you back from getting to where you want to be.

For the rest of the 12 habits in How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job, I suggest you buy the book!

Looking for a New Opportunity? Start by Gaining Clarity!

One of the trends I’ve noticed so far this year is that people are on the move. With the unemployment rate still low, more people are feeling that the time is right to search for a new opportunity. And I’ve had a number of calls asking for my advice on how to start the search, as part of my executive coach offerings.

Searching for a new opportunity can be both exciting and overwhelming. To make it more of the former and less of the latter, you need to have clarity, focus, a compelling message and a strategic job search plan.

Start by gaining clarity. What do you want to do next? What are the skills, experience and competencies required in order to achieve that? What kind of work environment do you prefer? Big company? Small company? Structured? Start-up? What are the roles, type of leadership, work culture, and experiences from your career so far that brought you the most satisfaction?

Take inventory. What are the skills, behaviors and competencies that have helped you succeed in the past? Which of those map to what you want to do next? Where are the gaps? What are the beliefs and/or behaviors that may have held you back so far from getting to where you want to be? Do you have skills or knowledge that you haven’t been able to leverage so far in your career but want to?

Create focus by identifying a target. Based on what you want to do next and your inventory, select a couple of target organizations/roles that are a potential match. Focus is incredibly important in your search for a new opportunity. It’s tempting to just throw out a big net in search of “a job” but if you want to have a fulfilling career, focus on the companies/roles/experiences that will propel you toward your personal career “vision.”

Develop your personal marketing campaign. This includes a compelling message about the value you bring to the table, and will include your resume, LinkedIn profile, a personal “elevator pitch,” and a list of people in your network (and in their networks) who might connect you to an opportunity. An important note about resumes. Remember that the purpose of a resume is to pique the interest of a recruiter or hiring manager so they will contact you for an interview. Keep it clean, concise, achievement oriented, forward looking, and error-free. It should not be a job description, but rather an account of what you did that made a difference to your role, your team, the organization.

Design your search plan. Once you’ve developed these components, create the action plan that will put them to work for you. Commit to paper your target, your key message, and your daily activity goals for your search. Keep active. Do something related to your search every day. Small steps every day lead to big results.

And remember, working with a coach can help you create your plan and accelerate results. If you find that your search for a new opportunity is leaning more toward the overwhelming side of the equation, contact me at michelle@connecttohr.com.

New Year New You? Start with a Plan!

January is the month of fresh starts. The month when we typically pack up the previous year and shift our attention to hopes and dreams for the 12 months ahead. Whatever your vision (or goal) is for a “new you” this year, it’s much more likely to become a reality if you make a plan. Remember, a goal without a plan is just a wish. Here are some guidelines to creating an effective plan.

Keep it simple. Make a list of what you want to accomplish or change this year, prioritize it, and then reduce your list to the 3-5 things you can realistically achieve.

Devote some time to it. Think it through. If you’ve been making the same goals/resolutions every year but not getting anywhere, you didn’t spend enough time making your plan. Research shows that 80% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by February. Why? Because they were too broad and didn’t include a plan.

Write it down. For each item on your list, add two or three specific actions you need to take to reach the goal. Give each item a reasonable due date. Remember to start with simple steps and one action at a time. Simple actions over time lead to big results.

Share it. Hearing your goals said out loud as you share them with someone else has a way of igniting your self-accountability. Sharing them makes them more real. Consider asking someone to be your accountability partner. Ask them to check in with you periodically to see how you are progressing.

Keep it visible. Post it in your workspace or keep it in your planner or whatever works for you in terms of keeping it visible. The more you see it the more likely you are to get it done. Use an app to help you keep track of your goal.

Be forgiving. Don’t beat yourself up if you get off track or miss a target date. Review your plan and see what adjustments you need to make to get back on track.

Celebrate! When you hit one of your goals, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!

In my work with individuals and organizations I’ve learned that the start of a new year is often when people begin seriously thinking about changing jobs or going after that promotion they’ve been wanting. Both of these efforts require a solid plan and can be facilitated by working with a coach. In my next blog I’ll share some tips on job searching or making a career change and how working with a coach can make the process shorter, easier, and more successful.

In the meantime, if you or anyone you know needs help in creating a plan for a job search or career change, please contact me at michelle@connecttohr.com.

Most Popular 2018 Topic for Connect to HR: Leadership

It’s hard to believe that another year is coming to an end. This has been a very busy and exciting year for Connect to HR. As I announced a few months ago, I’ve added a new service – Executive Adviser and Coach. It’s a role that I’ve already been performing for many of the senior executives and leaders I’ve worked with, and now I’ve made it official!

My typical clients are not new executives. They are well established in their careers – CEOs, Presidents of small to mid-size companies, and Managing Directors, Senior Directors, VPs, and Executive Directors of nonprofits. They’re facing challenges such as:

Effective communication – What they can say or not say, what they can do or not do – and they’re feeling unsettled, possibly for the first time in their career (and thus can benefit from an external adviser)
Being assigned a role that’s not what they’ve done before – with little to no mentorship
A restructuring that leaves them with more responsibilities than ever, without much guidance or room for error

I’m excited about adding this new offering to my list of HR consulting services and I look forward to working with leaders to help them navigate challenges and reach their full potential.

As I’ve been looking back over my blogs this year it’s clear that leadership has been a very popular topic. In case you missed them, here are a few of Connect to HR’s most popular blogs in 2018.

5 Key Characteristics of an Effective Leader
In the work I’ve done with leaders over the years in both corporate roles and as a consultant, I’ve identified five common characteristics among those whom I consider to be effective leaders. That is, whose employees are engaged and loyal, whose teams are high-functioning, and whose organizations are thriving. Read more

Successful Leaders Listen More, Talk Less
Successful business leaders know that to engage employees, meet customer needs, and stay ahead in the marketplace, they need to listen more than they talk. Read more

Top 3 Reasons to Hire an Executive Coach
There was a time when leadership coaching was reserved for those leaders who needed to “shape up” in a particular area before being shown the door. That’s not the case today. In fact, most senior leaders attribute at least part of their success to having worked with an effective executive coach. Read more

Empathy: An Essential Skill for Leaders
Empathy has been called THE skill for the 21^st century. Learning to understand others’ point of view – to figure out “where they’re coming from” – has myriad benefits in the workplace and in life in general. It improves interpersonal relationships, teamwork, negotiations, collaboration, sales, customer service, even parenting! Read more

Do you or another leader in your organization need help navigating challenges or developing in a specific leadership area? I can help! Please contact me at michelle@connecttohr to set up a free consultation.

Pardon Our Dust – Connect to HR is Growing and Changing

I’ve got some exciting news about what’s ahead for Connect to HR – and about some changes you’ll see in the coming months.

But first, let me back up. My Human Resources career spans over 20 years – at Intuit, Johnson & Johnson, Cadence Design Systems and KLA Tenor. And for the past 8 years, I’ve had my own business – Connect to HR – where I’ve focused on HR consulting for a variety of companies, including Apple and Veritas as well as privately held businesses, nonprofits, and foundations.

Along the way, the senior executives and leaders I’ve worked with came to see me as a trusted, confidential advisor. Certainly for my expertise in HR, but in truth, for a whole lot more than that.

So, after some reflection, I have decided to step more fully into the role I’ve already been performing for years: Executive Advisor and Coach to confident, accomplished leaders.

Effective communication – What they can say or not say, what they can do or not do – and they’re feeling unsettled, possibly for the first time in their career (and thus can benefit from an external advisor)
Being assigned a role that’s not what they’ve done before – with little to no mentorship
A restructuring that leaves them with more responsibilities than ever, without much guidance or room for error

I’m proud of the work I’ve done in Human Resources these past 20 years. And based on what I’ve learned as a result, it’s time to begin the next phase of my work. Like any change whose time has come, I’m both excited for the future and have a few butterflies in my stomach.

I do want to stress that I will continue the HR advising work I’ve been doing for the past 8 years. That’s not going to change! I’m just adding Executive Coaching to my list of official services as it’s something I’ve been doing for years now anyway.

As a woman who runs her own business, I’m keenly aware that my success relies on the support and collegiality of the people around me. So, from the bottom of my heart, whether you’re a new reader of the blog or a longtime referral partner, thank you for all the ways you’ve supported my work and livelihood – and here’s to an even brighter future.

– Michelle Mendoza, SPHR & SHRM -SCP

5 Key Characteristics of an Effective Leader

For an organization to succeed, it needs quality products or services, engaged employees, and effective leaders – at every level.

But what makes a leader effective?

In the work I’ve done with leaders over the years in both corporate roles and as a consultant, I’ve identified five common characteristics among those whom I consider to be effective leaders. That is, whose employees are engaged and loyal, whose teams are high-functioning, and whose organizations are thriving.

Effective leaders communicate often and well. One of the key causes of poor employee engagement is the lack of communication from leadership. Effective leaders share information and knowledge on a regular basis with their teams and individual employees. Through town halls, one-on-ones or casual conversations, they keep employees in the loop. They share successes and they share problems (and their solutions) openly and honestly.

Effective leaders are good listeners. They know that to build trust and loyalty communication needs to be a two-way street. They seek feedback from employees on issues and they solicit ideas for solutions. They provide opportunities for employees to express concerns, share ideas, ask questions and they listen to and, whenever possible, act on employee input.

Effective leaders are inspirational. They create and communicate a vision and inspire others to follow. They articulate how each employee’s role ties to the vision and to the overall success of the organization. They recognize the achievements of individuals and teams on a regular basis. They create a culture that is diverse, inclusive and that encourages employees to take risks and learn from mistakes.

Effective leaders are emotionally intelligent. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. It is made up of four core skills: self-awareness, social awareness, self-management and relationship management. Emotional intelligence is the foundation for critical skills like empathy, stress tolerance, decision making, anger management, flexibility, social skills and others.

Effective leaders grow their people. Jack Welch said: “Before you are a leader, success is about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is about growing others.” Effective leaders know that to keep their employees engaged and happy, they need to help them learn and grow. They need to provide employees with opportunities that build on their strengths and that nurture new skills and capabilities.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams

What is Your Theme for the Year?

It’s January, and if you haven’t already done so, this is the perfect time to think about what you want to accomplish this year. What are your big themes – both for your business, and for your personal development? This is different than making resolutions (which studies say typically dissolve by the end of February) this is about setting goals and making a plan on how to achieve them. All too often we get so busy working “in” the business that we don’t take time to work “on” the business (or ourselves, for that matter) so that we can achieve our full potential both professionally and personally.

Carve out some time this month to think about what you want your business, or your department or your team to achieve over the next 12 months. (If this is mid-year for your fiscal year, do a check in on previously set goals to validate, review progress and/or update them). Consider these questions:

What is your theme for the business this year? Growth? More involvement in the community? Changing the company culture? Expanding the brand? Increasing employee retention?

To align your business strategy with that theme, what do you need to START doing, what do you need to STOP doing, and what do you need to CONTINUE doing?

Now think about how you want to develop as a leader this year. Be more of a risk taker? Improve in strategic planning? Expand knowledge of business environment? Improve communication skills?

In order to develop in the desired area, what do you need to START doing, what do you need to STOP doing and what do you need to CONTINUE doing?

Once you develop your overarching goals for the business and as a leader, you can begin to create specific goals and actions that will help you achieve them. We’ll talk about that next time.

If you need some ideas or inspiration, consider Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO. Every year he sets a personal goal for himself. Past goals have included learning Mandarin, running a total of 365 miles over the year, and visiting all 50 states. His personal challenge for 2018 is to fix Facebook to “protect our community from abuse and hate, defend against interference by nation states, and make sure that time spent on Facebook is well spent.” As you’ve no doubt read, he’s already started working on this goal.

Other CEOs shared their leadership goals in a Fast Company article last year.

What will your goals be?

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” – Bill Copeland