Tag Archives: Career Assessment

Career Assessment

Passion, Purpose, “Personal Mastery” in Work and Life

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Srikumar Rao

Srikumar Rao

Srikumar Rao gained acclaim at Columbia, Haas, Kellogg, and London Business Schools for his innovative course, Creativity and Personal Mastery (CPM), which he transformed into his book, Are You Ready to Succeed? Unconventional Strategies to Achieving Personal Mastery in Business and Life
TED talk

According to Rao, those who pursue Creativity and Personal Mastery (CPM) practices:

1) …find that their judgment improves.
While they become deeply passionate about what they do, they also become more objective and less wedded to any particular outcome.
Their newfound ability to entertain many different perspectives makes them vastly more creative.

2) …experience an increase in their ability to inspire others and release pent-up creativity.
They relate better to others – subordinates, peers and bosses – and become more adept at enlisting them to achieve a common goal.

His program is based on 10 principles, which are illustrated in 90-second Inner Espresso Video Clips, listed below:

1: Actions and Not Outcomes

2: Fallacy of Expecting Thanks and Gratitude

3: Whatever you focus on Expands

4: The Power of Labels

5: Time of Attitude

6: The Power of Shifting your Focus

7: Mental Models

8: Miracles Happen Every Day

9: What are others thinking about you?

10: Your Boss is the FedEx Guy

*What practices help you “master” your work and life challenges?

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Blog: – Kathryn Welds | Curated Research and Commentary

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Igniting Purpose and Passion

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Robert Fried

Robert Fried

Robert Fried drew on principles articulated in his previous book, A Marketing Plan for Life, linking a 12-point business marketing plan to clarify life purpose and interests.

He suggests applying these marketing principles to defining personal life purpose, value proposition, brand, and “elevator pitch”:

Define the business you’re in:

• What’s unfinished for me to experience?
• What’s unfinished for me to give?
• What’s unfinished for me to learn?
• What’s unfinished for me to heal?
—–
• What ignites my passion?
.When did I experience joy?
.When did I lose track of time?
.What were my childhood dreams?
.Who do I admire?
• What can I do best to serve others?
• What is my true purpose in life?
• What actions do I need to take to realize my true purpose?

Peter Montoya

Peter Montoya

Fried cited recommendations from Peter Montoya and Tim Vandehey‘s book, The Brand Called You

• What business am I in? What do I offer? Who am I?
• What do I “stand for”? What are my core values?
• What talents, strengths, character traits make me “unique”?

Tim Vandehey

Tim Vandehey

• What is my specialty? How do I demonstrate this expertise?
• How do I demonstrate the value? How to I communicate the benefit?
• How do I “make a difference”?
• How do I consistently communicate the alignment between my “offering” and its value?
• What should people care? What is my cause beyond profit-making?

  • What are my demonstrable differences? “Features”? “Benefits”?

Opinions different on the optimal duration of responses to these value-clarifying questions, but one benchmark is “more than 25 words and fewer than 25 seconds.”

-*How do you clarify your purpose and mobilize your motivation?

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Blog: – Kathryn Welds | Curated Research and Commentary

©Kathryn Welds

Questions to Answer in Personal Brand, “Elevator Pitch”, Resume

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Colleen Aylward

Colleen Aylward

Colleen Aylward asserts that the following questions must be answered in your resume, “elevator pitch”, information interview, and online presence in her book, From Bedlam to Boardroom: How to get a derailed executive career back on track!

  • What is your [narrow, deep] expertise?
  • What are your strengths?

Career Leader by Harvard Business School professor Timothy Butler

  • What is your unique business differentiator?
  • What problems have you solved? How?
    [Note accomplishments and quantified impact, not responsibilities;
    Specify numbers, even if <10 – contrary to style rules]
  • How have you increased revenues, profit?
  • How have you improved processes?
  • How have you demonstrated creativity, innovation?
  • How have you reduced costs?

The last four items, indicated by *, are considered critical Key Performance Indicators that you must convey clearly, repeatedly, and memorably in all in-person and online activities.

-*What assessments and tools have you used to uncover your strengths, expertise and key differentiator?

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“Tour of Duty” Career Model

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Reid Hoffman

Reid Hoffman

Reid Hoffman, venture capitalist and entrepreneur behind such Silicon Valley start-ups as Facebook, PayPal, LinkedIn, Zynga, suggests “a tour of duty as a model for…composing work and a career” in his 2012 book with Ben Casnocha, The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career

He proposes asking “What’s the right next step — stay in this job, do another job for the company or do a good job at another company?”

In conversation Ethan Mollick, Wharton management professor, Hoffman recommends the intersection among “my assets”, “my aspirations”, and “the market realities” to identify career focus.
He advocates taking “intelligent risks” while “thinking a lot about ‘What are the risks?’, ‘What your variations are in Plan B?’”

As the co-founder of LinkedIn, a leading social network for business connections and job searching, he considers networking as “a mutual alliance…you help each other.”
Providing mutual benefit is a key for sustained relationship building for business success, according to Hoffman.

-*How do you develop a “Plan B” when taking “intelligence career risks”?

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3P Marketing to Define, Communicate Personal Brand

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Rita Allen

Rita Allen

Rita B. Allen defines 3 Ps Marketing to create personal brand and effectively market yourself in an increasingly competitive, global employment landscape.

.Preparation:
-Conduct self-assessment and “due diligence”
-Define brand differentiators and subject matter expertise
-Articulate positioning statement (“elevator pitch”)
-Curate your professional network

.Packaging:
-Create your portfolio (resume, CV, performance reviews, awards, presentations, articles, references, testimonials, community and professional service, continuing education)
-Expand alliances with relevant thought leaders

.Presentation:
-Practice and refine delivery of your brand message
-Develop strong active listening, presentation, and interpersonal skills
-Continuously enhance your brand

This approach helps answer:
• What are your “value-adds”, your unique differentiators?
• What is your personal brand?
• How comfortable are you articulating your brand?
• How do you continuously enhance your brand?

-*What elements do you consider when communicating your personal brand?

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©Kathryn Welds