How to get ahead in your career on rainy days?

It is raining outside and you might be wondering what to do when the weather is nasty. The forecaster believe that the rain will last until at least Monday night. Whether you are a lover or hater of the rain it does give you some opportunities to get a few things done that may have been sitting on your back plate. Instead of fretting about having limited outdoor access consider a few other alternatives.

You can spend the time with your family, friends or projects but since this is a business oriented blog I think it is beneficial to think about those things that are most helpful to your career. This can be difficult for people who never really thought about what they want to accomplish. Here are a few ideas:

-Pick up a business or career book. 

-Set goals and steps for your career. 

-Search out new and future opportunities that can expand your career knowledge. 

-Shop online for new clothes, office equipment or items you need to research. 

-Spend time thinking about what you want out of your life and your career. 

-Engage in some work-life projects that help you enjoy your down time. 

-Prepare your lunch, clothing, and other times to save time for the week. 

-Organize your files, records and other items. 

-Take care of your family.

The Footprints to a Solid Career

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your career. Successful careers take a consider amount of effort and time to develop and may not always end the same way you planned when you started. As the market changes and adjusts it is beneficial to roll with the changes and seek out opportunities to learn and develop. At various stages of your life you will be in different career positions that can contribute to your professional development.

Young graduates often assume they are going to conquer the world solely through elbow grease. This enthusiasm manifests itself in excitement, motivation, and participation. Even though the pay is not high the new job offers a level of independence, a new apartment, a car, and lots of other goodies that were previously out of reach.

Eventually that enthusiasm will wane as they become accustomed to their new money and find out that what they earn is not nearly to feed a family and still live a comfortable lifestyle. They may start to move out of their starter jobs to take promotions and raises in other companies. It is through this movement that companies loose talent and other companies gain new talent; the market shifts its resources.

During their mid career most professionals have worked for multiple companies and may have switched their careers at least once if not a couple of times. The knowledge gained makes them a valuable asset to any organization. Still young enough to learn and old enough to apply working knowledge they will be in the sweet spot for growth. Adaptability and knowledge are sufficient to get them that first management job or a higher paying position when warranted.

In the later part of a career position and power may not be the most important determinant of one's career. It is entirely possible that leaving a legacy for others and engaging in those activities that are intrinsically pleasing may have more appeal when compared to more of the same. Seasoned managers start to mentor and coach younger employees in an effort to leave some type of mark on the organization and society.

Throughout a career cycle a person will work for a number of different organizations and may even switch careers a number of times. It is necessary to be adaptable and continue learning in order to grow and develop. At the moment one closes their mind they will stop growing and it is important to ensure one is  more of a sponge that soaks knowledge than a rock that sinks to the bottom.

In your path don't fret about having to switch careers. It is a natural part of life in a fast paced American economy. The average person can expect to switch their career up to seven times in their lifetime (Bialick, 2010). A high number I agree but not necessarily implausible as I have seen Generation X switch at least 3 times by their late 30s.

The biggest challenge you are likely to face is being open-minded and continually learning. We get stuck in our ways, do the same things over and over, and live by a routine. Sometimes it is a great way to function but at other times it can lead us down a path where we become more disconnected from future employment opportunities. You don't want to someday lose your job you are stuck without the skills needed to find something that pays better. Make sure you continue to learn, adapt, grow, develop, and change toward improvement.

Bialick, C. (Sept. 4th, 2010). Seven Careers in a Lifetime? Think Twice, Researchers Say. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704206804575468162805877990

Three Methods of Mastering Your Mouth for Career Conflict Outcomes

“It is not what you say but how you say it that counts.” Our ability to say the right things at the time they are needed is a very important skill in developing stronger working relationships and advancing our careers. Without a keen mastery of the nuances of language and the emotional intelligence to choose the right timing for choice words it will be difficult for people to advance in their careers. Mastering your mouth can have advantages in workplace conflict.

Let us assume for a minute you are sitting in a board room brooding over the decisions and comments of a meeting member. Instead of working in a collaborative manner he or she is attempting to push their weight around and bully the group into accepting their ideas as their own. This is extremely frustrating to you. The behavior is so destructive that it creates encampment on the team, raises the stress levels, and seems to make everyone agitated.

In business there may be a time and place for a pushy executive that can cram their opinions through a team to make things happen. This is most beneficial in crisis situations but destructive in strategic planning. Despite its advantages in limited situations it can also show a serious lack of respect for the abilities of others and the ability to engage a wider group of stakeholders. The emotional infant has risen.

Before becoming angry and challenging the person directly and publicly it is beneficial to first sit back and think about alternatives that may be more effective in handling this situation.  You may be screaming on the inside and wanting to push back with equal force but a pitched battle could have a disastrous result for the team and the achievement of team goals; not to mention your own career. 

In my experience there are three ways to deal with such an over aggressive person who doesn't seem to understand either the needs or concerns of others. You can 1.) confront, 2.) redirect, or 3.) befriend. Each has their own level of success in helping master the situation.

1.) Confront: Confront is the most common and entails either direct equal force verbal attacks and bullying. An eye for an eye mentality showing the other person you are not going to back down and they must accept your issues. Other variations include escalating the problem to superiors or undermining the bully in subtle ways. One may work sometimes and another may fail disastrously. When a hyper aggressive bully has no sense of common decency you may need to draw a red line and stick to it.

2.) Redirect: Redirecting is the most successful method but does take considerable skill to master well. When an pushy person is sure they are right it is often beneficial to draw them into a conversation by encouraging greater elaboration as well as questioning of their logic. Boisterous individuals love to talk about themselves and drawing them in, redirecting, and drawing in again will help slowly adjust their logic into something more beneficial for the group.

3.) Befriending: Not all pushy people are trying to force their will on others and may actually be defending their needs by posturing. If you suspect the person is really trying to do the right thing but doesn't know how to negotiate well it is better to befriend them and become a sounding board for their needs in a more appropriate manner. You may help the group better bridge the gaps between the varying parties while gaining the trust of each member.

The workplace is always full of different conflicts, problems, and personalities. With a little practice and foresight you can better manager your mouth for a higher outcome. It is an interpersonal skill that takes some time but will place you in a leadership position more through wisdom then brute strength. You will avoid destructive battles that can damage your career while improving on your leadership position within the organization.

What is a Pracademic?

By Dr. Kevin Kuznia and Bill Davis  

Pracademic \prac-Ə-‘dem-ik \ n (2009) A member of an institution of learning who has extensive background, methods and knowledge of a specific discipline and uses that experience in the course of instruction. 

Paul L. Posner is a professor and director in the Masters in Public Administration program at George Mason University and serves in the American Society for Public Administration. He has served for many years with the U.S. Government Accountability Office as managing director for federal budget and intergovernmental relations. Posner stated this in the Journal of Public Budgeting & Finance: “a Pracademic is a person whose career spans the boundaries of academia and practice. “ Posner (2009) says that they have significant experience in both worlds and can jump between then with ease. Dr. Posner is describing many faculty in the ranks today who are teaching in colleges and universities.  

Bill Davis, MA, CM

Instructors and Professors today have real world experience, successful past and present careers and they can be considered pracademics. They are highly skilled and experienced in their respective fields. They utilize their expertise to provide students with timely advice, coaching, training and feedback. This along with excellent service, care and encouragement helps students make the intellectual connections they need to be successful in their chosen discipline. Ultimately, the goal is to help students increase their knowledge, build upon their strengths and help them grow in other related areas as they make new discoveries. When pracademics combine their abilities with course tools and applications, the student has a clear path to become successful in any endeavor they choose. 

As pracademics, it is our responsibility to share our knowledge and experiences as we commit and follow our high quality teaching standards. This “Best in Class” approach ensures high quality teaching, engagement, facilitation, coaching and student support. Being student centered, we provide students with a meaningful and gratifying learning experience, academic rigor and the service they need to gain an optimal transfer of content and theory. It is important to remember we are preparing adult learners for leadership in their personal and professional lives in the 21^st Century, and beyond.   

Kevin Cope (2012) in his book, Seeing the Bigger Picture – Improving Your Business Acumen tells us that there are five business drivers which are cash, growth, profits, asset utilization and people. As pracademics, we need to know the people side well and leverage that in connecting with our students.  Since our students are atypical from stereotypical university students, they have accumulated life experiences. Knowing that these students come to our University with experiences and knowledge in diverse areas, we can leverage that into practical learning activities that enable them to draw on their prior skills and knowledge. Furthermore, these students are readily able to relate new facts to past experiences and enjoy having their talents and knowledge explored in a teaching situation (Wynne, n.d.).     

The online classroom is the platform (stage) where the pracedemic practices his or her craft, and students can take action on what they learn. The instructor promotes student engagement so they can display their knowledge through social and active learning methods and process. As pracedemics, it is our responsibility to promote active learning, which is the process of doing and observing and the process of dialogue with self and others. So much engagement is possible within an online course and adult learners engage their instructors and peers. There is a dyadic process that occurs which is the relationship between those leading the discussion and those following. All of those who lead and follow influence each other over time and they motivate each other.

Dr. Kevin Kuznia

Dr. Ron Beach (2013) shared a quote in 2013 and said “Dr. King said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically; Intelligence plus character – that is the goals of true education. One of the exciting aspects of being a scholar is that we have the opportunity to touch so many people and the ripple effect is huge.” Many pracademics bring in their years of higher education and experiences forward into the classroom and do exactly that. They teach, discover, research and they play it forward. They all have a strong passion and purpose to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. 

As a pracademics their role is vital to promoting their university’s mission. So as you facilitate the learning of your students, remember, your skills and experience, combined with your students thirst for knowledge creates a dynamic atmosphere for fostering learning and growth.

References

Beach, R. (2013). Personal Conversation, Ashford University.

Cope, K. (2012). Seeing the Big Picture, Business Acumen to Build Your Credibility, Career,

and Company, Austin, Texas, Green Leaf Books.

Posner, P. L. (2009). The Pracademic: An Agenda for Re-engaging Practitioners and Academics.

Public Budgeting and Finance, 29(1), 12-26.

Wynne, R. (n.d.). Characteristics of adult learners. Retrieved from

            http://www.assetproject.info/learner_methodologies/before/characteristics.htm