You’ve Been Fired: Now What?

Posted on

by John Beeson

You’ve just received word that you’ve been fired. Or perhaps the company has gone through a re-structuring and eliminated your job — and you’ve been told that none of the managers you’ve worked with over the years have a position for you on their team. This comes as a shock to your system, especially if you’ve enjoyed a record of success up to this point in your career. While there are some practical things to attend to — negotiating your severance, signing up references, and agreeing with the company on a storyline about the reason for your exit — your most important action item is managing your own attitude to the situation. Continue reading →

How to Explain Your Career Transition

Posted on

by Dorie Clark

Shifting careers is often hard to explain. Whether you’re moving from one department to another in your own company or starting over in an entirely different field, you’re likely to face a litany of rejoinders: Why would you want to do that? Isn’t that a little risky? Are you really qualified? Others won’t raise any outward objections, but privately, you can tell they’re skeptical.

The most important step in getting others onboard with your career transition is crafting a compelling narrative. It’s a tool often overlooked by “professional reinventers,” but it can be a critical determinant of success in winning others’ support for your professional goals and vision for the future. Continue reading →

The Most Overlooked Leadership Skill

Posted on

80-peter-bregmanby Peter Bregman

Even before I released the disc, I knew it was a long shot. And, unfortunately, it was a clumsy one too.

We were playing Ultimate Frisbee, a game similar to U.S. football, and we were tied 14-14 with a time cap. The next point would win the game.

I watched the disc fly over the heads of both teams. Everyone but me ran down the field. I cringed, helplessly, as the disc wobbled and listed left. Still, I had hope it could go our way. Continue reading →

How To Solve Onboarding’s Awkward Alienation Problem

Posted on

Even if you’re a management professor, starting out at a place feels weird. Such was the case for Francesca Gino, who left the Univerisity of North Carolina for Harvard back in 2010.

It’s 2010 and Francesca Gino is just about to start teaching at Harvard Business School. She was excited yes, but also “a little anxious” about meeting the standards of her new organization–proof positive that starting at a new place is a heady experience, even if you’re a professor of management. Continue reading →

Outsourcing: myths, facts and statistics

Posted on

 by Martin Conboy

Work is no longer bounded by co-worker proximity or time zone. It also involves a much broader set of ‘workers’ – not just employees, suppliers and partners, but customers, freelancers and an increasingly capable network of smart devices and interconnected systems, all tied together by business processes that span organizations, time and distance. Outsourcing is an integral part of this story. Continue reading →